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After the tour, we had tea and strudel, working our way through every crispy bite I cleaned the plate of flaky cruertip Her discoh mine increased as the visit went on I’d known the woman for two years, but with the exception of the last couple of weeks, our entire relationship had been conducted in her restaurant, which she rules like a dominatrix We didn’t have thatchitchat, trying to ward off any aard pauses in the conversation By the ti peeks at my watch

Rosie fixed ot a date?"

"Well, no I’ve got a job I have to drive down to the desert toer and then poked onna buy you a glass of schnapps"

We left at the same time I offered to drop her off, but the tavern’s only half a block away and she said she preferred to walk The last I saw of her the h her muumuu She looked like a hot-air balloon shortly before liftoff

I headed into town, detouring by way of the automated teller machine at my bank, where I deposited Mrs Gersh’s advance and pulled a hundred bucks in cash I circled the block and parked my car in the public lot behind my office I confess this news about a hit man had e to zigzag as I went up the outside stairs

In my office, I picked up un, then stopped into the California Fidelity Insurance offices next door I chatted briefly with Darcy Pascoe, who doubles as the company’s secretary and receptionist She had helpedfields I thought she’d be a good investigator and I was encouraging her Being a PI beats sitting on your ass at somebody else’s front desk

Imy rounds Vera’s one of those wo in particular she does I suppose it’s the air of total confidence she exudes She likes men and they know it, even when she sasses thearettes and Coca-Cola, which she consuhout the day You’d think that would offend the health nuts, but it doesn’t seem to cause dismay She’s tall, probably a hundred and forty pounds, a redhead ears glasses with big round lenses, tinted gray I know none of this sounds like the girl of your drea about her that’s apparently tough to resist She’s not in any way prouy will strike up a conversation with her and end up dating her for months When the relationship’s over, they usually reood friends that she’ll match him up with someone she knows

She was not at her desk I can usually track her by the s trouble picking up the scent I cleared a chair and sat down, taking a few h a handbook on insurance fraud Wherever there’s money, somebody finds a way to cheat

"Hello, Kinsey What are you up to?"

Vera came into the cubicle and tossed a file onto her desk She was dressed in a denim jumpsuit with shoulder pads and a wide leather belt She sat down in her swivel chair, reaching automatically into her bottom drahere she keeps an insulated cold pack filled with Cokes She took out a fresh bottle and held it up as a way of offering me one

I shook my head

She said, "Guess what?"

"I’m afraid to ask"

"Take a look around and tell me what you see"

I love this kind of quiz It reame we used to play at birthday parties in elementary school where somebody’s ot to look at for one minute and then recite back froame I ever won I surveyed her desk Same old mess as far as I could see Files everywhere, insurance manuals, correspondence piled up Two earette butts," I said "Where’s the ashtray?"

"I quit"

"I don’t believe it When?"

"Yesterday I woke up feeling punk, coughing arettes, so there I ah the trash for a butt big enough to light Of course I can’t find one I know I’rab my car keys, and whip down to the corner before I can even have ht, to hell with it I’ve had it I’ to do this to o"