Orly peered through the living room curtains and watched as Jessica's car pulled into the drive. He stepped back and found a position behind the loveseat where Jean and Wendy were tied together. Orly's vision blurred and he fumbled in his pocket for his painkillers, dropping the lid and spilling some of the capsules. He swore and tossed several down his throat, pocketing the bottle.

"A peep and your dead."

The two women looked questioningly at one another. "What?" Jean asked.

Orly shoved her unceremoniously and cursed her out. "Just shut up!" Wendy nodded and pursed her lips at Jean.

The front door opened and Jessica called out to see if anyone was home, then led Jeff into the living room. They stopped abruptly when Orly raised his hand with the gun. "Welcome home, bitch."

"Pardon?" Jeff moved to the side of Jessica and gave the two women on the loveseat a reassuring nod.

Frustrated that no one could understand him through his battered face, Orly waved Jessica down to the floor and pointed the gun at Jeff. His appliance forced his head to tilt off balance each time he moved and he began to look like a bobble head.

"The money and the stones."

"We don't have them. Some charming lady named Zee took them after killing your friend Carver."

He would have called Jeff a liar but there weren't many civilians that knew about Zee and the fact that Carver was dead spoiled the other plans he'd made. "Where?"

"Zee? No idea. Carver's at the morgue. It happened at my place."

"Give it up, Orly. Ralph's dead. Carver's dead. You look like you might be close and the authorities are all over this like a blanket." Jessica suggested. "You might consider that Zee didn't join the party by chance, whoever Ralph was dealing with decided he was expendable once the plan fell apart."

Orly cursed, although they weren't positive. He realized now that the woman he saw leaving the alley must have been Zee. She killed Ralph and apparently Carver. They were all doomed.

"Orly?" Jessica tried again.

He turned the gun on her and just stared. "You are the one that started this." He spoke slowly and as clearly as possible, buoyed by the fact that nobody said, what? "I can give you Steinman but it won't be for free."

Jessica rose slowly from the floor, the barrel of the gun tracking her move. "How?"

"I've got Ralph's cell phone with his call record."

He touched the appliance and closed his eyes briefly. "He made a couple of calls to Steinman on it when he was too lazy to find a public phone." Jessica had her head turned slightly, listening hard for every word. "Steinman called him once on the cell but it was probably from a throwaway."

"Orly I can't guarantee immunity but in truth so far you've only been a minor accessory to smuggling. The other stuff we can all overlook." She got nods from Jeff and her two roommates. "I'm pretty sure we can make a satisfactory deal for you." If they could get Steinman eventually they would get Zee as well and Jessica smelled victory not five feet from where she stood. She held out her hands in supplication and began seducing Orly into agreeing.

********

Zee left the clinic with her arm in a soft cast and a supporting sling. The doctor had been so preoccupied trying to make time he hadn't noticed that she lifted his cell phone and when she reached a clear space she dialed Howard Steinman.

"This is a breach of protocol."

"Don't worry, the phone belongs to a doctor in a local clinic. He doesn't even know it's gone."

Zee moved to the shelter of a shady corner away from the passing shoppers. "I have all the merchandise and the first part of the request has been completed but plans changed necessitating a cancellation of D.C.'s invitation." She heard Howard suck in his breath and she waited without speaking.

"Will there be any complaints from other parties?"

"None that are worrisome. I'm also calling to advise you of another change."

"What other change?"

"I've decided to retire from the business and I feel that most of what I'm holding would go a long way in making that enjoyable."

Howard's voice became strained and tight. "You should also realize that those benefits are only as good as their security."

"I have other security if you know what I mean, so let's just call this a separation settlement and perhaps one day I can buy you a friendly drink."

"Sleep well, my dear. I'll be keeping you in my thoughts." Howard lowered the phone and stared out his penthouse window with regret. His accountant will have to fiddle the books some more to justify the missing eight hundred thousand. Such is life. Howard returned to his crossword puzzle and smiled; he needed a six-letter word for fool-he penciled in, HOWARD.

********

Jeff plodded through the sand with the Styrofoam tray of drinks and knelt clumsily beside the beach blanket where Jessica sat reading the paper.

"Your beverage, your highness."

"Very good, Jeffery. I like that, it suits our relationship." She ducked away as he flipped a handful of sand at her.

He settled himself beside her, pulled his hat down over his eyes and bent the straw so that he could sip without moving his head.

"That's an offense you know, throwing sand at your highness."

"Get over it." He smiled under his hat and wiggled more comfortably into the blanket. "What's new in the news?"

"Our dearly beloved Howard Steinman has employed his formidable battery of lawyers to refute the crown's witness, Mister Orlando Ruez."

"Think he'll get away with it?"

"He shouldn't but if he does I wouldn't want to be in Orly's shoes. It's kind of hard to disappear wearing that birdcage on his head."

"Somehow I can't sympathize." He sipped noisily and drew a frown. "What do you think happened to Zee?"

"Well, if it was my situation, I'd be lying low someplace warm and safe."

Her voice had a strange quality and he tipped his hat up to look at her. She was staring at him with a bemused look.

"What's so amusing?"

She reached into her beach bag and took something out. "Recognize this?"

Jeff took the object and then jerked upright, his hat and drink flying into the sand. "Jesus, Jessica! Where did this come from?"

"I managed a little sleight of hand while wrestling with Donald on your living room floor. Zee left with a bag of about twenty grand and your pebble collection."

He stared with a mix of anger, surprise, confusion and downright admiration. "I spent a long time gathering those."

"I'll help you replace them." She bent down and pressed him back on the blanket, finding his mouth with hers and quickly erasing any qualms he had about being an accessory to the theft of one huge amount of money and smuggled emeralds.

********

The sun dipped behind a cloud and a shadow covered the beach area for a moment or two and then returned, brighter and hotter than ever. With economy, precision and speed, the smiling bartender built and delivered the drink on a colourful napkin in front of the woman. She tipped her sunglasses back on her head and placed her lips around the straw, sipping slowly as she watched the couple making out on the beach blanket.

Flexing her wrist, she removed a small box and several bills from her purse and set them on the bar. The bartender's smile enlarged along with his eyes and he listened with pleasure to her instructions, then placed another drink in front of her; compliments of the house.

The beach waiter stopped beside Jessica and placed the tray beside her on the sand and stood innocently waiting. She glanced at the small package and the pair of tropical drinks and found a tip in her beach bag for the young man. Jeff was humming softly to himself, his hat over his eyes so she picked up the small box first and undid the ribbon holding it closed.

"Oh shit."

Jeff lifted his hat and looked over at her. "What's wrong?"

She passed him the box and then picked up one of the drinks.

"Oh shit." He sat up and stared unhappily into the tiny box filled with beach pebbles. "I'll have that other one please."

*******

Zee left the beach and strolled with quiet satisfaction through the hotel lobby to the elevators. She would shower, have a beauty nap and this evening she would make a final visit to the happy couple. The elevator arrived and she stepped inside. The man lowered the paper and spoke quietly into a tiny microphone on his wrist then took out a cell phone and dialed.

"She just heading up to her room, sir. Angelo is waiting and ready."

"Call me when it's done." Howard buzzed his secretary and had her remove the throw away cell phone then he laced his fingers across his stomach and returned his attention to the upcoming trial.

END

A/N: Thanks to all those who read, voted and commented on this story. It is much appreciated.