“To get over our respective divorces,” Kayla said firmly. “Sam said she was going to come up with a plan to get Douglas for dumping us and reneging on the ten-million-dollar payment. And for the adventure of it all. It’s a year out of our lives. There is every possibility that this might be the niche in our lives that will work for us. I’d like to get my hands around some bad-ass dude’s neck and wreak havoc. In our mundane lives we could never do that and get away with it. When the year is over, we’ll be kick-ass mercenaries and able to take on that jerk Douglas. That’s how I’m looking at it. What about the rest of you?”

Kayla got hoots of pleasure, raised fists, and a little catcalling. She had her answer.

“Here comes breakfast,” Sam said. “Let’s not talk about this anymore until we’re done eating.”

They ate like truck drivers who’d been on the road for twenty-four straight hours. The coffeepot was empty, as was the juice pitcher. Zoe swirled the last of the strawberry-peach jam out of the bowl with her finger and licked it. Slick and Olivia fought over the last piece of toast. They ended up breaking it in two pieces. Their plates were clean.

“I bet you five bucks that guy sitting over there with the Washington Post is one of them,” Kayla said. “Don’t look now, though. I bet they have some kind of device that enables them to hear every word we’re saying. How else did that guy know about Flip’s and the stuff we were talking about. Like suing Douglas. Maybe I was cut out for this stuff after all.” She whipped a slip of paper and a pen out of her purse and proceeded to scribble a message. When Kayla was sure the women had read the message, she pointed to Zoe.

Zoe picked up the gauntlet and ran with it. The sexual confessions that followed were explicit enough to burn a high-priced madam’s ears. All lies of course.

Sam watched the man with the Washington Post out of the corner of her eye. From the color of his face and ears, he was hearing something he hadn’t expected. Then she did what Kayla had done. She scribbled a message and slid it toward Slick. “Let’s take him and see what happens. Just you and me.” Slick nodded as she passed the note across the table. The three Rainford wives smiled.

It was so quick and sly, the few patrons left in the cafe had no idea what went down. They were just five women converging on a male customer, laughing and tweaking his chin as they led him outside.

Within seconds, Sam had the man’s gun, and Slick had his credentials. Still laughing and giggling, the Rainford wives led the man to the parking lot and their four cars.