Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Those pretty girls can play their game
But they're damn well gonna know my name.
I'm a crazy ex-girlfriend.

 

Trixie sighed as the incessant vibrating of her cell phone interrupted a tender kiss from her new fiancée. “I’m sorry, Jim,” Trixie apologized. “I have to take this call. It’s the third time the office has called me and now there’s a text message saying it’s urgent for me to call.”

The newly engaged couple were cuddled in the backseat of a New York City taxi intent on their destination of Trixie’s apartment and a night alone.

“Go ahead.” Jim was comfortable now that his relationship with Trixie had been signed and sealed. Despite the busy and hectic Monday morning they would both have to face, the evening alone together would be worth it.

The phone conversation was brief and Trixie’s side was comprised totally of one syllable words. Sighing, she disconnected the call and leaned forward, redirecting the cab driver to her office address instead of the apartment.

“What’s up?” Jim asked.

“I’m not sure, but it has something to do with your friend, Mike King. Apparently he’s there with Sean and Amy.”

“You did tell him it was fine to go into your office and finish working on his project?”

“Did you think that was odd?” she asked.

“How do you mean?” Jim asked.

“Why can’t he work on this project at Kingston Technology? Or his mother’s house? Isn’t that where he’s staying?”

Jim shook his head. “Things between Mike and his mother aren’t exactly great. He’s staying at my parent’s apartment. That’s why he can’t work on it there, or at Kingston. He really doesn’t want anything to do with Kingston until his mother is ready to retire.”

Trixie’s eyes widened. “But after everything with his father … and his fiancée ... I mean, why are he and his mother estranged?”

Jim thought about the question, and then shook his head. “To be fair, I can only guess. It’s not something Mike really wanted to talk about. But he was much closer to his father than to his mother.” He smiled at her. “He knows how, um, inquisitive you are. If you really want to know, you can ask him.”

Trixie shook her head. “I’m not that inquisitive!”

“Yeah, you are,” Jim slipped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “That’s what I love about you. But I have to tell you …” He paused long enough to drop a kiss on top of her head. “It’s my turn to have a feeling.”

“Oh? What kind of feeling?’ she asked, rubbing her hand up and down Jim’s muscular thigh.

“I’ve got a terrible feeling that our plans for tonight are about to get changed.”

 

 

Trixie and Jim pushed into the offices of the Belden Wheeler Agency, not sure what to expect. Trixie was surprised that the door to the conference room was standing open. When she crossed the reception area and looked in, she was shocked to witness Mike King pacing back in forth on one side of the conference table, talking, while Amy furiously typed on her laptop keyboard. Sean sat on the same side of the table as Mike, leaning back with his eyes shut, absorbing the conversation.

“What’s up?” she asked quietly, trying to catch the eye of her senior field agent. “What’s the big emergency?”

“We think we have a breakthrough on the Langham case.” Sean took the question, straightening in his chair and turning to look toward his boss. “Guess who Harold’s girlfriend is?”

Trixie looked at Mike and then back at Sean. Her eyes narrowed. “Is it Liza?” she said quietly. “Mike’s former fiancée?”

“Yes!”

“No!”

“Not exactly!”

Trixie and Jim exchanged confused glances as all three of them tried to speak at once. Trixie stopped them by holding up her hand. Once they were quiet, she pointed a finger at Sean. “Yes or no, is it Liza?”

“Yes,” he answered.

“But you need to understand who Liza is,” Amy interrupted.

“Who she is?” Trixie echoed. She looked at Mike. “You know who she is, right?”

“Yeah, but I don’t think you know her full name.”

Trixie’s eyebrows arched in question.

“According to your colleagues, you’ve met Liza. Only you know her as Buffy. Or Elizabeth Anne Patterson. Apparently a con artist extraordinaire if what Sean has uncovered is correct.”

Trixie’s jaw dropped. “Buffy is Liza?”

“Yes, and she’s also Bette,” Sean confirmed.

