"Maybe they want to keep her away from the Strip and anyone who might get curious. Neither of the reporters I spoke with had ever heard her name. Let's face it, Lizzie, a name like Marble Rose Barnes is not a name you'd forget if you heard it. They didn't so much as blink."

"Hmmm," was Lizzie's only comment.

With the exception of Ted telling Lizzie where to turn and generally being a pain in the ass, as Lizzie put it, the trip to the Clark County jail was made with Ted doing all the talking as he discussed the front page of the Post and what would be on tomorrow's front page as a follow-up. From time to time, Lizzie said, "um," or "hmmm." It finally dawned on Ted that Lizzie was thinking, which meant she was working, so he clamped his lips tight and stared out the window at the horrendous traffic she was battling. On second thought, he decided, he wouldn't live here even if they gave him his own personal slot machine.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ted watched Lizzie. She looked blissful, serene. For some reason he felt scared witless at what he was seeing. He jerked his gaze back to the road and the snarl of cars all around them. While Lizzie looked serene and blissful, her attire shrieked look at me! So, like any other red-blooded male, he had looked. He'd even taken a second look, and wondered what was wrong with him that he wasn't attracted to the woman driving the vehicle he was sitting in. Any woman as beautiful, as perfect, as intelligent as Lizzie Fox should have every man in the universe lusting after her. He felt proud of himself that she didn't turn him on. Only Maggie Spritzer turned him on. It was either the second or third time he'd had this discussion with himself. He wondered if he was a fool.

"Lizzie, make the next left and that should put us right where we want to be. Listen, can I ask you a question on the personal side?"

"Go for it. I might answer, I might not."

"Do you. . .do you dress like you do for a reason? I mean, is it the real you? Or do you dress. . .like, you know. . .to play a part?"

"That's three questions and my answer is, what do you think?"

"I think you play to your strengths, which in your case are beauty, brains, and lust. I don't mean that you're the one doing the lusting. What I meant. . ."

"Well, there you go. I can see why you're the Post's ace reporter. I have two rules, Ted. Rule number one is: Never explain. Rule number two is: See rule number one."

Ted laughed as Lizzie swerved into a parking space that was labeled VISITOR PARKING.