Karen explained about our visit to the police and the fact that she had given Nicole up as the source for the photos. She reasoned that since there were no pictures, Nicole couldn't be accused of anything.

Nicole was not happy but under the current circumstances she knew she would never have got away without placing herself in jeopardy anyway and was now a bona fide participant in the problem, and she resigned herself to her lot with admirable aplomb.

"All this had better not involve Ellington in anything dangerous," She warned. I found it interesting that her concern was not for herself as much as his.

"I sincerely hope not." She gave me a critical look then turned her attention to the sun.

Later in the afternoon Ellington arrived and greeted us on the patio then, after an eyebrow raising kiss for Nicole, he left for his home office, leaving Karen and I bursting with questions.

●○●○●○●○●

Zeet Walowski resembled the boxer in the Dogs Playing Poker poster. Everything about his face said pug and with shoulders like an ironing board supporting arms the size of punching bags, the name Kong came to mind. In a terracotta coloured wind jacket and powder blue track pants, he looked like a national holiday dirigible, anchored by the tiny chair in front of Bernie's desk.

"That's everything I have on these people. I need proof of those pictures but I prefer getting the people, if you understand my meaning. It should be fairly easy to track them down, or smoke them out if that option becomes necessary. I want this done and done fast, quiet and clean. Understand?"

"Is not a problem, Mr. Bernie." Boulders rolling downhill. "I start right away." He rose from the chair and drifted silently out of the office, sucking the air after him.

"Christ, where do these mutants grow?" Bernie massaged his jaw and flopped down in his chair, thinking. Elrod, his 'cleaner' had arrived with his crew and Bernie and his office was once again pristine, leaving him free to ruminate. Once the P.I. and the broad were out of the way he could concentrate on Cynthia Wyatt; if she couldn't pay, she'd damn well play.

He picked up the phone and called the hospital to see how Rory was doing. It hadn't been his intention to have the guy shot, Carmen was just supposed to find out who had the pictures and where they were. When one question failed,

Carmen turned silly and started a shoot out.

Bernie knew of Rory and his reputation at the Howden. He'd even been there once when Rory was entertaining with a bunch of movie star impressions. He liked the guy. He made a note to send flowers or fruit or something.

Carmen had been relieved of his duty and banished from town after reporting that Wallace and the woman had slipped past him. Luckily he hadn't been called to Bernie's office or Elrod would have been working overtime.

●○●○●○●○●

Nora unlocked the apartment and let herself in, calling to see if Christopher was home. She didn't think so what with the opportunity of bunking out with a couple of women but you never knew. Getting the expected non-response, she began humming as she went to the kitchen and turned on the light.

Her purse and the briefcase of papers crashed to the floor and she staggered back, stifling a scream. Seated at her kitchen table was the most intimidating human she'd ever seen. It rose and lumbered toward her, a monstrous hand like a baseball mitt covering her mouth.

"You don't scream please." Large dark eyes bored into hers and she nodded as best she could. The hand dropped and Nora gasped for breath, wiping her dry lips.

"What do you want?" Her voice quavered.

"You tell me where private investigator is."

"I- I can't. I don't know. If he isn't here, I don't know."

Zeet inhaled deeply, almost pulling Nora forward. "Is no good to lie."

"I'm not! I swear! You- you heard me call when I came in; I thought he might be home..." She shrank back as he brought one hand up and stroked his chin.

"Is good point." Zeet nodded thoughtfully.

"It's true!" Nora glanced around for a means to escape.

"I think you come with me."

"I can't! They expect me back at my office!" She clenched her hands in front defensively.

"You call and make excuse. No funny things, lady." Zeet tilted his massive head and she thought it might tumble off and crush her. With little choice in the matter, Nora called and said she was staying home to be with Wallace; she wanted to surprise him.

"Now we go." Nora began to scream and the hand silenced her in one swift move.

●○●○●○●○●

Lolling around Ellington Bravo's pool with two extremely attractive women shrieked my private eye fantasy at high volume. The problem, aside from no bathing suit of my own, was I felt intimidated and more than inadequate. Nicole was obviously a globally experienced woman with probably countless relationships and Karen was equally wise and, after glimpsing her lingerie, apparently very liberal in her own behaviour.

Before Nora, I was just a run-of-the-mill klutz, goofy around women and seldom social. Even after Nora, considering the amount of time we had together, I was still somewhat callow. Not the stuff of the tough P.I. I sat watching the two women sunning and talking and I became very lonely for my wife.

"Hey!" I called, sitting up. "I'm gonna call Nora and see how she is, tell her everything's okay here."

Karen shaded her eyes and looked at me. "You want permission?"

"No-o." That pissed me off.

"Good idea, Christopher," Nicole said, placing a hand on Karen's arm. "You should keep in touch. Just don't use a cell phone or any in the house. There's a public telephone just down the road at the entrance to the golf club."

I stood up, glaring at Karen and nodding my appreciative thanks to Nicole.

Strolling down the tree-shaded street I must have felt relaxed and calm for the first time because the tension bled out of my body, leaving me more comfortable than I had felt since the beginning of the case. The sun dappled the trees and a warm breeze dusted my face as I ambled past engineered lawns of perfectly trimmed proportions, that spread out behind architecturally crafted iron gates fronting the one or two properties on the road.

The entrance to the golf club was a massive, pagoda shaped structure with a gatehouse. On one side was the public phone inside a tiny booth with a stained wooden bench, and on the other side of the brick drive was a cement Buddha squatting among a nest of colourful flowers.

Wing Lees Tees Golf and Country was the name emblazoned in gold and red on the front of the pagoda, removing any doubt as to the nationality of the owners. I entered the little booth, sat on the bench and fed the coin slot the appropriate amount.

"Mrs. Wallace is not in the office today; may I take a message?"

"It's Christopher. Did she go home?" I asked hopefully

"Oh Mr. Wallace. I hope you aren't going to be the one to spoil this evening now."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Nora told me she was staying home to spend a-," The giggle surprised me and I smiled in spite of my confusion.

"Spend what?"

"She said she was staying home to make a special dinner so the two of you could share a private, quiet evening together. She felt guilty about never being home with you."

"So she went home?"

"About an hour and a half ago. You mustn't say I told you now."

"Great. Thanks, I'll get her there."

"You are going to make it...?"

Was my love life so important that employees of a huge law firm took active roles in seeing it succeed? "Stay tuned," I said and hung up. She knew I was hiding out at Ellington's. Why did she think I'd be home? Our home phone rang endlessly and I wondered if she was in the shower or out shopping for dinner or busy in some other way. The fear factor slipped an icy finger along my back and I decided to wait half an hour and try again.