Ernie thanked the long haul trucker and jumped down from the cab, only a few blocks from Sandra's. He stood on the corner, as the huge semi groaned past him and down the quiet street, rehearsing his lines and preparing himself for the part where he would take her in his arms and commit his life to seeing she had everything she ever wanted.

He wasn't really sure about how yet, and if she asked he would have to fudge a bit, but in the end he would so overwhelm her with his sincerity she would forgive him . . . she had to. He stepped off the curb and went into a little jog as he headed for her house.

No lights. No answer to his knock. He checked his watch and found he was almost bang on the expected time. Where the heck could she be? He wandered around to the rear and saw that there were no cars anywhere and he suddenly felt his stomach turning over very, very slowly. They needed a car; that was how they were getting away. He considered hanging around but decided instead to go to the bar in case she had to work and just couldn't get away on time. If she wasn't there he'd come back and check here again. After that, Ernie's planning board was blank.

Sandra never went to work at all. Her boss said he gave her the day off and none of the customers had any idea of where she might be. Ernie was eventually asked to leave because he kept insisting that somebody must know something. Outside, he paced back and forth totally at sea. Visions of his one night with Sandra played themselves to a frazzle in his jumbled mind. He banged a fist into his hand and started back to her house; maybe she'd been to the store or something.

Ted paid off the cab, grabbed his bag and ignoring the cabbie's smirk at his pants and tie and hobbled across the side walk toward Sandra's just as a familiar figure strode up the street. He eased himself back behind a hedge and watched as the man in the all black outfit stomped up the steps and hammered on the door.

Son-of-a-bitch! Was the guy that shot him and Sandra in league! Ted hopped out from his hiding spot and hobbled down the block to Sandra's, his trimmed pants unravelling in long thready trails down his legs.

"You! You little bastard, stay right where you are!" Ted fumbled the gun out of his bag and aimed it at Ernie. "Get your hands up!"

Ernie nearly fainted. Here was the guy he robbed and shot, aiming his own gun at him. "Don't shoot! My hands are up."

"Get on the ground."

"It's dirty."

"Get on the bloody ground!" Ted waved the gun menacingly as Ernie complied. "Where's my case?"

"I don't have it."

"I can see that you jerk, I asked where it was."

"It was stolen off me." Ernie tried to keep his sweater from getting against the suspect lawn.

Ted choked noisily. "Stolen. you think I just rolled off a melon truck?" He gave Ernie a vicious kick in the side.

"So help me! I wasn't even out of town when some car pulled up and a gun was jammed in my face. Whoever it was knew what I had." Ernie reached back and rubbed his side, his sweater now covered in dirt and grass stains.

"Move again and you're dead, asshole." Ted fumed angrily; breath almost turning to steam blew noisily from his nose. "One last chance. Where is my case?"

"I swear I don't have it any more. It really was stolen from me."

The plea sounded so pathetic, Ted couldn't help but believe the guy. He lowered the gun and ordered him up. "Start from the beginning, pal, and don't leave anything out. How did you know to come to Portsdown and rob me?"

ööööö

As Gwen pulled up to the marina gate, Sandra popped the cork on the bottle of champagne and waved merrily from the top of the gangplank. Gwen climbed out of the car and, carrying the money case and her travel suitcase, let herself in through the gate and down to the trot. The tiny wheels rattled noisily as she dragged the suitcase across the wooden planks, and when she reached the boat, Sandra bounced down to greet her with a mighty hug.

"Did you get it? Is that it?" She grabbed the briefcase and hefted it, rolling her eyes.

"It was almost too easy. Your guy caved in when I shut the consol and it made that clicking noise. He thought I'd cocked the hammer on the chunk of pipe I was holding. I didn't know what I would do if he resisted." They fell together laughing and stumbling up the plank to the boat.

"Your husband was sparing nothing when he rented this baby," Sandra offered. "She's a real beauty."

"Just give me a large glass of that bubbly and let me wind down. That was a long drive."

"Here you go," she passed her a full glass of champagne. "Cheers." Sandra took a gulp and then set the glass down. "I found a spot to put the cars. Give me your keys and I'll get rid of yours while you kick back."

"Check all the seat pockets and the visors. Hell, better check everywhere. Ted was a squirrel sometimes."

Sandra took the keys and hesitated on the top of the plank. "Don't be sailing off without me now, will you?" The tone was light but the face was serious.

Gwen sat forward and studied the woman who had serviced her husband behind her back. "Sandra, I may be deceitful with Ted, all things considered, but we made a deal and deals I don't break."

"I didn't mean to sound serious."

"Yeah, you did. But so am I, okay?"

Sandra stuck up a thumb and winked. "Gotcha, partner. Back in a jiff."

ööööö

Ted pushed Ernie ahead of him into his house. Nothing looked any different except it was empty. He told Ernie to sit in the kitchen and not move while he prowled the other rooms. A few of Gwen's items were gone from the bathroom and when he checked the closet his chest ached-her suitcase was gone too.

He grabbed a pair of slacks from his closet and switched them for his shredded shorts after chucking his tie and bandaging his leg. Gwen had found somebody all right, and now she'd run off with him and Ted's money. What made her not trust him? He blinked, feeling stupid at his rhetorical question.

He stormed back to the kitchen, giving Ernie's pulse a jolt and grabbed up the phone. The number rang several times without answer and he slammed the receiver down hard.

"Stay right there while I check some things; you and I are going hunting."

"Can I use the uh- phone?"

"What for?"

"I want to try Sandra." Ernie's face pinched into a huge question mark. "She said we were driving off together as soon as I got back. Sandra was nuts about me."

Ted stopped in the doorway and glowered. "She was nuts all right. So nuts she played you like a cheap violin while getting you to steal the money from me. It was for us, Ernie. For Sandra and me. That was her number I just dialled, pal.

"She was going to shake you after you got back. We were taking off together with the money. I've got a great big boat waiting down in Whi-" He stopped and jammed his fist to his mouth. Ted's face paled and then turned livid red. "The boat! The friggin' boat!" He ran out of the room and up the stairs.

Ernie gawked around the kitchen, searching for something to anchor his thoughts after Ted's revelation. A few minutes later Ted bounded back down and grabbed Ernie out of the chair.

"Move it!"

"Wha- where are you-"

"The goddamn boat, now move it."

As Ernie sat huddled against the passenger door with his seat belt pulled so tight he could barely breathe, Ted railed on about double-crossing, two-timing bitches and what he planned to do when he caught up with them.

"I don't understand, them." Ernie said in confusion.

"Sandra and my wife. She didn't run off with another guy. She never hired another guy. She and Sandra planned this."

"What did they plan?"

"Are you a complete moron? The money! Sandra got you to steal from me and Gwen stole from you."

"Gwen?"

"My wife! She was the one that robbed you in Portsdown. Jesus, no wonder Sandra picked you, your I.Q. has a minus sign in front of it."

Ernie bit back a smart remark and stared glumly out the window. All the earlier bravado in front of his bedroom mirror dissipated under Ted's harangue. He wasn't as dumb as this guy thought, but he sure wasn't as smart as he thought either. All that business with Sandra was phony. How could he not know? How could he have been so head over heels blind?

The car swayed as Ted steered into a long winding curve at a higher than recommended speed. What would he say if they found them? What would she say? Would she laugh? He doubted there would be much laughter when this guy found them.

His ear rubbed up and down the window as the car bounced over a small hillock in the road. I wonder if he'll give me any of the money when he gets it back? Ernie slid his eyes over to Ted, who was glaring so fiercely out the windshield, any thoughts of sharing quickly vanished.