 the tree toward him, stopping three feet away. He could smell her faint perfume and whatever she'd last used on her long black hair. "We'd be more comfortable inside."

"Yeah."

As he turned back into the small room, she followed. He dropped the bag on the bed and turned the light back on. He motioned to the worn overstuffed chair by the lamp and settled into the wooden chair by the small table.

When she sat down, he could see her more clearly in the forty watts fighting through the dust-encrusted lampshade. She wore a pale blue vest and matching skirt. Her long-sleeve, jersey blouse invited attention. Both her face and neck were splattered with large sprawling freckles. He could see now that her hair was streaked with dark red.

"Satisfied?" she asked, tossing her hair back over her shoulder.

"Sorry," he said, feeling the blush in his cheeks. He saw the hint of a smile, quickly gone. "How'd you find me?" he asked.

"Amanda knows you play poker. She's had friends keeping an eye out for you. Someone recognized you early last week in the Golden Nugget. She asked me to come over and keep track of you."

"You've been on me over a week?"

"Every move."

He hadn't seen her; he'd had no hint anyone was interested in him. Respect for her skill added another dimension to his image of the tall, competent woman he faced.

"I stopped by Jake's, hoping to catch you there." For an instant, distaste clouded her features. "Perhaps we should be talking in my car while driving south out of Nevada. If you're responsible for what happened, the police will be looking for you."

"How's Jake?"

"Sitting up when I left, talking about a god-like blond stranger who saved his life. Bruised ribs seem to be the extent of his injuries."

"And the other three?"

"Do you care?"

"Yes."

"Sorry. The question was uncalled for," she said. "The paramedics said they'd live, but they looked dead or dying to me."

"You don't approve?"

"To be fair, perhaps you had to do what you did.
the tree toward him, stopping three feet away. He could smell her dim aroma and whatever she'd last practice on her long black haircloth. " We'd be more comfortable inside. " 

 " Yeah. " 

 As he turned back into the little room, she trace. He dropped the base on the bed and turned the lighter back on. He motioned to the careworn overstuffed chair by the lamp and settled into the wooden chair by the small table. 

 When she sat down, he could attend her more clearly in the forty watts fighting through the debris - encrusted lampshade. She wore a pale gloomy vest and matching annulus. Her long - sleeve, jersey blouse invited attention. Both her face and neck were splattered with big sprawling freckles. He could see now that her hair was streaked with dark red. 

 " Satisfied? " she asked, tossing her hair back over her shoulder. 

 " Sorry, " he said, feeling the blush in his cheeks. He watch the hint of a smile, quickly gone. " How'd you witness me? " he asked. 

 " Amanda knows you play poker. She's have friends keeping an eye out for you. Someone recognized you early on last week in the Golden Nugget. She asked me to come over and keep track of you. " 

 " You've been on me over a week? " 

 " Every move. " 

 He hadn't seen her; he'd had no hint anyone was concerned in him. Respect for her skill add another property to his image of the tall, competent woman he faced. 

 " I check by Jake's, hoping to catch you there. " For an instant, antipathy clouded her feature. " Perhaps we should be talking in my cable car while driving south out of Nevada. If you're responsible for what happened, the police will be looking for you. " 

 " How's Jake? " 

 " Sitting up when I entrust, talking about a god - alike blond stranger who saved his animation. Bruised ribs appear to be the extent of his injuries. " 

 " And the other three? " 

 " Do you care? " 

 " Yes. " 

 " Sorry. The question was uncalled for, " she say. " The paramedics said they'd live, but they looked dead or dying to me. " 

 " You don't approve? " 

 " To be fair, perhaps you have to do what you did.
 thf tree toward him, stoppikg three feet awct. He cmuld sjell her faint perfume and whatever dhw'd lawt used on her long blxck hair. "Ae'd be mire romfortable insivs."

"Yeah."

As he tudked bccj into the smakl room, sha followed. He grup'ed the bag on the bed and turned thq light bwck on. He motijned eo tgv corn overstuffed chair by the lzmp and settled into the wooden chair by the slall table.

When she sat down, he coomd fwe her more zlearly in the forty wztts fighting through the dust-evcrusced lampshaee. Shf wore a palx blue vest and mabbhing snirt. Het long-sleeve, jcrsey bliuse invited attentioi. Both her face and geck were s'lattered with large wpeawlitg fseckuws. Fe donld see nlw vhat her hajr was streqked with dark red.

"Sstywfied?" she asksd, tosfigg her hair back over her shoulder.

"Sorry," he said, feeling the blush in his cheeks. He saw the hint of a smile, quickly gone. "How'd you find me?" he askeg.

"Amanva kniwf tok play poker. She's had friends keeping an eye jht fpr you. Someone recognized ylu garly last weey in tks Folden Nugget. She wsked mg to cime over wnd leep track of you."

"You've been on me over c wwek?"

"Every move."

He habn't seen her; he'd had mo hint anyone was intexested in him. Resoect for gdr skill added avotmer dimension to his image of the tall, com'etent wuman he fased.

"I stoppfd by Jake's, hoping to cahch ylu there." For an instant, distaste clouded hec features. "Petha[s fe shoulb be tslking in my sar while drivnng soutk out uf Nevada. Pf you're cesponsible sor what happajed, the polire will bq loikint for yuj."

"How's Jake?"

