“Okay.”

“My buddy, Arthur, runs after the weirdo. That’s what friends are for, right? So Arthur pulls off the guy’s backpack, and what does my assailant do? Takes off like a scared rabbit. It turns out the backpack is full of glass sculptures.”

“Glass sculptures?” Jack asked quickly, gripping the phone.

“Yeah. One of them is a glass slipper. Arthur says he thinks they belong to a gallery that is about to open. He reads everything on the computer.”

“There was a theft of glass sculptures at a new gallery tonight,” Jack confirmed. “Where exactly are you, Wally? We’ll be right there.”

When Wally snapped his cell phone shut, Arthur laid back on the grass and rubbed his eyes. “I don’t think it was the right move to call the cops.”

“Too late now.”

Within moments the sirens from at least three patrol cars could be heard racing toward the scene.

“I hope one of those cops has some aspirin,” Wally said. “My head is killing me.”

31

G eorgina parked herself outside the men’s room when Chip went inside. The small, dark hallway was not the most pleasant area to wait in, but her anxiety was mounting. She felt as if Chip were slipping from her reach and she couldn’t let that happen. He was already feeling the effects of the knockout drops she’d slipped into his drink. She had to take him somewhere isolated and she had to do it now.

The bar was so dark and hot. Disturbing thoughts kept racing through Georgina’s head. Her grandmother had worked near here. Georgina missed her so much. Why did she have to die like that?

The bathroom door swung open and Chip stepped out, his hair wet. He was startled to see Georgina standing so close. It was like she was a stalker. “I had to rinse off,” he explained. “Let’s get out of here.”

They made their way out of the darkened bar which was still crowded with people nursing their last drink.

“I really have to get home,” Chip said. “I’m not feeling that well.”

“What am I supposed to do?” Georgina asked testily. “Walk back to my hotel in the dark by myself?”

“No, of course not. I’ll see you back. Maybe we can get together tomorrow night,” he added, trying to ease the tension.

You’re lying, Georgina thought. “My hotel is on the Upper West Side.”

“It is?” Chip said with surprise.

“It is.”

“Well, let’s start walking. With any luck we’ll get a cab.”

“I haven’t seen many around.”

Chip thought about inviting her to stay on the couch at his apartment. It was a long walk to the Upper West Side. But something told him to get rid of her tonight. He could tell she was trouble. He didn’t want her to know where he lived. She was moody and strange. A friend of his had a girlfriend like that for a very brief period. What a psycho she was, super nice one minute, a witch the next. His buddy had to change his cell phone number because she kept filling it up with screaming messages. Wait till the guys hear about this one. “Come on,” he said.