Mrs. Martin sucked in air and faced-off at Kenny. "You did that? You didn't go to court? What's the matter with you? Don't you know anything?"

"It's all bullshit," Kenny said.

Mrs. Martin smacked him on the side of the head. "You watch your language!"

"And how is this to dress?" she said to me. "If you were my daughter I wouldn't let you out of the house."

I scrambled away before she could smack me, too.

"Kids," Vito Grizolli said. "What's happening to this world?"

From a man who had people killed on a regular basis.

He shook his finger at Kenny. "You should have kept your court date. You do this like a man. You go with her now, and you let the lawyers do their job."

"I got hair spray in my eye," Kenny said. "It's watering. I need a doctor."

I held the back door open for him. "Don't be such a big baby," I said. "I get hair spray in my eyes all the time."

Ranger was waiting under the canopy. He was dressed in a black T-shirt and black assault pants tucked into black boots. He had a body like Schwarzenegger, dark hair slicked back off his face and a two-hundred-watt smile. He was drop-dead sexy, he was as sane as Batman, and he was a primo bounty hunter.

He gave me all two hundred watts. "Nice touch with the hair spray."

"Don't start."

MONDAY MORNING I woke up feeling restless. I wanted to move on Maxine Nowicki, but I was stalled on the clue. I looked at the note again and felt frustration gnawing at me. Sally Sweet hadn't returned my call. I was itching to call him again, but it was eight o'clock, and I thought it was possible drag queens weren't early risers.

I was on my second cup of coffee when the phone rang.

"It's me," Sally said.

I read the note over the phone, letter by letter.

Silence.

"Sally?"

"I'm thinking. I'm thinking. I've been up all night, looking sexy, shaking my ass. It isn't easy, you know."

I could hear yelling in the background. "What's going on?"

"It's Sugar. He's got breakfast all made."

"Sugar makes your breakfast?"

"I'm on the phone with Stephanie," Sally yelled back.

"Boy, I don't have anyone make breakfast for me."

"What you have to do is live with a gay guy," Sally said. "They're into this cooking shit."

Something to think about.

"I don't want to rush your breakfast," I said. "I'll be home for another hour, then I'm going to the office. When you figure it out you can call me at the office, or you can leave a message on my machine."

"Ten four, kemosabe."

I took a shower and dressed for another scorcher day. I gave Rex fresh water and some hamster food, which he didn't deem worthy to so much as sniff at.