“Wait a minute!” Jim objected, looking around the room at Trixie’s staff and his friend. “Are you telling me that you think Mike’s crazy ex-girlfriend is the person who shot Harold Langham?”

“Yes,” Amy answered, giving an emphatic nod of her head.

“Or she could have hired someone to shoot him,” Sean offered darkly. “After all, Belden and I both saw her at the memorial service for Allison Beckhart. There’s no way she could have killed Harold and attended the service.”

“I’m telling you, dude. She left before it started. I swear to you she left.” Mike objected vehemently to Sean’s alibi for Elizabeth Patterson.

“Why do you think she left?” Trixie asked, pulling out a chair and sinking into it.

Mike scowled. “Because she saw me come in. I know she saw me, because we exchanged one of our mutual loathing looks. Shortly after that, I noticed her speak to Reid Beckhart very briefly and then she slipped out the side door. She left.”

Trixie chewed her lip as she digested Mike’s revelation.

“We definitely saw her come in,” Sean said.

Trixie looked at Amy. “You were with the funeral directors. Did you see her leave?”

“No, I didn’t. But if the scenario Mike describes is correct and Eliza, Buffy, whoever she is, if she did speak to Reid, then I wouldn’t have seen her. By that time, the rest of the family were in a private room and Reid stepped out to speak to a few more people.”

Trixie nodded slowly, thinking hard.

“What is it, Trix?” Jim asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. “What are you thinking?”

“Sean’s correct. We did see her come in, and while we didn’t see her leave out a side door like Mike is describing, we didn’t see her leave out the back door either. Remember, she came in with Tiffany Eaton and Tinsley Gaitley, but she sure didn’t leave with them.”

Sean’s jaw dropped and he closed his eyes, trying to recall the scene. “Good grief, you’re right,” he muttered. “The Page Sixers.”

Mike snorted. “Is that what you call them?” At Sean’s answering nod, he spoke again. “Pretty apt nickname. You know them better than I thought.”

“Um, Mike,” Trixie spoke hesitantly. “Your stepsister. She … we …”

Mike waved a hand cutting her off. “She’s the daughter of the man my mother married. Don’t worry about it, Trix. We’re not close. In fact, she barely speaks to my mother, much less to me. You won’t offend me if you find out she’s up to her pretty little neck in all this. It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“I take it Mike’s giving you a brain dump.” Trixie’s glance around the room took in the fact that the white board was erased, and that the projector was turned off. She felt relief that Amy and Sean, while questioning Mike, had not compromised the undercover aspects of their case.

“Actually, Sean is the one who uncovered Eliza’s juvie record,” Mike chortled. “When I think what I was saved from marrying …” He shook his head. “It was a lucky escape.”

“How’d you get into her juvenile record?” Trixie asked, quietly.

“Don’t ask and I won’t tell,” he replied, compressing his lips. “I know we’ll, um, the police would never be able to use it, but I had a suspicion about her, and I needed to confirm it. She’s a con artist. She’s been one since she was fourteen. She was never even enrolled at Columbia, which is where she met Mike.”

“Yep, ran into me at the coffee shop on campus. Literally. Ruined my shirt and broke her heel. Somehow, it all ended up being my fault and I bought her a new pair of shoes.”

“You never told me that before,” Jim said. “I had no idea you met her on campus. She never … well, never mind,” he added, realizing the comment would be inappropriate unless shared in private.

“She never seemed like Ivy league material, that’s what you were going to say, right?” Mike asked, grinning at Jim.

“Well, yes,” he admitted. “Sorry, I probably need to just stay out of this.”

“Actually, you’re right,” Amy spoke up. “She wasn’t Ivy League. She was never enrolled at Columbia as a student, employee, or anything else. She attended City College a few semesters, but never graduated. To be fair, she had a respectable GPA there, but her program of study was liberal arts, nothing in a technology field.”

“She could’ve gotten a master’s degree in Designers 101,” Trixie muttered under her breath.

“What did you say?” Sean frowned.

