Toni hurried out to the hall and looked through the peephole but could see nothing, and she turned back and shrugged helplessly. He stood and went to the door grabbing her roughly about the chest and then dragged her back to the door, leaning in for his own look. Nothing. The rap came again and the surprise made him shout.

"Shit!" He shoved the gun into her side and peeked again. "Whoever the asshole is that's out there playin' pranks... knock it off." He could still see nothing. Another sharp rap made him jerk back and he lost his cool, shoving Toni down onto the floor, tossing back the bolt and flinging the door open, gun waving menacingly.

Ted swung the fire extinguisher he'd grabbed from the firebox in the hallway and caught Jake's wrist, following through to his chest and sending both he and the gun flying back into the room. Quickly he hobbled through the door, inverted the extinguisher and blasted the stunned Jake full in the face.

He coughed and gagged as the foam filled his eyes, nose and mouth and he began screaming as the sting turned to a fierce burning. Ted stepped forward and jammed the nozzle against Jake's face and emptied the extinguisher before whacking him across the head with the empty canister. Toni began crying and she stood shakily and went to his arms, clinging and sobbing in great gasps.

"It's okay, Toni. It's okay. Are you hurt? Did he hurt you?" Ted led her into the kitchen and settled her on a chair then got a glass of water and swept her hair back off her face as she drank.

She put the glass down and nodded and then began to cry again and Ted knelt down and held her close, muttering soothing sounds. The noise from the livingroom made him start and he stood up quickly holding a finger to his lips. Voices sounded his name and then in the kitchen doorway was his friendly, Hammond police detective.

"This time it's serious, Wagner. Hands behind your back and turn around.

"No! You don't understand!" Toni stood and wrapped her arms about Ted. "He saved me from that- that... in the other room."

"You mean that body."

Ted jerked and looked at Toni. "He's dead?"

"Well if he isn't we can hang him in the hall for fire safety, 'cause he's full of fire retardant foam." The detective eased Toni away while he fastened the handcuffs on Ted. "For a writer you've become a bit of a public nuisance."

"He saved my life!" Toni tried again, stepping in front of the detective. "That- he was going to kill me when he was- after he..." She slumped and began to cry again.

"Let her call somebody to come over, she's been traumatized for cryin' out loud." Ted pleaded.

"We're all going downtown... again. She can call from there." The detective led them out through the livingroom where a paramedic was gawking at the foam oozing out of Jake's mouth with each compression of his chest.

"He gonna make it?" The detective asked.

Maybe, if I ever get him emptied out."

The detective gave Ted a wary look. "A little over the top wasn't it?"

"If he makes it, ask him who sent him and for that matter who he is." Ted gave Jake a contemptuous glance.

"You know him?"

"It's Gabriel Tucker's big brother."

The detective halted short and stared from Ted to the mess on the floor then back, a new opinion suddenly forming about the loose cannon writer.

******************

The cover looks great."

"The cover is great, but it's the contents I'm asking your opinion on."

"I've read it fifty times in rewrite, Edward; what more can I say?"

"Try, Pulitzer."

"Right." Toni closed the blinds against the afternoon sun and sat beside Ted on the sofa. "Is this my personally autographed copy?"

"I can give you a cover, I suppose." She punched his arm. "You wouldn't even have a story if is wasn't for me."

"C'mon, you made an extra half chapter. Big deal."

"Not what your publisher said." She stretched her legs out and wiggled her toes. "He said—"

"I know what he said." Ted growled, grabbing her and tickling her hard around the waist. They thrashed about on the sofa, finishing with a kiss and a snuggle and then Ted sighed and tossed the copy of his new book on the table. His novel based on the events of their experience had been snatched up immediately by a new publishing house that wanted to groom an unknown into an up and coming writer.

Ted took to the celebrity with ease and when the advanced book order hit the stands it was a respectable success paving the way for a larger printing after new art had been prepared for the cover. Retailers made the demand after several observations by customers. Even the denizens in Hollywood had dispatched feelers to the publisher. It all proved successful enough for him to afford the ring he gave Toni when he proposed, and the charges for the subsequent wedding and stay-at-home- honeymoon.

"Hard to believe a whole year and some has passed."

"Not long enough for me," Toni suddenly looked sad.

"Hey, c'mon. Jake Tucker won't be out for another four years and I'll bet he won't be in good health for another ten."

"You were very lucky he didn't press charges, Ted, especially when they told him about his brother."

"My detective friend sort of convinced him otherwise. Jake saw the wisdom in being incarcerated in the medical wing as opposed the general population."

"That's disgusting."

"That's reality." He laced his fingers behind his head. "The same reality that got me off with a firm warning and unfortunately, a police file. Cannoti said he didn't want to know me and my other detective friend said he'd be watching me. How good a deal is that considering everything?"

"Better than the others got."

"They were actually criminals, Toni. Sandra will be seventy before she even gets a chance at parole. Curtis has one year left with no employment prospects, and Arlene Maxwell is on parole doing public service work with the aid of her renewed and dedicated husband, Gerald. Things actually worked out for them in the end."

"What about that poor woman from his office?"

"Yeah, Zeena. She came out the worst, well, Gabe actually came out the worst, but she's still institutionalized with a gloomy prognosis for improvement. They have to keep the male attendants well away from her, only women are allowed near her."

"That's horrible." Toni scrunched down closer to him. "How about your friend, Kath, the hotel girl?"

"What about her?" He wrinkled his brow wondering how Toni knew about Kath and the hotel.

"A thing came in the mail the other day; I forgot to tell you."

"A thing. Is that anything like a letter or a package or some other form of post?"

"It was addressed to both of us so I opened it. It was from the management of the Grantly Hotel offering us a two-week stay with all amenities gratis. It was signed, your sneaky, peeky friend, Kath."

"No kidding? That's great. We can crash there while I'm doing my new release book business. We won't be bothered here at the house."

"It's the sneaky, peeky friend bit I wanted you to address."

Ted related how he'd first met Kath and what happened that day at the Maxwell house and how he guessed she was referring to their meeting then.

"So why does that rate this free stay at the hotel?"

"Maybe she wants a copy of my book, or maybe, Toni, she's fallen madly in love with me and wants to get me on her own turf."

"Inviting the competition isn't how women do that sort of thing. We like to operate on our own."

He put his arm around her and pulled her close. "Now you and I on the other hand..."

"Keep that other hand to yourself, mister." Toni kissed him and then got up and went to the kitchen.

"What am I supposed to do with it then?" Ted called after her.

"Since we can be away from the house for two weeks you can get the paint catalogue and choose a colour for the nursery." She sang merrily back to him.

The NURSERY!?

THE END