So I threw my clothes back into the gym bag and looked for something else. I found a heavyweight plastic shopping bag with a drawstring top that had come from a shoe store, and stuffed the handbag into that.

I had a map book in the car to help me find Deer Prance Drive. Hanging on to the bag from the drawstring, I slipped out the study door, careful not to be glimpsed from the kitchen, and made my way out to the front step. I’d toss the bag into the car and—

“Hey,” said Sarah. She was standing at the end of the driveway. How did she get out there? Did she have a transporter in the kitchen? And she was talking to Trixie, dressed in a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt.

“Oh, you’re out here,” I said. Trixie gave me a knowing smile.

“Zack,” Trixie said.

“Trixie was telling me you guys had coffee the other day.”

I nodded. Things seemed to be spinning.

“You people who work from home,” Sarah said, pretending to scowl. “No bosses to answer to, coffee breaks whenever you want them. No commute into the city. I should be so lucky. What I don’t get is, and this is something I’ve talked about with Zack, when you work from home, don’t you start feeling isolated, with no coworkers to talk to?”

“Well,” Trixie said, “that’s not always the case.”

“Sure,” I said. “I’m on the phone a lot through the day. You’re still talking to people, even if it’s not face-to-face.”

“Of course, you have people coming to your house,” Sarah said to Trixie.

“That’s right. And it can get pretty busy, they start stacking up like planes.”

Sarah chuckled. “You know, I wouldn’t miss commuting in to The Metropolitan. Maybe you could use an assistant.”

Trixie nodded with mock enthusiasm. “Sounds great. I’d be happy to show you the ropes.”

“I really should get going,” I said.

“Where would that be, exactly?” Sarah asked. “I thought you were going to start the barbecue for the steaks. And what’s in the bag? You taking back some shoes?”

“No, it’s an old bag. I’ve got something in here to take back to Kenny’s.”

“You were just there.”

“I know. I was telling him that that Batman kit I bought a while ago came without some of the parts it was supposed to have, and he said trying to order individual parts would be impossible, so he said just return the whole kit and he’ll try to get a replacement.”

“And you need to do this now.”

“He closes pretty soon, and I was thinking I might work on it tonight, after dinner.”

“I always liked Batman,” Trixie said. “Although I guess my favorite was Catwoman. Something about the outfit.”

Sarah sighed. “If you can, be fast, ‘cause I’m getting hungry.”