Isabelle threw her hands in the air. “What good is this going to do me except make me more sad that I’m alone?”

“Not for long. Come on. Put your jacket and boots on, and let’s go to the command center. I told you I know people.”

Outside, the snow was still falling.

“Do you think it will ever stop, Annie?”

“Oh, who cares? You need to be thinking of crashing waves, white sand, sultry breezes, and that…that guy on the beach. I wonder if anyone told him he’s safe from prosecution. See, that’s your…your reason for calling when we finally locate him. Even a lame reason is better than no reason, because he probably already knows, but there’s no way for you to know that he knows. Did that make sense?”

“Well, yes, in a cockamamie way.”

They were in the command center, and Annie was standing at Charles’s workstation. She took a deep breath, picked up one of Charles’s special encrypted phones. She dialed a number from memory and waited. Isabelle watched her and knew in her gut that whatever Annie was up to, she was going to pull it off. She walked off, sensing that Annie didn’t want her eavesdropping on her secret private conversation.

“So, do you know who this is?” Annie said to the person who answered the phone.

“Ah, Miss No Name. Just for the record, I’m wearing my magic decoder ring. That means our conversation is safe. Are you calling to wish me a happy Thanksgiving?”

“Among other things. Are you keeping your eyes on my half of our business, partner?”

“Twenty-four-seven. Did you have your dinner yet?”

“I did, and it was wonderful. I need a favor and I need it now.”

The voice on the other end of the line grumbled. “What is it with you women? You always want everything now. Since I’m three hours behind you, that means I have not had my dinner yet, and my ‘now’ is not the same as your ‘now’ with the time difference.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Annie snapped. “You’ll be eating turkey for a week anyway. I want you to find someone for me right away. You did say you were…well, what you said was you…”

“The term you’re looking for is…‘connected.’ Which I am. All right, all right. What am I going to get out of this deal? If I decide your request is worthy of my expertise.”

Annie swallowed hard. What would the girls say? What would Myra say? “Well, Mr. Fish, partner, you get me.”

Oh, God, did she really say that? Obviously she did, because Fish was sputtering on the other end of the phone. Annie listened.

“Oh, get over yourself, Mr. Fish. Admit it, you don’t have a clue as to what to do with me. Not to worry. I’ll show you.”