Cresta stood in the entrance to the cafeteria of the Skyway Mall and scanned the crowd. She didn't see anyone resembling Hatti and she began to get nervous. The taxi ride had cost her nearly ninety dollars and she didn't like to think it had been wasted. The small boy tugged at her skirt and she looked down in annoyed surprise.

"Can I help you, little man?"

He nodded and pointed across the room to a table by a low wall with a lattice screen mounted on top to hide the hall to the washrooms. Cresta followed his finger and her eyes found the Short blonde hair of the woman in large dark glasses. As she watched the woman raised a hand in a small wave. Cresta patted the boy on the head and made her way to the table.

"I got your message and here- good grief, what happened?"

"Ssshh. Rita looked about and leaned closer. "It was Jared... from the club." Cresta sat mouth agape. "He made me tell where the video was, the one I told you about. The one showing the drug transaction."

"So he has it." She studied the bruises with concern. "That why we're having this meeting out of town?"

"It felt safer."

"You think it is?"

"I hope so... if not I might be going the way of Elora Gates."

The statement hit Cresta like a brick to the head. "Elora Gates? Why?" She held up a hand and paused, gathering her thoughts. "Let's establish some rules before proceeding. First, your current name, I'm tired of guessing who you are each time we talk."

"Jean Travis is the current choice, it matches some documents I had made and it is new since- since just before Jared's handiwork."

"You have false papers?"

"They were for my big getaway after collecting for the video. Now they're my only hope of safety."

"Okay, from now on it's Jean. Why did you call me?"

"Did you tell anyone about me—about our meeting?"

The inside of her mouth turned to desert and Cresta hesitated too long.

"Oh!"

"Listen, you were threatening me, what was I supposed to do? I warned you at the time that you didn't know who you were dealing with."

"Did you tell them where I was?"

"No." Cresta felt better about that and took a breath of relief. "I don't know how they found out but I promise it wasn't me."

"Why?"

After consideration, Cresta told Jean the whole story about the club and the drugs. She told about Greenbaum and what he did and she advanced her own theory of their current predicament. Jean listened with a growing fear of how deep the water into which she'd stepped actually was.

"What should we do?"

"I wouldn't go back to that hotel, that's for sure. Take your papers and run is my advice."

"What about you?"

"I don't know yet. I think that my options are dwindling too. Greenbaum could decide to send Jared after me as well, who knows. I may just join you on the run somewhere."

"We could go now. I've got my friend back in the city who'll make papers for you..." She offered, encouraged by a possible opportunity. "The charge is not so nice but it's one time." She shrugged fatalistically.

Cresta started to state her refusal when movement by the cafeteria entrance caught her eye and she shrank down in her chair, her face turning white.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Keep down! Down look around. It's him... Jared."

"Oh my God, how!"

"I don't know. When I say, get up and get behind this lattice, it leads to the women's washroom."

"What about—"

"Just do it!" Cresta peeked over her menu and saw Jared turn away to look down the mall. "Now! Go!"

Jean slid out of the seat and around the wall, lingering in the hallway to watch for Cresta.

Jared turned back and seemed to be quartering the room as he scanned the customers. When he looked to the opposite side, Cresta scooted around and down the hall to Jean.

"Quick into the ladies' room."

Aside from the way they came in, the only other exit was a small window of frosted glass high up on the wall and both women stood hunched together uncertainly.

The table he'd noticed a moment ago was now empty and Jared did a quick inventory of the people at the cash and near the entrance and decided that none of them had been the occupants. He made his way across the room and behind the lattice wall. The signs pointed to washrooms and employee only quarters. He checked the men's room first and then tried the door to the employee's quarters finding it locked.

He didn't want to create a scene by pushing his way into the women's washroom but it had to be checked. He gently pushed the door open and found that it led to a tiny entry and that he would have to go right in to see around the corner. He checked the hall and then stepped inside.

The room was empty but one stall door was closed and he squatted down to see underneath, smiling as he saw a pair of feet. Jared stood and stepped softly to the adjacent stall, entering and climbing onto the toilet. As he peered over the top he saw Hatti just as she swung her arm toward his face. The liquid soap caught him full in both eyes and he jerked back, slipping off the toilet onto the floor. Swearing aloud, he scrambled to his feet and reached for the door just as Cresta threw her shoulder against it. The metal door flew into his face and Jared collapsed back onto the toilet, jamming his back against the lever and flushing the bowl noisily.

Before he could recover, both women were in the stall with him. Jean stepped on his hand and trapped him at an awkward angle, lying backwards over the bowl. Cresta swung her purse like an axe between his legs and as his eyes expanded like cartoon light bulbs and as his mouth flew open, Jean stuffed it with a sanitary napkin from the dispenser. Cresta hit him again and his eyes rolled out of sight and his backside settled into the flushing toilet.

With long strips torn from the line towel holder, they bound his feet and arms, sitting him upright on the bowl and wedging him down inside. Another strip of towel went around his ankles and up to the ceiling pipe, keeping them clear of the floor then they shut the door, locked it by leaning in from the next stall, and stuck a makeshift, out of order sign on the front.

"I think I'll take that offer." Cresta said as they fled the washroom.