Trixie cleared her throat. “She’s not an independent or original thinker. If she’s involved in this, she’s working closely with someone. I suspect her fiancée, the one who’s been largely absent from the scene. Have you been able to find anything on him?” Trixie asked.

“The only pictures we have of him from gossip columns, but we only have a half-face, nothing that shows his full face,” Amy explained. “I’ve been working on his background, but because he’s not a U.S. Citizen, it’s tough, and so far his name doesn’t show up in any international crime database, as an alias or otherwise. But I have to be honest … I’ve been focusing on breaking Madji’s alibi, and haven’t spent much time on Mr. Somer.”

“Madji?” Mike asked. “Madji Farsi. Reid’s friend.”

Trixie groaned inwardly. That was the danger in including Mike and Jim in a conversation like this. They were going to hear things they shouldn’t be exposed to.

“Madji has some questionable activity in relationship to Allison’s death,” Trixie explained. “Reid may have told you he hired us to clear him. Madji is just part of that investigation.”

“You think that Madji killed Allison?”

It was clear to Trixie and her team that Mike was stunned by the revelation concerning Madji. They exchanged uneasy glances before Sean spoke up.

“Do you think that’s unlikely?” he said. “You sound as if you know him well.”

Mike pulled his earlobe, fingering the tiny gold hoop for a moment, before sitting down in the chair. He looked at Jim and Trixie apologetically. They were still positioned at the end of the table, Trixie sitting, Jim standing behind her. “I thought I did,” he finally answered. “But …”

The room was silent; all eyes were on Mike King.

“Several years ago, Madji had a reputation as a bit of a player,” he finally said. “Liza and I ran into him at several clubs and events. He was young and single, and when we saw him he wasn’t always with the same girl. I knew him through his work at B3 software, and we connected with each other because we both knew Reid. Even when gossip tied him to, well some rather unsavory events, I never would’ve thought of him as a killer.”

“We’re not saying he’s a killer.” Trixie leaned forward, reaching for Mike’s hand. “We’re only telling you that he can’t account for his actions that night. Despite having a wife and family, he has no alibi.”

“His wife would tell you anything he told her to tell you,” Mike objected. “I can’t believe she hasn’t said he was home with her.”

“Fortunately, the police questioned her before they questioned Madji,” Sean explained. “They thought Madji was at home since it couldn’t be corroborated he was at work. She told them he was at work during the time in question. He may have been, we just haven’t been able to verify it.”

“Reid has a verifiable alibi and Madji doesn’t.” Mike looked confused. “Why doesn’t that let Reid off the hook? Not that I think Madji killed her. I guess I don’t know what to think anymore.”

“Madji has a bit of a history,” Amy offered. “The police are convinced he was with another woman. We’re the only ones who are suspicious of his alibi. They’ll get around to letting him know, but not until they’ve finished running down all their suspicions of Reid as the killer.”

The office line rang in the war room and they all turned to stare at it. Trixie sighed and made a move to answer it. Within seconds, she was regretting her decision.

“Yes, Mrs. Randolph, this is Beatrix,” she said into the phone. “Well, yes, I am in the office. There’s an issue on an important case that I needed to deal with.”

“I see. Mrs. Randolph, I’m afraid that we can’t stop right now to find your Bruiser. We’re in the middle of something important.” Trixie rolled her eyes at the group and continued to listen to Mrs. Randolph’s wails about her dog.

“Mrs. Randolph, I just don’t know when we can make the time …” She stopped and continued to listen more, holding the phone inches away from hear as the loud caterwauling continued. Lydia Randolph was clearly upset over her dog. The room could hear her complaints.

“… that silly dog walker. I’m never going to use her again. Never! It’s not my fault she has six dogs to keep up with. Bruiser has unique needs, and he should have her sole attention while she’s walking him. I warned her up front that he could slip out of his collar and leash. Besides if she had any sense whatsoever …”

Trixie cringed and gently interrupted. “Mrs. Randolph, perhaps we could begin looking in the morning. There’s a good chance that Bruiser will come home on his own. Remember last time you sent us looking for him, he returned home and you forgot to let us know and we were still out looking.”

