“Oh, my God, you stole Harry’s Ducati! This bike is his most prized possession next to Yoko, not that Yoko is a possession. You know what I mean,” Nikki gasped as she settled herself on the back of the cycle.

“Yeah, but don’t worry, I have a gun. Hang on!”

“Everyone knows Harry can stop a bullet in midair with two fingers. I know you can’t shoot worth a damn. You’re going to have to do better than that, Jack.”

Within minutes, Jack weaved the Ducati into and out of almost bumper-to-bumper traffic. Horns blared, curses following him through open car windows. He ignored it all as he barreled his way around corners and down side streets until he hit Independence Avenue.

Twenty minutes later, he slowed and cruised Virginia Avenue. “I’m going to drop you off here, Nik. You only have three blocks to go. You can hoof it, right?”

“Sure. No problem.” Nikki leaned over and kissed Jack so hard he thought he was going to black out. “That’s for loving me as much as I love you.”

His head spinning, Jack managed to get out a garbled sentence, which was, “Call Harry and tell him I have his bike.” His eyes glazed over, he managed to return the kiss Nikki blew in his direction before she sprinted down Virginia Avenue. He waited a minute to see if anyone was paying attention to her or if she had a tail. When he was sure she was in the clear, he maneuvered the Ducati back into traffic.

Nikki was heading for the main door of the Watergate when a young woman came up alongside her. She, too, had been jogging.

“I haven’t seen you around here. You new to the building?” she asked Nikki.

A warning bell went off inside Nikki’s head. “I’m just visiting my two aunts. Actually, I’m heading back to New Hampshire in the morning. How do you stand this awful heat?” Was the woman staring at her a little too carefully? Yes, she was, Nikki decided. She knew instinctively she had to get away from her.

“You get used to it. How do you stand those winters in New Hampshire?”

“You get used to it. No state tax in New Hampshire, that’s an incentive.” Nikki couldn’t be sure, but she thought she saw something flicker, some sign of recognition.

Nikki was the first one in the elevator. “What floor?”

“Seventeen.” The woman removed her sunglasses and stepped sideways to get a better look at Nikki. At least that was Nikki’s first thought. Nikki kept her glasses on and stared ahead as she pressed the button that would let her off at the fourth floor.

“You look familiar,” the woman said. Her tone was now different, not exactly suspicious but different from the casual repartee they’d been having.