Jack pulled on a pair of shorts from his open gym bag on the floor and went outside.

Carl Scissor hands looked up and jumped at Jack’s approach. He shook his head and stopped the clippers.

“Mornin’,” he said. “Man, that gang of palmettos was somethin’ last night, wasn’t it. Never seen nothin’ like that in all my born days. Never heard of it neither. How’d you finally do with them?”

“Soon as I got inside the house they just flew off. How about you?”

“Same. I was halfway to my car when they suddenly lost interest. Pretty weird, huh?”

“Very weird.”

“I had trouble sleepin’. I kept feelin’ like they was still on me.” He shivered inside his flannel shirt. “Gives me the willies just thinkin’ about it. And then my car wouldn’t start this mornin’. My luck’s runnin’ pretty bad and pan-o-ramic these days.”

Jack glanced over to where Carl had set up his camera last night. The spot was empty now.

“How did the video surveillance go?”

Carl shook his head. “Nada. I come by real early this mornin’ to pick it up, you know, before anyone else found it.” He winked and jerked his thumb at a tattered backpack sitting among his gardening tools. “I quick-checked the playback but the only thing on it was me bendin’ over it and picking it up. Least ways I know the motion detector’s workin’. Told Dr. Dengrove and he wasn’t too happy, but wants me to try again tonight.”

“You going to?”

“Sure.” He grinned. “He wants to keep payin’ me, I’ll keep settin’ up the camera. It’s his money, and I could sure use some of it.”

“Fine, as long as you don’t catch Miss Mundy doing anything that’ll cause her trouble.”

“Told you: no worry bout that.”

“Speaking of Miss Mundy…” Jack turned and looked at Anya’s place. No signs of life there. Considering how she looked last night…”maybe I should go over and see how she’s doing.”

“Oh, she’s doin’ fine. She was up bright and early this mornin’, waitin’ for a cab. It picked her up a little before seven.”

“Oh? Well, it’s good to know she’s all right.”

Jack wondered where she’d be going at that hour. Hardly anything open then except the convenience stores.

The idea of a convenience store got him thinking about coffee. He needed a couple of cups, but he didn’t feature the idea of winding all through Gateways twice, then back and forth through the security gates, and hunting down a store in between. Oh, for the Upper West Side where he could walk around the corner and have his choice of coffee spots.

He remembered his father had always been a big coffee drinker. He’d seen a can in the refrigerator.

“I’m going to make some coffee,” he told Carl. “Want some?”