Mike and Jim managed to hold back laughter and they exchanged evil grins at Trixie’s expense.

“Yes, I know you’ll pay me very well if we return him tonight. The money’s not the issue …”

Jim waved at Trixie and motioned for her to put Mrs. Randolph on hold. Trixie nodded in understanding.

“Mrs. Randolph, if you’ll just hold one moment, one of my associates needs to give me a message.” She clicked and put the call on hold. “Don’t you dare laugh,” she said to Jim, her eyes narrowing.

“Exactly how well does she pay you to find her dog?” Jim asked.

“Five hundred,” Amy replied. “Plus she tips well. She even paid us when the dog came home on his own. Why do you want the job?”

Jim shrugged. “Five hundred will pay for a year of books for one student,” he said. “If you’ll donate the fee to the fundraiser, I’ll go find her dog.”

Trixie’s jaw dropped. “For real?” she asked.

“Sure. Why not?” Jim waved his arm at the equipment in the conference room. “A lost dog isn’t much compared to this, but if you’re going to be busy working this latest lead, I might as well do something to help. Lydia Randolph has more connections in this city than almost anyone. You’d be crazy to tell her to stuff it.”

Amy bit back a laugh. “I can give you all the places we found Bruiser before,” she offered. “You can start with those.”

“Are you sure?” Trixie asked, chewing her bottom lip.

“I’ll help him,” Mike offered. “I need him anyway to help me finish up the presentation. We can go look for this dog before it gets dark, and then come back here and work on our presentation for the school. That is, if it’s okay with you?” he deferred to Trixie.

“Yes, that’ll be great.” She was stunned by their offer, but was smart enough not to turn it down.

She reconnected the call. “Mrs. Randolph? I’m sorry about that hold. Two of my associates just reported in for work and I’m going to send them out to look for your Bruiser. No, it’s not Amy and Sean, but I promise you that these two are just as good.”

After a few more reassurances, she disconnected the call, leaned back in her chair and smiled. “After we find the stupid dog, we need to find her a new dog walker.”

 

 

Jim and Mike returned to Trixie’s offices victorious. In addition to a thousand dollar check for Jim’s school, they brought sufficient quantities of pizza and beer to satisfy the team.

Trixie and her team had a particularly tense afternoon that included a briefing to their boss in Chicago, as well as Special Agent Tibbs and his team. The pressure on them to conclude the case was enormous.

Because of the contentions between their small team and headquarters, it was difficult to keep the conversation light during dinner. It took everything Trixie had not to actually interrogate Mike about his connection to Reid Beckhart. But after clenching and unclenching her toes several times, she managed to relax and enjoy the pizza as a gathering of friends and colleagues instead of a potential interview for her case.

“You sure have managed to keep Jim in Washington a lot the last couple of months,” Trixie remarked casually to Mike as she reached for another slice of cheese pizza.

Mike laughed. “Missed him, did you?” he teased. “It’s not my fault your boyfriend, excuse me, your fiancée, wants to have a virtual walk-through of his school at his fundraiser.”

“What?” Sean said looking up in interest.

“Fiancée?” Amy squealed. “When did this happen?”

Trixie blushed. “I guess we forgot to tell you. It happened this morning.”

“It’s official?” Sean demanded. “You and Jim,” he pointed a finger at both of them, moving it back and forth. “You both agree – you’re engaged?”

The pair of them exchanged sheepish smiles and nodded. Jim spoke up. “Signed, sealed, and delivered. I have to be back in Sleepyside before nine tomorrow to go with her Dad to get her ring out of his safe deposit box.”

“Do I even want to know why her Dad has the engagement ring?” Sean grinned before taking a large bite of pizza.

“No. You don’t!” Trixie answered.

“Oh, come on,” Amy pleaded. “Give us a break. Enquiring minds want to know! We promise to take it to the grave. We’ll never let on to The Squawker or any of those rags.”

