visited a couple of the museums and galleries here, and she’s done some shopping in the downtown district. So?”
Ron turned back to the picture. Carla there or no, he had to study it now. This was business. He stared at it intently for a long moment, taking in the high cheekbones, the thick mane of hair, the stubborn set of her chin below the smile she’d put on when the picture was taken. He kept going back to her eyes. They were large and dark, and no doubt very expressive as a rule. But in the picture they seemed wary and watchful, belying her smile. He looked away for a moment and took a deep breath. He let it out and looked at the picture again, no longer concentrating on a specific feature, but trying to see the face as a whole.
There it was. He couldn’t understand how he’d missed it at first. Her face had an I-dare-you expression behind the smile. It was a challenge, not a warning.
“What are you doing?” Carla leaned towards him across the table.
“It’s a trick I use sometimes,” Ron answered without looking up. “It usually helps.”
“You looked terribly predatory while you were staring at her picture.”
Now he looked up. He smiled at her. “Well, isn’t that my job here? I was called in because I am a predator, and a good one at that.”
Carla leaned back. “Did your trick help, then?”
“I think so,” he answered. “I don’t think she’s trying to run the clock out at all, but if it works out that way she won’t mind taking back the money.”
“Well, then, what is she trying to do?”
“She’s trying to make us work to get her,” Ron said. “She just doesn’t want to make it easy. She isn’t just looking to live out a fantasy. She wants an adventure. She wants something special.”
“You sound so certain about it,” Carla shook her head. “How can you know?”
“It’s my job. I’m good at it.” And I’ve seen this before , he thought.
“ There you guys are!” Hines came into the cafeteria, looking rumpled. For once, he wasn’t
bouncing. His walk was more like a slow shuffle. He yawned as he approached.
“You disappeared without tellin’ me if I was supposed to wait or what. When I asked where you were, all anybody’d tell me was that you were still here somewhere.”
“Oh, Mr. Hines!” Carla sounded dismayed. “I’m afraid we forgot all about you! You could have gone home. We’d have made sure that Mr. Smith had a ride.”
“Yeah, well, I thought of that myself,” Hines yawned and rubbed the back of his neck. He sat down at the table with them. “But how was I gonna tell you? I was gonna leave a message and just go, but I saw this cute little number in the slave pens. Looked like a college cheerleader, she did. So I used one of my chits.” He shook his head and smiled. “She about broke me down. So anyway, what’ve you guys been doin’?” He looked from Ron to Carla. His gaze fell on her wrist. Rope marks were still visible. Carla put her hands under the table, but not quickly enough. It looked like she was actually blushing.
“Well, prob’ly none of my business anyway,” Hines shrugged. “I’m just a driver and a gofer. I’m gonna get myself some coffee.” He got up, yawned again and shuffled off towards the hot drinks station.
“I don’t think he’ll say anything,” Ron said quietly to Carla.
“I don’t think so either,” Carla replied. “We don’t employ anyone who can’t keep their mouth shut when it matters.” She leaned forward again, but she still kept her arms under the table. “So you think this Kreuger woman is looking for an adventure?”
“I’m sure of it.”
“Can you give her one?”
“I think I can,” Ron nodded. “I just have to figure out how. Hines told me we have nine days to reel her in. How much time do we get once we’ve done that?”
“No more than an extra week,” Carla said. “Less, if she doesn’t like it or gets bored and calls it off.”
“She can do that? Usually, once
Ron turned back to the picture. Carla there or no, he had to study it now. This was business. He stared at it intently for a long moment, taking in the high cheekbones, the thick mane of hair, the stubborn set of her chin below the smile she’d put on when the picture was taken. He kept going back to her eyes. They were large and dark, and no doubt very expressive as a rule. But in the picture they seemed wary and watchful, belying her smile. He looked away for a moment and took a deep breath. He let it out and looked at the picture again, no longer concentrating on a specific feature, but trying to see the face as a whole.
There it was. He couldn’t understand how he’d missed it at first. Her face had an I-dare-you expression behind the smile. It was a challenge, not a warning.
“What are you doing?” Carla leaned towards him across the table.
“It’s a trick I use sometimes,” Ron answered without looking up. “It usually helps.”
“You looked terribly predatory while you were staring at her picture.”
Now he looked up. He smiled at her. “Well, isn’t that my job here? I was called in because I am a predator, and a good one at that.”
Carla leaned back. “Did your trick help, then?”
“I think so,” he answered. “I don’t think she’s trying to run the clock out at all, but if it works out that way she won’t mind taking back the money.”
“Well, then, what is she trying to do?”
“She’s trying to make us work to get her,” Ron said. “She just doesn’t want to make it easy. She isn’t just looking to live out a fantasy. She wants an adventure. She wants something special.”
“You sound so certain about it,” Carla shook her head. “How can you know?”
“It’s my job. I’m good at it.” And I’ve seen this before , he thought.
“ There you guys are!” Hines came into the cafeteria, looking rumpled. For once, he wasn’t
bouncing. His walk was more like a slow shuffle. He yawned as he approached.
“You disappeared without tellin’ me if I was supposed to wait or what. When I asked where you were, all anybody’d tell me was that you were still here somewhere.”
“Oh, Mr. Hines!” Carla sounded dismayed. “I’m afraid we forgot all about you! You could have gone home. We’d have made sure that Mr. Smith had a ride.”
“Yeah, well, I thought of that myself,” Hines yawned and rubbed the back of his neck. He sat down at the table with them. “But how was I gonna tell you? I was gonna leave a message and just go, but I saw this cute little number in the slave pens. Looked like a college cheerleader, she did. So I used one of my chits.” He shook his head and smiled. “She about broke me down. So anyway, what’ve you guys been doin’?” He looked from Ron to Carla. His gaze fell on her wrist. Rope marks were still visible. Carla put her hands under the table, but not quickly enough. It looked like she was actually blushing.
“Well, prob’ly none of my business anyway,” Hines shrugged. “I’m just a driver and a gofer. I’m gonna get myself some coffee.” He got up, yawned again and shuffled off towards the hot drinks station.
“I don’t think he’ll say anything,” Ron said quietly to Carla.
“I don’t think so either,” Carla replied. “We don’t employ anyone who can’t keep their mouth shut when it matters.” She leaned forward again, but she still kept her arms under the table. “So you think this Kreuger woman is looking for an adventure?”
“I’m sure of it.”
“Can you give her one?”
“I think I can,” Ron nodded. “I just have to figure out how. Hines told me we have nine days to reel her in. How much time do we get once we’ve done that?”
“No more than an extra week,” Carla said. “Less, if she doesn’t like it or gets bored and calls it off.”
“She can do that? Usually, once
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