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  “When did you fall in love with her?” Sam asked.

  The man laughed and shook his head. “Back when I was just a customer, managing another business.”

  “You couldn’t land her. How come?”

  “You tell me. Once when she’d had a couple too many Harvey Wall Bangers, I thought I was making headway. We talk but it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.”

  “Have you slept with her?”

  “Of course. Not that it’s any of your business.”

  Sam rose. “You’ve been more than helpful. Thanks.”

  Sam held out a fanned handful of cash. Guy shook his head and waved it off.

  “Thanks again. I’m going to see if Grady can do something for herself,” Sam said.

  “Have at it. Once Grady makes up her mind it’s history. You’ll see. Good luck.”

  “I’ll wait for her to come around,” Sam said, shaking his hand. “You think I could buy her shifts for five days, starting tonight?”

  “No need. She is a free agent. But you won’t get to her. She wants no part of her aunt and she’ll smell you coming a mile away. I could talk to her for you ...”

  “No, thanks. I’ll go down in flames by myself.” Sam let himself out.

  He parted with another twenty-five dollars to find his way to a semiprivate room with the help of a floor manager. Then he parted with the three-hundred-dollar room cost. At least the couch was comfortable. For some reason Guy wanted Sam to believe that he was a straight-up in-love guy. That was interesting. He read a magazine to pass the time.

  Grady was standing over him before he realized it. “Expensive place to read a magazine, under that pathetic little light.”

  The way she said it, she sounded as if she were talking about his genitals.

  “You haven’t met me and already you don’t like me.”

  “I don’t like people throwing their money around asking about me. Especially ones sent by my aunt.”

  “One hour of your time—a thousand dollars.”

  “That’s a lot of lap dances.”

  “No dances, just talk. You have to talk for the money.”

  “What do I have to talk about?”

  “Your life.”

  “Oh, I get it. You’re here to save me. That’s why Anna sent you.”

  “That’s right. And something tells me you want to be saved.” Sam stood and looked into her eyes. “Now do I stay or leave?”

  She hesitated. “What’s your name?”

  “Sam. Make up your mind. I haven’t got all evening.”

  “All right.”

  “For another thousand you come with me.”

  “I can’t.”

  “You can. I talked with Guy. He’s got no objections.”

  “Is he part of this?” She looked surprised.

  “No. But he seems like maybe he wants you out of here almost as much as you want out. I know you’re in this for the money. There’s two grand for you to come talk to me. Way more than you typically net in an evening.”

  “It’s just business? Just talk? Nothing more?”

  “Just business; go get dressed.”

  “I’d like to talk to Guy first.”

  “What’s he going to tell you?”

  “I don’t know. What do you know?”

  “I know a lot. Enough to care. Now go get dressed.”

  While Grady changed her clothes she dialed Guy’s office on her cell phone.

  Guy’s first reaction mirrored her own: This Sam was just another droid sent by her aunt. When Guy couldn’t dissuade her from going with Sam he encouraged her, and she thought that a bit odd.

  “You promise to stay in touch?” Guy asked.

  “What do you mean? I’m just going for the evening.”

  “Don’t count on it. They are going to try to talk you into staying someplace, doing a head-trip on you. You promise to call me?”

  “I promise. The minute they stick me with some shrink I’m out of there.”

  Grady hung up, knowing he would be climbing the walls not knowing where she’d be. When she found out she might just tell him.

  Fifteen

  Sam waited for Grady outside. When she came out, her jeans and T-shirt made her look like any other young woman on the more beautiful end of the gene pool, perhaps a little harder in her expression and features. They got into Sam’s metallic-blue sports car.

  “Nice car. Sixty-seven Corvette? Am I right?”

  “That’s what it is.”

  “This car has hot shit under the hood?”

  “Yup.”

  “It doesn’t look or feel normal. What did you do with it?”

  “It’s got a bored-out 427 adjustable boost twin turbo L 88 engine with a supercharger that brings it up to 750 to-the-wheel horsepower. We put in a six-speed transmission and re-worked the suspension with hardened axels, Eibach springs, and Bilstein adjustable shocks. We added the roll bar and put in the Brembo brakes. There were other goodies. The air conditioner didn’t work after all that. I think that’s why my friends call it the Blue Hades.”

  What he didn’t tell her was that the windows were polycarbonate and would stop most bullets and the doors lined with steel and Kevlar.

  “Do you really like the feel of the power or is it that you piss a lot of people off?”

  “Probably both.”

  “So, tell me, what do you have against stripping? I saw you looking.”

  “This isn’t about me or what I like or don’t like or whether I look or don’t look. But you can start earning your pay by telling me exactly what you think I think about stripping for money.”

  “You think it’s a worthless degraded profession. That we don’t respect ourselves. That we’re druggies and junkies or women who for some reason or other hate men and don’t mind taking advantage of a bunch of dumb lonely pricks who spend their money on an eyeful and a pat on the head. Oh, and you probably think it screws us up for future relationships.”

  “What about the harmless entertainment angle?”

