Pike had two bright red arrows tattooed on the outside of each deltoid when he was in Vietnam. They pointed forward, and looked like the kind of red arrows you see on jet intakes or rocket nozzles or other dangerous things. With the jacket off and Pike in a sweatshirt with no sleeves, you could see the tattoos as clearly as if neon tubes had been laid beneath his skin. Karen looked away, not wanting him to catch her staring. People do that.

The orange and white cat came in from the hall, walked over to Pike, and rubbed against his ankles. Pike bent down and held his fingers out. The cat began to buzz. Karen said, “Do you like cats, Mr. Pike?”

Pike nodded.

She said, “His name is Tigger.”

Pike nodded once, then stood and walked into the kitchen. Karen said, “Excuse me, the bathroom isn’t that way.”

Pike went through the door without looking back.

I said, “He isn’t looking for the bath. He’s looking for how someone might get into your home, or get out, and for where they might hide while they are within it.”

She blinked at me.

“It’s one of his more colorful habits.”

The back door opened and Pike went outside. Karen went to the window and tried to look out at him, but she couldn’t see out of the light and into the darkness. No one ever can. “What a strange man.”

“Perhaps, but he is someone that you want on your side. He will never lie to you, and he will give you every piece of himself.”

She looked doubtful. “Has he been your partner for a long time?”

“Yes. Since I bought the agency. We bought it together.”

She looked out of the window again. Worried. “What if he scares Toby? What if one of the neighbors sees him and calls the police? Then we’ll have to explain.”

“No one will see him and no one will hear him. You ever see a ninja movie? That’s Pike.”

She squinted out the window some more, then came back to the table and picked up her glass. “How can he see at night while he’s wearing those sunglasses?”

I gave her a little shrug. There are some things even the great and wonderful Oz does not know.

In a little while Pike came back and we went through the records. Karen got more wine.