My eyes got strangely itchy. “Thanks, Darce. Appreciate it.” Which I did, especially given how scared he was of the voice on the other end of the line.

After that, we sat around and stared at the phone. We had no idea when he might call. I wished I’d bought the latest Cosmo or something. My new apartment was distinctly short on reading materials, other than that Collected Poe. All my books were still packed up in boxes. It occurred to me that Darcy could probably recite any number of books to me from memory, but I declined to ask.

“Remember this,” Patrick said, “next time you’re asked to talk about the glamorous and exciting world of law enforcement.”

I laughed. “When I finally lose the rest of these chumps,” I said, “wanna go out and get-” I checked myself. “A sandwich?”

He beamed back a smile filled with potential. “I’d like that.”

“It’s a date,” I said, just in case there was any doubt about the direction I was heading. Before I could elaborate, the phone rang.

We all stared at each other. This was it. This was really it.

The machine picked up the line and the tone generator kicked in. I patiently waited for four rings. Crenshaw gave me the signal. Then I clicked the interrupt, took a deep breath, and spoke.

“Hello. Susan speaking.”

“Hey, Suze. Whatcha been up to?”

Breath poured out of me like a deflated balloon. It was Lisa.

“Haven’t seen you today.”

“Well… I’ve been busy. O’Bannon is working me like a plantation owner.”

“Want me to come over?”

“I do, but the problem is-” I glanced at O’Bannon. He gave me the okay. “I’m currently surrounded by about a dozen police officers.”

“What? What’s going on?”

“I can’t go into it now. How about I meet you for breakfast tomorrow? Krispy Kremes sound good?”

“I could live with that. Eight too early?”

“See you then.” I hung up the phone and stared out into a sea of irritated faces. “Well, forgive me for having friends.”

And then we all sat down to wait some more.

After another hour or so, Patrick excused himself so he could review the security detail. I felt like I was probably safe at the moment, since I was surrounded by half the Vegas police force, but whatever. Maybe he just wanted to stretch his legs.

I killed time by showing Darcy the two card tricks I had learned in Brownies about twenty-five years ago. The problem was, he could always see how it was done. In fact, after watching it once, he could duplicate the trick himself.

“Hey, Chief,” I said, “did you know you have a potential cardsharp on your hands? I could see him running a three-card monte operation on the Strip.”

O’Bannon grunted.

We were all having a perfectly merry time-when the phone rang. Tone generator, four rings, and then I was on.

“Hello. Susan speaking.”

“Did you enjoy my gift?”

I closed my eyes and tried to focus. Friendly, but not too eager. Don’t challenge him. “It got my attention. I think the forensic lab will probably have more fun with it than I did.”

“They won’t learn anything.”

“You never know.”

“What are you doing, Susan? You’re not falling back into bad habits, are you?”

What the hell was that supposed to mean? “Just spending a quiet evening at home.”

He chuckled. Actually chuckled. “I rather doubt that.”

“So what are you up to, anyway? Why are you doing this?”

“I can’t tell you. You’re not ready.”

“Aw, please. Fill me in. So I can appreciate what you’re doing.”

“You’re very clever, Susan. If you open your mind, you will find the truth. I only have time to tell you this: you would look beautiful in neon.” And then the phone went dead.

I checked my watch. Thirty seconds, tops.

I looked at Crenshaw. He was on one of the extensions, talking to the switching center. “Did we get a fix?”

After a few moments, he put down the phone. “No.”

Granger pounded a fist into his palm. “Nothing at all?”

“It’s local. We’re sure of that. But we don’t know where he is.” He looked at me sadly. “I think we should leave the recorder on and the equipment in place. In case he calls again.”

“Sure,” I said. “But he won’t. He’s already accomplished what he wanted.”

“We’ll get that tape recording to the sound lab. See what they can tell us.”

“And then?” Patrick asked.

“Then,” I said, “we have to figure out what he meant by that gibberish about the truth. And that crack about me looking good in neon.”

“It was just bullshit,” Granger said. “He was flirting with you.”

“Maybe, but I don’t think so.”

“Then what?” O’Bannon asked.

Good question. I fell back against my sofa and thought a good long while before answering. “It was a clue. To whatever he wants us to find next.”

This was a new experience for me. Being at a bar-The White Feather-but not ordering a drink. It was almost as seedy as Gordy’s, but it was near my apartment, and they served sandwiches as well as libations.

The three of us found a table-Darcy tagged along-and I ordered a club soda. Patrick relaxed as soon as I placed my nonalcoholic drink order. Maybe Darcy did, too. I felt proud of myself. I’d passed the test.

And periodically, as needed, I excused myself to powder my nose. And safe within the confines of a stall with the door closed, I took a deep swig from the flask tucked inside my jacket. Crunched a few Altoids and I was back in action.

As I passed by the bar on my way back to our table, this guy leaned backward from his bar stool and blocked my path. He was big and black and had a shaved head. He couldn’t have exuded more testosterone if he’d poured a bottle of it over his head.

“What you doin’ in a dive like this, Susan?”

I gave him a look. I knew him from somewhere… the courtroom, that was it. He was a bail bondsman. He’d made a few passes at me through the years; I’d never given him the time of day. I thought his name was Jake, but I wasn’t sure enough to give it a try. “Just drinking in the atmosphere.”

“I think you came lookin’ for me.”

“Do you now?”

“Yeah. Me, or somebody like me.” He had a laconic, deliberate way of speaking that set my teeth on edge.

“Well, you’re wrong. I’m with someone. Two someones, actually.”

“You sure about that?”

“Yeah, positive.”

He gave me a look I didn’t like at all. “You change your mind, you come back and see me, okay? I’ll give you what you want. I’ll make you feel alive.”

Jesus Christ, some guys. I pushed past him and returned to my seat.

“You’ve changed your perfume,” Darcy said upon my return.

Was he talking about Chanel No. 5 again? Or did he know what I’d been doing in the ladies’ room? The kid was a damn bloodhound. “Yeah. I prefer something smokier when I’m out at night.”

“What do you think he meant?” Patrick asked. He was nursing black coffee, but oddly enough Darcy hadn’t given him the lecture on the evils of caffeine. “That crack about neon.”

I waved my hand, smiling, my eyebrows arched provocatively, leaning forward. I didn’t want to be obvious, but I was feeling pretty bold. Maybe it was the Jack Daniel’s coursing through my system. “I don’t want to talk about business tonight.”

“Neon is an inert gas,” Darcy informed us. “It’s odorless, colorless, tasteless, nontoxic, and monatomic. In a vacuum tube, neon glows reddish orange. Its chemical symbol is Ne. Its atomic number is ten.”

“Fascinating,” I said, fluttering my eyelashes, still gazing at Patrick. “But like I said, I don’t want to talk about work.”

Darcy grew quieter. “I was trying to be useful. It’s the most important thing in life. To be useful.”

“That’s a lovely sentiment.”

“John Adams, the second president of the United States, said that in 1814 to his-”

“Darcy…” I sighed. “It’s late. I appreciate you seeing me here, but this might be a good time for you to head home.”