Brody paced around the room. I felt him staring at me. Obviously, he hasn't slept well in a while. He sat down next to me on the sofa. I while I thought of what Tres said I began to absent-mindedly play with Brody's hair.

"So, have you decided to call him?"

"No, I've decided not to."

"Hard not to listen to all of them... eh, Lu?"

He was referring to Tres', last visit, Buck and well anyone that knew Brody that felt they needed to warn me about him. "Let them think whatever they damn well want. I know, what I know."

He smiled, rolled over and kissed my hand. "I just want all of this to end. You sure telling Tres about Smith was a good idea?"

"If Tres blows the lid off the club house and the corruption going on then maybe the murder will become yesterdays news. Speaking of which... what was the deal with Caroline Grace?"

"She agreed to distribute muffins both here and Oh Aces. She had inventory to off load, and wanted the money to pay for her new venture in the newspaper business, since the rest of her fortune was cut off by them passing that law."

"She still in the business?"

"No. Shamus got greedy. He wanted to expand our territory. He wanted something no one else had. Corner the market." Brody laughed without humor... "Take over the world."

"Myna's recipe?"

"That's right. When Myna said, 'No deal,' and Caroline didn't agree with the plan to steal her recipe and produce Myna's muffins well, Shamus wasn't happy to say the least."

"So, he was planning revenge."

"Until he ended up dead."

I flinched at his words. He sat up and looked rather stern, "I don't get it after everything he's done to you, you still love him."

"A part of me does. The rest of me understands that it's wrong, foolish and most likely... what will get me killed."

"Not if I have anything to say about it."

"Why did you beat up Bruce the night of Shamus' murder?"

Brody got up and started pacing again. "You're starting to sound like, Tres!"

"I'm looking for answers."

"Even if you don't want them? Even if they may change everything?"

"Even if," I said but not feeling as brave as I sounded.

"Why don't you let me answer that question?"

I looked up and seen Bruce looking for another bottle of whiskey. I got up, found a bottle and poured him a glass. He smirked at me, and I had to admit he still hands down had the best smirk around. Okay...maybe with the exception of Hunk but rumor has it he's on the make for a different persuasion. 

"Thanks, Lu."

I nodded and waited patiently for one of them to continue. Bruce looked over to Brody and with a wave of his arm, Brody gave him the go ahead.

"The short end of it... I was hired to do odd jobs for Shamus and I spent the money that was suppose to go back to him."

"The longer story is that one of those jobs was to figure out the ingredient in Myna's famous peach muffins. I discovered it, through a cute Spanish rose, who worked for some Mexican grocery store. Turns out that's where Myna would order the secret ingredient from."

"Of course, once I found out this juicy tidbit I realized I could create a bidding war and tried getting the most dough out of it. Shamus was none too pleased with this idea. Turns out the NoLuks weren't either."

My eyes widened. "The NoLuks!"

"Not Madame Yu. She likes to fly under the radar. No her nephew KenBo was looking to start a coup. Take the whole business from the old lady and expand their territory."

I could not believe what I was hearing. "Then she's in danger!"

Brody gave me a warning glare. "No Lu! You can't go back there. If AJ wasn't with you, if I didn't believe, if there was trouble, he'd get you out alive..."

"I can't let them kill her!" I said in disbelief that he would even suggest the idea.

"It may be too late." We both looked at Bruce.

"What do you mean?"

"While they were enjoying beating me into states of unconsciousness, mostly because I think they feared what I might say if the right people dropped by, they stopped checking if I was actually knocked out. I figured it was in my best interest to keep my lids shut tight, as it turns out it's no fun if I wasn't moaning. So, they got careless and started to talk around me." Bruce sloshed down another glass.

I motioned him over to the seating area and he looked grateful to sit down. I couldn't help noticing that he walked with a limp. I got a bowl full of warm water, a cloth and sat down beside him. Again he gave me that smirk, I wanted to smile back but I could feel Brody's burning gaze at my back and didn't want to bring Bruce anymore trouble. 

I started to clean him up. I hated seeing him this way. I wish I had gotten to him sooner. He stopped my hand as I reached for his face. "This wasn't your fault, Lulu. As much as I loved knowing that bastard behind you got his comeuppance, I know he came to get me out. I was pissed and I figured the best way to get back at Shamus was to sell his secret. It was dumb move on my part."

I looked back at Brody and he looked angry and turned away to get a drink of his own.

"KenBo has been poisoning Madame Yu for weeks but they were frustrated that tough old bird hadn't even broke a sweat, but I heard them discussing pushing the deadline up once they heard you set up a meeting to see her. I don't think any of them thought you had the guts to pull it off. They wanted this war."

"Why?"

"Reason to end the truce. The truce Shamus and KenBo made with one another to take out the Spanish Mob boss."

"That was Shamus' doing?"

Bruce nodded. I looked at Brody and he looked away.

"You knew this?"

Brody looked back at me. "Not like I could have stopped it. Shamus thought the opportunity too easy with him a sitting duck in the cooler. Shamus wasn't going to pass that up."

I turned away and focused on getting Bruce to look as near normal as he was going to get. None of us spoke for a while. Until...

"I still don't get it. Shamus and KenBo? Partners? That doesn't sit right with me."

"I think KenBo and Shamus would both agree with you?" Brody said... letting me puzzle it out.

I laughed and it was a hollow sound, "Of course, the Nitwits planned on double crossing another... no honor among thieves."

"It would seem that KenBo was the more successful one of the two of them."

"You think it KenBo that killed Shamus?"

"Could have been him, his men, someone KenBo knew had a connection to Shamus..."

I thought of the welts and the knife wound on Brody that was similar to that I'd seen on Shamus. It was a theory but as theories go... without proof...

"I need to talk with AJ. I have to warn Madame Yu."

"Then why don't you call your boyfriend and ask him out to lunch?" Brody said, his words dripping with sarcasm.

"Boyfriend?" Bruce's eyebrow shot up with interest.

"Yeah, your brother," Brody said. I knew he was enjoying this.

Bruce's eyes narrowed on me. "Lulu, say it ain't so?"

I wanted to tell them both to go to hell. Instead, I got up and picked up the horn and held my breath until he answered. "Hello, Buck. Lulu. You have any interest in meeting me for lunch?"

I stared at both men who eyes were trained on me like a target. "Say around noon. Cederick and I will pick you up in the Lincoln. I was thinking the Ritzy. Yeah, that's the place, heard they have a new menu even the Major is raving about... my treat.

Wonderful, I'll see you then."

I hung up the phone. Brody looked mad as hell and Bruce just smirked. I flipped my hair over my shoulder and walked into my bedroom, head held high, to change outfits for my new lunch date. As I closed the door, I couldn't help but hear Bruce say...

"Poor sap, doesn't stand a chance against that femme fatale."

Only to have Brody counter with...

"Don't know... He's fairing pretty well. She stayed at his place last night."

When I heard movement from the other room. I reached down and locked the door.