  “You think a stripper has to act like a whore. Pretend sex with her body and her eyes. And that when she does that she cheapens sex and cheapens herself. And you’re wrong. Sex is good; there’s no reason but ignorance to be uptight about it.”

  “So do you believe any of what you think I think or none of it?”

  “You didn’t tell me what you thought.”

  “That’s because I’m the paying customer here.”

  That comment bought him Grady’s silence until they reached the airport, where he put the car in a hangar and boarded the Hawker 700 with her for the short flight up the coast.

  The beach house was a tasteful place, slightly modern with a high side of the structure that faced the water and a roof that sloped back inland, not luxurious but stylish rustic. There was a lot of leather in the interior design. Sam had owned it for ten years.

  “This is Jill, Spring’s assistant for our class,” Sam said as they walked through the door and encountered a healthy-looking brunette with curls.

  Jill shook Grady’s hand and said hello.

  “What’s she do? Ménage à trois? And who’s Spring?”

  “The teacher.”

  “Who are you?”

  “I’m your worst nightmare if you get out of line. You now have a chance to make ten grand for the next ten days.”

  “I’m not staying anywhere for ten days with a shrink.”

  “Ten grand. You can leave any time you want but you forfeit the ten grand. Yes or no? You have thirty seconds.”

  “What is your last name, Sam?”

  “I’m just Sam, short for Sam.”

  “When you walked into the club you were Will or something, weren’t you?”

  “And this place is class and PE. PE is short for physical education. You had PE in high school, didn’t you?”

  Now Grady looked truly uncertain.

  “You have a cell phone. Give it to me.”

  “No way.”


  Sam looked at her defiant eyes. “Either give me the phone or I take you back and your best chance to change your life is gone.”

  He could see the hesitation, but in that instant he knew she wanted to stay. She looked to Jill, who stood by quietly and nodded almost imperceptibly.

  Grady handed him the phone. Then she took out a cigarette.

  “No way,” Sam said and snatched it from her lips.

  “Who do you think you are?” Grady shouted as he emptied her purse on the table. Anything that could hold cocaine, including her cocaine holder, went, along with her cigarettes.

  “Soon you’ll have an investment in your body and you’ll feel the same way I do. This morning when you got up and looked in the mirror you were convinced that you weren’t much. So you and I nearly agree on something.”

  “Go to hell. What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

  “When do I get my phone back?”

  “Whenever you want it, you just tell me that you give up.”

  “Bastard.”

  “You and your aunt share something anyway.”

  Sam left so that Grady could begin class; he called Anna. “I’ve met Grady. She’s agreed to start a program. Which is a big deal. But of course it can go bad at any time. We had the little conflict of wills and she decided to stay.”

  “Well, hello to you too. It was nice of you to call me, what with your busy schedule. Now what are you doing with Grady?”

  “I have a counselor, Spring, and a trainer, Jill, and they will work on her body and mind.”

  “Where is she now?”

  “A beach house.”

  “How long will this last?”

  “We shouldn’t leave her at the beach house very long. Three or four days and we move her. Chellis and company are in all likelihood keeping tabs on her because if she ever gets on your side, your chances of getting a court order and custody of Jason increase—even in France. They’re liable to do something when they discover she’s gone.”

  “You think they’ll know?”

  “We have to assume they will.”

  “Where will she go next?”

  “The mountains, where nobody can find her.”

  “Are these the mountains of your tribe?”

  “My family?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Your contract will specify that I don’t reveal information about myself or my family.”

  “I want to go with you when you take her.”

  “Why?”

  “She’s my niece.”

  “I don’t believe that’s the reason.”

  “It’s a good enough reason.”

  “You’re in New York.”

  “So I’ll come early.”

  Sam disconnected. There’d be time enough to argue later.

  Anna organized her day, first in her mind, then on a list. She made lists but never referred to them because she had exceptional recall for any writing whether a movie script or a grocery list. First on the list was to try Jason’s satellite phone. She had no idea what to expect.

  “Hello, sis,” he said.

  “Jason.” She was elated. “How are you?”

  “Just fine. Holding them off. Crackin’ the whackers.”

  “And what are the whackers these days?”

  “Modeling a mind.”

  “Sounds good.” She realized she’d had no idea what to say if she got hold of him.

  “Did you know that at birth the brain has a hundred billion neuron cells? Each neuron is connected to ten thousand or fifteen thousand other neurons for incoming signals. Your brain, Anna, may just be the most complex thing in the universe. And here I am, thinking I’m the guy to unravel it. Ha! Me, a guy who spends his days fending off Nannites. I can see why they live in the DNA, though. ... Are you there?”

  “I’m listening.”

  “Right now I’m dealing with electrons, photons, and morons. The morons are the most difficult.”

  “Chellis’s people?”

  “Tell them that silicon is crap. Carbon atoms would be much better until we get a handle on a quantum computer. This carbon is molecular-level stuff. Then again, the Nannites may not want us cracking every riddle, depriving the universe of its mysteries. Quirky buggers, them. Quarky, for that matter—”

  “Jason?”