“Later,” Trixie acquiesced. “I promise I tell you later. I want to hear more about the big presentation these guys are working on.”

Amy reluctantly agreed after securing a heart crossing promise from Trixie that she would relate the story later.

“Don’t people usually show an architect’s model of a new building instead of a computer model?” Sean asked. “Seems like I always see those little model-sized buildings that look perfect with fake trees and stuff around them.”

“Yeah, well that’s what I thought, but Jim insisted on being different. He wanted a 3-D computerized model to show his patrons.” Mike winked at Trixie.

“Come on, dude,” Jim protested. “You agreed if potential contributors could actually see the school and walk through it before it was built then they’d be more likely to donate.”

“Oh, yeah, they will,” Mike agreed. “They’re all gonna want you to name the school after them.”

“I keep telling you the school has a name. That’s not for sale.” Jim grabbed a slice of pizza and shifted it to his napkin. “The halls and rooms and stuff, if they want they can donate to have their names on those.”

“You mean you still haven’t told him the name of the school?” Trixie felt a thrill of delight as she realized she was probably the only person besides Jim who knew the name of the school.

Mike spoke after swallowing his own bite of thin crust pizza. “I’m gonna need to know the name soon. You know, like yesterday. You want the sign to show the name don’t you?”

Jim nodded. “Yeah, as soon as you get to that final detail let me know. But remember, you can’t let on to anyone.”

“Best kept secret I’ve ever seen!” Mike grinned. “Do you even know what it is?” he asked Trixie.

She smiled and nodded. “Yes, he told me the other day. It’s really good.”

“You mean he did name it after me? King’s Ranch just like I suggested?” Mike teased.

Trixie nodded. “Of course not. He’s naming it after his horse, Jupiter. Camp Jupiter, to be exact. You know the old school rhyme; boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider.”

Sean snorted. “Yeah, right.”

“At least Jupiter is still a planet. If I were going that route, I’d name it Pluto,” Jim said calmly, continuing to eat.

“What kind of school would be named after Mickey Mouse’s dog?” Amy shook her head sadly. “Probably the name you’ve picked is the best one.”

The rest of them stared, realizing that of them all, Amy was the only one young enough who’d never learned that Pluto was once considered a planet. Jim was the first one to break the silence.

“How about we get to work on the 3D virtual walkthrough?” he suggested to Mike. “It looks like Trixie and her team isn’t quite finished for the night.”

“Sure thing,” Mike replied as he stood up. He began to pat down his pockets, looking for something.

“Dang it!” he muttered. “I must’ve left my flash drive at your parent’s house in Sleepyside. It’s probably still on the dresser in the guest room.”

“Do we need it to work?” Jim asked. Suddenly he was very worried he would be heading back to Sleepyside that evening.

“No, the latest file is still on the laptop. I just like to back it up each time.”

“Here,” Trixie offered, digging in her handbag. “I’ve got the one Jim gave me. I don’t think I’ve had to put anything on it yet that I need tonight. There’s still plenty of room.”

Trixie handed him the flash drive Jim had given her for Valentine’s Day.

“Hey! That looks familiar,” Mike cried, holding it up. “That’s the one I recommended you get her. It’s just like mine and yours.”

“Great, Mike. Just great. Now you have to tell her I had help.” He winked at Trixie. “Let’s get out of here and get to work before you reveal all my secrets.” He stood up to leave the room with Mike. “And don’t worry about your flash drive,” Jim added. “We’ll call Celia and make sure she puts it in a safe place.”

 

 

“Is that really the time?” Trixie peered at the clock. “Good grief, we’ve been here for hours. What is that for the two of you, a fourteen-hour day?”

Sean and Amy exchanged tired looks. “Yeah, something like that,” Sean answered. “It’s just that we’re so close.”

“I know,” Trixie acknowledged. “But I’ve got to do something with those two down the hall. I’m not so sure how they’d handle an all-nighter.”

