Mia put her feet on the floor and stood up before she realized all was not well. Who knew the result of rolling around in garbage cans to avoid a car trying to run her down would be every inch of her body aching and throbbing and screaming in protest? Even her feet hurt. After three aspirin and a very hot shower, she forced herself to look in the bathroom mirror. A laugh spurted out of her mouth. She looked like a bunch of sugar-high kids had finger-painted all over her. She gingerly rubbed on bruise cream, whatever good that did, blow-dried her hair, and eased into loose sweats. She heard the doorbell ring as she managed to bend over to pull on thick white socks.

She knew who was there, but when she opened the door, all she could do was stare at the tall, slim woman dressed in a black leather jacket, white shirt, black pants, and black boots standing at her door. Her hair was amazing, a red nimbus around her fine-boned face. With her light blue eyes, she looked like a fairy princess. Mia would have told her so, but she didn’t want to sound like a groupie.

“Good morning,” the princess said in a pleasant voice. “I’m Special Agent Sherlock. And you’re Tommy’s Mia. He told me you were too pretty for your own good.”

Tommy’s Mia? Tommy thought she was pretty? Given the face she’d seen in her bathroom mirror minutes ago, pretty was an awesome stretch. Mia laughed. “If Tommy could see me now, he’d pull out his Glock and put me out of my misery.” She stuck out her hand. “At least I’m ambulatory, and believe me, that’s a big relief. Sorry I look like crap. When the aspirin kick in, I won’t look better, but I’ll feel better.”

Sherlock only lightly touched her fingers to hers. “Nothing broken though, right?”

“Thankfully no, all my bones are where they should be. But I ache in places I didn’t even know I had.”

“I’ve been there. You don’t look like crap, you look like you’ve been on a bender.” She smiled. “In three or four days, you’ll feel back to fighting strength. I remember aspirin was my lifeline.”

Mia grinned. “I wouldn’t be surprised if my energy hasn’t flown south for the rest of the winter.” She paused a moment, couldn’t hold it in. “I’ve written about you, of course, but to see you here, in my apartment—I’m sorry, I’m keeping you standing here in the doorway. Please come in. You’re very kind to come, Agent Sherlock.”

“Please just call me Sherlock and I’ll call you Mia. It’ll save time.”

“That’d be great. Can I hang up your jacket?”