I was trapped under the sheet and a light blanket. If I did a roll, I might make it off the edge of the bed between the bed and the wall, but from there I didn’t know where the next move would be.

“Hey, Kidd

” The voice was soft, amused, and distinctly feminine.

I sat up, furious, the adrenaline still pumping. “Goddamn it, LuEllen, you scared the shit out of me.”

“Aw, poor baby.”

I punched the bed light. LuEllen was grinning at me from the foot of the bed. “What the hell are you doing here?” I asked.

“Well,” she said, with a barely audible sniff, “I thought I’d probably find you in bed with that Charade person-“

“Chaminade-“

“Whatever.” She made a gesture to indicate that the name was of no importance. “I wouldn’t want to disturb you in the midst of a rut, so I tried to be a little discreet.”

“Jesus Christ, you almost stopped my fuckin’ heart,” I growled. “How’d you get in?”

“Professional secret. You got nice locks, by the way.” She dropped the miniature steel flashlight into the pocket of her maroon jacket. LuEllen doesn’t wear black, because it’s noticeable. If you get pinned by a cop’s spotlight, a deep red comes off better. And in shadow, where she does her best work, a maroon or burgundy is no more visible than black. “Weenie said you wanted something. Business.”

“Yeah. I’ve got one, but I don’t know how much money there’ll be.” I yawned, dropped my feet on the floor, and rubbed my hair around. “It’s mostly a favor for Bobby. Maybe we can work something out on the money.”

“Interesting?” She sat on the end of the bed.

“Could be. It’s sort of like running a revolution. He wants us to help some people take over a town.”

She crossed her legs and stroked a small white scar that dimpled her chin. “I’m so fucking bored I’ll take anything.”

“How’s the coke?” I asked.

“I’m cutting down,” she said defensively.

“Right.” The skepticism showed in my voice.

“I am. I’m down to less than a gram.” She yawned and took a long, deliberate stretch, just to show me that she was staying in shape. “So it’s Chemise and who else?” she asked.

“Chaminade took a hike. I don’t feel like being teased about it.”

“Oops. Sorry,” she said cheerfully. “But she was bound to go. You are an impossible motherfucker to live with.”

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 4