Sean stood and stretched before walking toward the open door. There was no sign of Jim or Mike, so he turned to look at his boss, keeping one eye on lookout for the two men.

“That thing with you and Jim, you know, being engaged. Is that for real or is it part of the case?” he asked.

“It’s for real. Why?” Trixie asked giving him a puzzled look.

“Just making sure.” He gave a small shrug. “He doesn’t know, does he?”

“Of course not!” she protested. “You know I’d never compromise our case by telling him that I was working undercover.”

“Do you think he’ll understand when he finds out?” Amy asked. She exchanged an uneasy look with Sean.

“Of course, he’ll understand,” Trixie replied loyally. “He respects me and my work. After all, how many guys that you know would go out and look for a lost dog to help their girlfriend out?”

“Oh, he’s a keeper alright,” Amy answered quickly. “I just hope you’re right.”

Trixie’s glance darted back and forth between Sean and Amy. “What are you not telling me?” she asked. “Spill it!”

“How’s Jim going to feel if you find out that his friend Mike is in this up to his ears?” Sean said, once again verifying that both men were safely ensconced in Honey’s office.

“What are you saying?” she hissed.

Amy looked guiltily at Sean, who checked yet again before giving her an all clear thumbs up. “We didn’t really check him before tonight,” Amy explained. “He doesn’t really work for Kingston, although he has owns thirty percent of the company.”

“That’s not very much,” Trixie said.

“That’s just it. He’ll own all of it if he agrees to go work there and run it before he turns forty,” Amy explained. “His dad set the company up so that it can’t be sold until Mike is forty. If he wants to go into the family business, it’s his. If he doesn’t, then it’ll be offered to none other than Maggie King Hoffman or her descendants. If she doesn’t want it, the assets are sold and liquidated.”

“You’re kidding me?” Trixie was stunned. “That sounds more like confirmation of his innocence than his guilt. If he’s involved in this, why hasn’t he been here and taken control of his company? Why leave it to the mother to run things? Jim told me they’re practically estranged. He won’t stay with his mother at their house while he’s in town.”

“You have a point,” Amy said glumly. “It’s just now that I’ve made him a primary, his connections are unbelievable. He’s related to Maggie Hoffman of Fireking, he knows Elizabeth Patterson which relates him to Triad. And let’s not kid ourselves, he knows her intimately. He’s friends with Reid Beckhart at B3, and Jim Frayne at Wheeler International. He’s done work for Ed Buchanan and Torch. He sold Warren Mortimer at Jupiter Plains what is now his flagship software product, and pocketed a mint of money doing so. Then he –”

Trixie held up a hand to stop Amy’s recital. “Is he connected to all of the original suspect companies?”

Amy shook her head. “Every one. I’ll shoot you my analysis. I hate to say it, Belden. But we have to consider him as potential for the kingpin of this operation.”

“They’re coming back,” Sean said, moving to retake his seat at the table. “I’m going suggest we call it a night and resume this discussion in the morning.”

Trixie nodded as Jim and Sean entered the room. “We’re just about finished,” Jim announced. “Just minor tweaking tomorrow and we’ll be done.”

Mike tossed Trixie her flash drive. “You can hold onto this,” he said. “If you don’t mind, I’ll just get mine back from Jim tomorrow. That one can be a secondary back-up until after the fundraiser. That is, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course I don’t mind,” Trixie slipped the drive back into her purse. “You, um, you’re not planning on going back to Sleepyside tonight, are you?”

“Nope,” Mike said cheerfully. “Jim has to be there in the morning, but I think I might just sleep in.” He slapped a hand on Jim’s shoulder. “Sorry old friend. I guess that’s how it is when you get hitched. Your time is no longer your own.”

Jim looked apologetically at Trixie. “Mike and I are going to call it a night. Do you think I can have some of your time tomorrow night?”

“For what?” Trixie asked, confused as she realized that Jim planned to return to the Wheeler apartment with Mike.