  “What?”

  “I need to ask you something.”

  “Okay.”

  “Did you shoot your rocket launcher at a boat the other night?”

  “Roberto wasn’t really clear on that. He told me it was a Nannite ship, but that was just to humor me. I did it for the tension release. It was a good-looking tub for a derelict. I told Roberto what he wanted to hear about blowing up the Nannites. You know, ho, ho, ho. They patronize me constantly.”

  “Did you also shoot a cabin?”

  “Cabin? Uh-uh.”

  “The cabin on Sonoma Island.”

  “Nope. Cabins were never on the menu.” Jason paused and she could hear whispers. “Here, Roberto wants to talk.”

  “Hello? Anna?” Roberto said. “How are you?”

  “Just fine. I was enjoying my talk with Jason.”

  “I’ll put him right back on. We are still, you know, concerned about the mix-up. Especially about your friend. If he’s going to report Jason, then we should—”

  “He’s not reporting anybody. Our only concern at this point is Jason and his welfare. I’d like to speak with him again, if you don’t mind.”

  “Ah, well, I see that he’s wandered off to his workroom. You know how that goes. Call back about noon. He takes his midday break like clockwork.”

  She was about to insist he put Jason on when the doorbell rang. Genevieve checked the video screen and inquired about the visitor.

  “There’s a gentleman here to see you. His name is Shohei. He says he was sent by Sam of the Silverwind.”

  Anna started to tell Roberto to forget about it, but he’d already hung up.

  “Ask him how I can be sure Sam really sent him.”

  There was a pause. “He’s talking to someone on a cell phone. Here, you listen.” Genevieve turned up the intercom.

  “Sam says not to take a cold shower without his help, whatever that means.”

  “Let him in.”

  Sooner than she would have expected, a square-shouldered Japanese man perhaps five feet ten inches tall walked into her apartment.

  “How did you get up here without the doorman announcing you?”

  “He was occupied. I would have ... let in myself ... but I did not wish to startle you.”

  “I’m Anna. Now how do you know Sam?”

  “Call me Shohei. I see you do not know rules.”

  “I thought I wasn’t supposed to tell strangers about him. Surely that doesn’t apply to you?”

  “Ah, yes. Apply to me. Apply to everybody from sea to sea. But you seem, ah, troubled. What you want to know?”

  “Everything.”

  “That would be a lot. I will check make sure things okay. Then I will make rounds. There are men outside.”

  “Men outside?”

  “Yes. They are, I believe, from France.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Wallet mainly. In amongst American dollars there was French currency. And the clothes. Particularly the shoes.”

  “How did you look at their wallets?”

  “One of them went to sleep.”

  “Just like that, he took a nap?”

  “Temporary lack of blood supply to brain. If you wish to leave apartment we will discuss. We will always have plan and you will always follow the plan.”

  “What did Sam say to do if I want to do my own thing?”

  “I say good-bye. Sam say good-bye.”

  “You know that man has me over a barrel and I don’t like it.”

  “Why you so angry? Relax. Listen to music. Burn incense. Sam is helping you. Believe me.”

  “Tell me about this
woman Spring who’s helping with my niece.”

  “Spring is very smart lady. A psychologist. And Jill. Jill the challenger.”

  “Does he work with Spring all the time?”

  “Yes. When needed. Spring is Sam’s mother. But that is secret.”

  “Oh. Now that is interesting.”

  “Yes. And I say too much.”

  As the day wore on, Shohei moved like a shadow that came and went with the movement of the sun. After a time she almost quit noticing him. Often he stayed outside.

  She called Lane and concluded he was pissed because she couldn’t come and see him. The discussion didn’t end particularly well, which wasn’t surprising. Their relationship wasn’t ending well.

  The rest of the afternoon she memorized lines, muttering scenes over and over, trying to get in a groove with her new character. For two hours she took no calls; at about 4:00 she began returning them. At 4:30 Joshua called. Although he had ended the Sam investigation, he had looked into Dr. Carl Fielding, the applied mathematician Jason had requested by name. Josh had used contacts in the securities industry to get to people close to Fielding, and he’d arranged for Fielding to meet Anna at the Carter Building at 9:30 in the morning. She made an appointment with her hairstylist for 10:45 A.M., as a cover story to feed Shohei.

  “It’s time for a plan,” she said to Shohei.

  “You go out?”

  “Hair studio. Tomorrow at 10:45 A.M. After my first calls and the mail.”

  “I see. What is the address?”

  “Genevieve has it. It’s on Fifth Avenue.”

  “We’re gonna have people following. You like disguise?”

  Anna smiled. “I’m an actress. What do you think?”

  Anna found herself enjoying Shohei. He was a smart man with a deep sense of humor. Shohei rocked her boat.

  She tried on a big floppy hat and sunglasses, the old standby.

  “Ah, Anna with a hat,” he said.

  “How about we just let them follow us?”

  “Fine by me. I call Sam.”

  “Wait a minute. If we were going to call him anyway, why did we just have that conversation? I thought it was you and me. Shohei and Anna.”