he’d shot Jake in the leg. I was back the next day."
I didn’t know what to say.
"You want more? I got more stories just like that one. That was just one of his masterworks. That’s why you have to get proof that will stand up in court. I’ve seen him go to jail and come right back."
"Now you’re talking like you think Jake is dead."
"I don’t like to think about it. I know it’s possible. The longer he’s gone, the more I think about it." Her smile was gone. I thought I saw a tear run down her cheek, but she wiped it away quickly. "So, you tell me your story, Nick?"
"Well, there’s not much to me. Ex-army, we’ve been doin’ this for about a year now."
"We?"
"I have two partners."
"They have names I’m sure." Her smile had returned as quickly as it left.
"Monika and Jett."
"Monika? A lady private detective, huh. That’s something that you don’t hear of very often," Mrs. Childers smiled and gave me a wide-eyed innocent look. "I used to read Nancy Drew when I was a little girl."
"I used to read Mickey Spilane mysteries."
"You have any family?"
"Yeah."
"It doesn’t sound like you guys are one big happy family."
"Not them, me."
"I see." She finished her drink and signaled for the bartender. "Looks like there are some things you don’t like talking about either."
"You’re right, there are some things about me that I don’t like talkin’ about. But I think everybody does."
"That’s true. Everybody has secrets. Something only they or maybe one other person know. I know I have some secrets that will die with me."
I smiled to myself knowing that not only did I know one of her secrets, but it was also the reason I was here. "Tell me one," I said.
"No, then it wouldn’t be a secret any more. You tell me one of your secrets."
"Okay, but just one. I didn’t just happen to be here."
"What?"
"I knew you were going to be here, so here I am."
"How did you know I was gonna be here?" she leaned forward and asked.
"I can’t tell you that."
"Why not?"
"You said tell me one, if I told you that would be two."
"That’s not fair. Come on, tell me. And don’t give me that line about having to kill me. That line is so worn out."
"All right, I’ll tell you," I leaned forward and motioned for her to move closer. Mrs. Childers leaned toward me and I whispered, "I’m a private investigator, I wanted to see you so I found out where you were going to be."
"You’re not goin’ to start stalking me, are you, Nick?"
I love the way she says my name. "No, Mrs. Childers, nothing like that."
"I don’t have to be afraid of you, do I?"
"You never have to be afraid of me. I’ll never let anything happen to you."
"Oh, so you’re my own personal protector, huh?"
"At your command," I replied quickly and playfully. But I knew that at this point I would have done anything for her.
"Well if that’s the case," Mrs. Childers said and smiled at me. "I could think of a person or two that I wouldn’t mind getting rid of."
I thought about Chésará, Something we can share. I like the thought of that. "Now see, I could say something now, but then I’d be giving away somebody else’s secret."
"So," she said. "Tell me anyway. Then it will be a secret we can share."
"No. Who do want to get rid of?"
"My husband. Remember, that is way I hired you."
"To get rid of your husband."
Then Mrs. Childers got very still and looked me straight in the eye. "Yes."
We sat there staring at each other for a few seconds before she sat back and said. "And don’t try to change the subject. Tell me is this secret somebody, somebody your involved with?"
"No. She’s just somebody I met on a case."
"A woman. Is she pretty, Nick?"
"Not as pretty as you."
"Then I know you don’t look at her the way you look at me."
"How do I look at you?"
"Like you want me."
"Do I really? And what if I do?"
"If you do, then that would give us something to talk about," Mrs. Childers said softly. She was seducing me with the sound of her
I didn’t know what to say.
"You want more? I got more stories just like that one. That was just one of his masterworks. That’s why you have to get proof that will stand up in court. I’ve seen him go to jail and come right back."
"Now you’re talking like you think Jake is dead."
"I don’t like to think about it. I know it’s possible. The longer he’s gone, the more I think about it." Her smile was gone. I thought I saw a tear run down her cheek, but she wiped it away quickly. "So, you tell me your story, Nick?"
"Well, there’s not much to me. Ex-army, we’ve been doin’ this for about a year now."
"We?"
"I have two partners."
"They have names I’m sure." Her smile had returned as quickly as it left.
"Monika and Jett."
"Monika? A lady private detective, huh. That’s something that you don’t hear of very often," Mrs. Childers smiled and gave me a wide-eyed innocent look. "I used to read Nancy Drew when I was a little girl."
"I used to read Mickey Spilane mysteries."
"You have any family?"
"Yeah."
"It doesn’t sound like you guys are one big happy family."
"Not them, me."
"I see." She finished her drink and signaled for the bartender. "Looks like there are some things you don’t like talking about either."
"You’re right, there are some things about me that I don’t like talkin’ about. But I think everybody does."
"That’s true. Everybody has secrets. Something only they or maybe one other person know. I know I have some secrets that will die with me."
I smiled to myself knowing that not only did I know one of her secrets, but it was also the reason I was here. "Tell me one," I said.
"No, then it wouldn’t be a secret any more. You tell me one of your secrets."
"Okay, but just one. I didn’t just happen to be here."
"What?"
"I knew you were going to be here, so here I am."
"How did you know I was gonna be here?" she leaned forward and asked.
"I can’t tell you that."
"Why not?"
"You said tell me one, if I told you that would be two."
"That’s not fair. Come on, tell me. And don’t give me that line about having to kill me. That line is so worn out."
"All right, I’ll tell you," I leaned forward and motioned for her to move closer. Mrs. Childers leaned toward me and I whispered, "I’m a private investigator, I wanted to see you so I found out where you were going to be."
"You’re not goin’ to start stalking me, are you, Nick?"
I love the way she says my name. "No, Mrs. Childers, nothing like that."
"I don’t have to be afraid of you, do I?"
"You never have to be afraid of me. I’ll never let anything happen to you."
"Oh, so you’re my own personal protector, huh?"
"At your command," I replied quickly and playfully. But I knew that at this point I would have done anything for her.
"Well if that’s the case," Mrs. Childers said and smiled at me. "I could think of a person or two that I wouldn’t mind getting rid of."
I thought about Chésará, Something we can share. I like the thought of that. "Now see, I could say something now, but then I’d be giving away somebody else’s secret."
"So," she said. "Tell me anyway. Then it will be a secret we can share."
"No. Who do want to get rid of?"
"My husband. Remember, that is way I hired you."
"To get rid of your husband."
Then Mrs. Childers got very still and looked me straight in the eye. "Yes."
We sat there staring at each other for a few seconds before she sat back and said. "And don’t try to change the subject. Tell me is this secret somebody, somebody your involved with?"
"No. She’s just somebody I met on a case."
"A woman. Is she pretty, Nick?"
"Not as pretty as you."
"Then I know you don’t look at her the way you look at me."
"How do I look at you?"
"Like you want me."
"Do I really? And what if I do?"
"If you do, then that would give us something to talk about," Mrs. Childers said softly. She was seducing me with the sound of her
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