“Yup. It’s technical all right. Sorry to have intruded,” Slik said, backing away. “Need to get a piece of equipment from the car.”

Elsie squinted after Slik. “Something familiar about him.”

Kate felt her heart flop in her chest at the thought of Elsie impulsively blasting away at Slik’s privates in front of her mother. That would be a migraine to last a lifetime. And Slik wouldn’t like it either. Yessir, the cloud of doom was sliding over Dave’s house. It was only a matter of time. After tonight, breaking her leg was going to seem insignificant.

“You’ve probably seen him in the café,” Kate said. “Probably seen him with Dave. They’re… friends.” She looked Elsie straight in the eye. “Dave wouldn’t like it if anything happened to Slik. Would you, Dave?”

“No.” Dave shook his head vigorously. “I wouldn’t like it at all.”

Kate put her finger on her left eyelid to stop the nervous twitch she’d suddenly developed. “Now that we have that settled, I think we need some refreshments. Anybody want wine? Daddy, you need a beer?”

Michael Finn looked at the bottle Dave handed him. “Imported. Just how much did you win in that lottery?”

“Millions.”

Mr. Finn asked. “Investing it?”

“Uh, no. Not yet. So far I’ve just been spending it.”

Grace Finn caught the look of incredulity on her husband’s face and, without even realizing what she was doing, drained her glass of sherry. Her eyes opened wide, and she clapped her hand to her chest. “Goodness,” she gasped.

Slik returned with what was obviously a rifle wrapped in his suit jacket. He nodded politely to Kate’s parents and hurried up the stairs.

Elsie gave a long, low whistle. “Damned if that didn’t look like a rifle.”

“I don’t think so,” Kate’s mother said. “It wasn’t a rifle, was it?”

Michael Finn just raised his eyebrows.

“Tripod,” Kate said. “That’s my story, and I’m going to stick to it, so don’t anybody bother asking questions.”

Elsie leaned forward in her chair. “Something’s going down. I can smell it.”

“Nonsense.” Kate forced a thin smile and cracked her knuckles. “That’s roast chicken you smell. Dave, could I see you in the kitchen a minute?”

“Excuse us,” Dave said. “We have to check the roast chicken and stuff.”

Kate propped herself against the refrigerator and closed her eyes in a moment of unguarded desperation. “I just want you to know that no matter what happens tonight… I love you.”

Dave grinned down at her. “It’s not so bad.”

“No?”

“No. I think your mother likes me. And your dad hasn’t punched me out yet.”

“He’s showing a lot of restraint. They’re really not bad people.” She was distracted by a group of men running through Dave’s backyard. “Why are there men running through your yard?”