Nicole laid out two bathing suits and stood back, examining them with a critical eye, eventually choosing one and returning the other to her dresser. Her suitcase stood open on the bed amid a pile of blouses, pants, skirts and underwear. Another bag was propped against the side of the bed and held an array of pumps, sandals, slippers and sport shoes. She swished back into the bathroom, négligée billowing, and returned with a make-up case and a small container of jewellery.

The arrangement with Ellington, while risky, would end her direct role in the cause of Cynthia's trust. The trick was, to complete her part and then get back out of sight as quickly and quietly as possible.

The buzzer gave her a start and she went tentatively to the intercom. "Yes?"

"Miss Kirkland? My name is Wallace, Christopher Wallace."

"Of course, please come in." She went back and continued packing.

The knock at the door brought her upright, and she went and opened it, forgetting she was still in her négligée. Three sets of eyes all goggled at once. Nicole at seeing Karen Winsett, as well as the man called Wallace, and Karen and me at the flimsy garment concealing little if nothing of their hostess.

"I know you," Nicole blurted. "You were with- you work at Bravo Consulting."

"Did. Not any more." Karen walked into the condo and performed a brief pirouette as she took in the décor. I followed her, flame-faced.

"Could you maybe slip into something less comfortable?" I asked, averting my eyes.

"Oh! Oooh." Nicole left the room and returned, tying up a terry cloth bathrobe about her waist.

"Thank you... I think." Karen gave me a dirty look.

"I don't usually hear that line delivered that way." Nicole's manner was pleasant and congenial.

I hastily launched into an edited version of our meeting with Ellington, watching unhappily as she shoved her suitcase over and sat on the edge of the bed, gathering the robe about her legs.

"Ellington called and told me his plan." She sounded less than pleased and changed her interest to Karen. "You were Jarmon's other..."

Karen's face turned cold. "Yes. Apparently we were working the same claim."

"And oddly for the same reason."

"My reason was self-preservation," Karen said.

"Ah yes. It's interesting what exactly that constitutes for different people."

I sensed a building of tension in their verbal sparring and interrupted with the thought of getting us all back on track. "Miss Kirkland, this isn't about trying to make money off somebody's indiscretions, this is about a murder that puts Ellington's daughter, Miss Winsett and I, in extreme danger."

Nicole studied them both and chewed on her lip. "Ellington suggested this first, not you?" She felt badly about checking on Ellington but old habits were hard to break.

"Call him. He'll verify everything."

"No need, Ellington and I are very close. I trust him completely." Her eyes slid over to Karen, who was watching her with a calm curiosity.

"You two are...?" I tried.

Nicole laughed and stood, the robe parting briefly to burn my eyes. "Discrete."

I nodded and ended the topic with a gesture. "So, what's the plan?"

"Yes, just how do we threaten anybody with something they can't look at, something we can only describe?" Karen asked, obviously as uncomfortable suddenly as I was.

"It's all in the threat. Make the threat with enough confidence. Give a few details and they have to stop and wonder. Even if they suspect it's a scam, to ignore it completely could just as easily be suicide." Nicole looked at them. "We do have some details that would worry them?"

"We do." I nodded to Karen. "She saw it... the murder."

"Well then, contacting the principle party would be next I would imagine."

"I'll do it." Brave P.I. Wallace stepping in front of the train.

"It will be risky."

"Maybe not. I can have it leaked through a contact of mine. We don't have to speak directly - yet."

●○●○●○●○●

The mistake was another of my stupid moves, thinking I was some cinematic character like Sam Spade, whose every deduction led to the correct solution. Big shot that I was, I told the women that I could arrange to have the word leaked to the right sources. Through those sources - his sources - Rory had volunteered to be the conduit to Bernie's world.

Word went out that there was incriminating evidence just waiting to see the daylight if he didn't back off of the Wyatt business - and he succeeded - too well. The threat had sent shock waves through Bernie's world, and instead of folding like a bad hand, he dispatched his killing machine to plug the leak... literally.

The call from the hospital stunned me. Karen watched from across the room as my face drained of colour and I sagged onto the bed muttering questionable thanks.

"What's wrong?" She came over and sat beside me.

"Rory. He's in the hospital," I turned toward her. "He's been shot!"

She bit her lip and reached out a tentative hand. "How- who?"

"One guess. Our little ploy has backfired big time already. At least as far as buying time."

"Is he alright?"

"He was shot, so I doubt it."

"Don't be an ass. Is he going to be alright?"

"They think so. It's still too early."

Karen stood up and went to the window. "That was the hospital that called?"

"Yes," I snapped. "It wasn't Goodwill. Rory has my number as the person to call in case of injury."

"I guess using Nicole is academic then," she said, ignoring my sarcasm. Once I set the plan in motion, Nicole had taken off and said she would be in touch when needed. I didn't know how but then it was Ellington's idea, so I played along.

"Too late, her existence was part of Rory's leak."

"She turned and stared at me. "Rory must have told them this number then... or he had it on him somewhere."

"Yeah. So- ooooh. Oh shit. Rory wouldn't tell." I joined her at the window and we both scanned the street for any sign of our watcher.

"We can't stay here." Karen was busy, stuffing things into her purse and a plastic bag provided by the hotel, giving no credence to my sponsorship of Rory.

"We can't just run out into the street either. We need a plan, one that I think needs to include dealing with the police."

"The police! I thought you were dead against that?"

"A very apt phrase and a reason for changing my mind but the main reason is that a detective I had dealings with before happened to get Rory's case and he knows Rory and I are tight."

"How do you know that?"

"The person at the hospital mentioned was being questioned by a Detective Houseman, an old... acquaintance."

"Why don't I just say goodbye and you work on a plan for yourself."

I grabbed her arm. "Hey! This is for both of us, Karen. It's not just me they're after, you know. Where the hell do you think you'd go?"

"With Nicole."

I dropped her arm, my mouth flopping open in surprise. "Nicole?" She stared boldly at me. "You know where she went?"

Without answering, Karen finished her blitz packing and turned toward me, tossing her hair dramatically; the effect conjured up the naughtiest of pictures, lingerie and all, as I imagined her with Nicole.

"Some plans work better than others, Chris. Yours doesn't appeal to me right now."

"Karen," my throat constricted and I had a brief coughing fit. "You better think about this. You could be putting her further in harm's way too."

I saw the possibility register as her face slipped from determination to doubt to defeat. She dropped her makeshift luggage and sat on the corner of the bed. "Getting out of here is a super idea but we have to stick together, Karen. Christ, look what happened to Rory, Nicole doesn't deserve to join us on the front line. She's already the mystery blackmailer; that's dangerous enough."

"You're right. I just- I- I'm scared, Chris. Really scared."

"Me too, and that's why I think we should contact Houseman." I'm sure I saw Nora smirk somewhere.

"Who? Oh yeah, the detective at the hospital."

"Detective Paul Houseman. He's a good guy actually, he'll listen carefully before making any judgments."

"What if he doesn't believe you?"

"He will." I shook my head at myself, wondering what on God's earth made me think Houseman would believe any part of such a screwball scenario. Karen shrugged and let out a long breath.

"Okay." She held her forehead. "Shouldn't we tell Ellington what we're doing?"

"Let's just wait and see how Houseman handles things... just in case." I reran a picture of my last association with Houseman and began to feel like Alice down the rabbit hole.