He smiled and shook his head. “Apparently she’s forgotten our engagement already.” He looked around the room before returning his gaze to her. “I thought you, me, a bottle of champagne, and a diamond ring might make for a nice evening,” he said.

Trixie turned bright red as the room erupted into laughter. “Of course,” she mumbled. She took a deep breath and stood. “Will the rest of you give us just a minute?” Without waiting for an answer she literally pulled Jim out of the room and into her office, where she promptly shut the door, and locked it with a resounding click.

“Got something on your mind?” Jim asked, but not until he had pulled her tight to him and kissed her thoroughly.

“Oh!” As usual, his kiss managed to shift her balance. “You did that on purpose, to get me befuddled!” she accused.

“Yeah. I figured you weren’t going to be happy about me going with Mike tonight.” He pushed a hand through his hair in frustration while keeping the other securely around her waist. “I’m sorry, Trix. It just seemed rude to hand him my key and leave him there on his own.” He stroked the side of her face softly with one finger. “I want to be with you tonight. More than anything in the world. Our timing sucks.”

“Big time,” she answered, leaning into him and slipping her arms around his waist. “You realize we’re doomed for this week. Brian’s going to want to come back tomorrow. Then Honey will be here. I’m going to have a roommate until after the fundraiser.”

“After the fundraiser I’ll have all the time in the world,” Jim vowed. “At least for a few weeks. If you could get away for a couple of days, I know this really nice place on the beach in Bermuda that would be perfect. I could take you there for your birthday. Just the two of us.”

“It’s a date,” she vowed. “But only if I can get these latest two cases cleared,” she clarified. “I can’t leave the country without giving some closure to both Reid and Tammy. You do understand, don’t you?” She looked up at him anxiously.

“Of course, I understand. We just have crummy timing.”

The next few minutes the newly engaged couple quietly and fervently took advantage of the time alone. Just as they were both about to approach the point of no return, Trixie pulled away, her breathing heavy. “We have to stop. We can’t … not here.”

Jim nodded as he stepped back to put some distance between them. “I know,” he said taking a few deep breaths. “You’re going to have to give me a minute before we go back out there,” he muttered. “Otherwise everyone will know …”

“I understand,” she interrupted. “I’m not feeling coherent myself at the moment.”

Jim turned so he wasn’t staring at Trixie. He bent down at the waist and touched his toes several times, before straightening and the taking turns raising his knees. “Who did the Cubs defeat to win the World Series in 1908?”

“The Detroit Tigers. Their last appearance in a World Series playoff was 1945 and the Detroit Tigers beat them again.” She took a deep breath. “Is it working?”

“No,” he said honestly. “Tell me something utterly depressing.”

“Well, I’m not willing to bet money on this one yet, but I think Brian is becoming a Boston Red Sox fan. He was wearing a Red Sox shirt to sleep in the other night.”

“Damn!” he muttered. “Not only did that do it, but now I’m pissed.” He turned and gave her a smile. “Let’s get out of here before I get un-pissed.”

 

 

“Okay, what’s it going to be?” Trixie said, surveying her team. “An all-nighter or back bright and early in the morning?”

“Morning!” Sean and Amy replied in unison.

“Okay.” Trixie reached into her handbag. She tossed the disk drive to Amy. “Backup our database on there as well if it’ll fit. I’m going to do a little bit more review at home tonight. Sean, you’ve got everything shut down and secured?”

“I will in five minutes,” he promised.

“Great. I’ll be right back. I want to make sure those two didn’t leave anything turned on in Honey’s office.”

Trixie headed down the short hallway with a quick stop at the ladies’ room. She surveyed the office and noted that Mike had packed up and taken the laptop with him. Other than a small piece of paper, in the wastebasket, the room looked untouched. Trixie turned off the light, and moved to pull the door shut, when she stopped. Looking back over her shoulder, she turned the light back on and pulled the wadded up piece of notepaper from the wastebasket. Smoothing it carefully, she stared in horror at the single word written on the page.

Orchid?