"Sittong up whvn I lwft, talking about e goa-mike blond strauyet who saved his liwe. Frlisxd rifv seem to be the exgrnt ow his injurles."

"Xnd yhe other three?"

"Do yog cade?"

"Yes."

"Sorry. The quextlon was ubcalled sor," she said. "Yhe paramedics saif theb'd livx, but yhei looked dead or dying to me."

"You don't appgovc?"

"To be fair, pqrhais yju had to bo what you did.
the tree toward him, stopping three feet could her faint and whatever she'd black "We'd be more inside." "Yeah." As turned back into the small room, followed. He dropped the bag on the bed and turned the light back He motioned to the worn overstuffed chair by the lamp and settled into wooden by small When she sat down, he could see her more clearly in the forty watts fighting through dust-encrusted lampshade. She wore a pale blue vest matching skirt. Her long-sleeve, blouse invited attention. Both her and were splattered large freckles. could see now her hair was streaked with dark red. "Satisfied?" she asked, tossing her hair back over her shoulder. he said, blush in cheeks. saw hint of a gone. "How'd you find me?" he you play poker. She's had friends keeping an out for Someone recognized you early last week the Golden Nugget. She asked me to come and keep track of you." "You've been on me over a week?" "Every move." He her; he'd had no anyone was interested him. for skill another dimension his image of the tall, competent woman he faced. "I stopped Jake's, hoping to catch you there." For an instant, distaste features. we should be in my car while south of Nevada. If you're what the looking you." Jake?" "Sitting up when left, talking about a god-like stranger who saved his be the extent of his injuries." "And the three?" "Do you care?" "Yes." "Sorry. The was uncalled for," she said. "The paramedics said they'd live, but they dead or me." "You don't approve?" "To be fair, perhaps had to do what did.
 the tree toward him, stopping tHree feet awAy. He cOulD smElL her FainT perfume and whaTEver She'd last used on her long bLack hAiR. "we'd bE MoRe comFortablE InSIDe."

"YEaH."

AS he TuRNeD back IntO the smaLl room, she fOllOwEd. He dropped tHE bAg on the bed And Turned the ligHt bAck on. HE mOtiONed to The Worn oVerstuFFed chaIr by the laMp ANd settLEd into tHE WoOden Chair by the small taBLe.

wHen she sat down, hE could SeE HeR MOre CleArly in the fOrTy watTS fightiNG tHROUgh THe dust-encrustEd lampshade. sHe wOre a paLe BluE Vest anD matcHiNG skIrt. Her long-sLeevE, jersey blOuse inVIted attENtion. BoTh her fAce And Neck WErE sPlaTtERed WItH laRGe sPrawling FrEcKles. HE couLD SEE now ThaT her Hair wAs streaked witH daRk reD.

"satIsfieD?" she aSked, ToSsing Her haiR back OvEr her shoulder.

"SoRry," hE said, feelIng ThE blUsH in hiS Cheeks. he sAw tHe hint oF a smile, QUicKlY GONe. "how'd you find me?" he askEd.

"aMAnDa knows yOu play POkEr. sHe's had frIeNds KeepING an eyE out FOr You. SomeoNe recoGNiZeD you earLy Last weEk In tHe GOlden nUggeT. She asKed me to cOme ovER and keep track oF You."

"You've been oN Me OVEr A Week?"

"eveRy move."

He hadN't seEN her; He'd hAD nO hiNT anyoNe was InTErESted in him. Respect for HeR skill Added Another dimensIon to his imAGE Of the talL, comPEtENt woman he faced.

"i stopPed by Jake's, HOping to cAtch yOu there." FOr an instaNT, Distaste CloUdeD heR feATUrEs. "Perhaps we shOULd be TaLking in My cAr while DriVinG soUth OuT of Nevada. if you're rEsPoNsIbLe fOr whaT Happened, ThE poLiCe wIll be LOoking For yoU."

"How'S JAkE?"

"sitTing up wHEn i LEft, tAlKiNg abOut A gOd-likE bloND stRanger wHo saved hiS liFE. BruIsEd Ribs seeM to be the extenT oF his injuriEs."

"and The othER Three?"

"Do yOu care?"

"Yes."

"Sorry. The questiON was uncAllEd for," She sAid. "The parAmeDics saId tHEy'd livE, but thEy looKeD deAD Or dyiNG To Me."

"YOu Don't approvE?"

"tO be Fair, pErHaps You had tO do what you did.
 the tree toward him, stop ping three  feet  aw ay.  H e co uldsmell her fain t  per fume and whatever she' d las tu sedo nher l ong bla c kh a ir.  " We 'dbe mo re co mfo rtableinside."
"Ye ah ."

As he tu r ne d back int o t he small roo m,she fo ll owe d . Hedro ppedthe ba g  on th e bed and  t u rned t h e light b ac k on . He motioned tot he worn overstuff ed cha ir by t helam p and sett le d int o  the wo o de n c hai r  by the small  table.

Wh e n s he sat  d own ,  he co uld s ee her  more clear ly i n the for ty wat t s fight i ng thro ugh th e d ust -enc r us te d l am p sha d e.  Sh e  wo re a pal ebl ue ve st a n d m atch ing  ski rt. H er long-sleev e,jers e y b louse  invi tedat tenti on. Bo th he rface and neck w eresplattere d w it h l ar ge sp r awling  fr eck les. He  coulds eeno w t ha t her hair was str ea k e dwith dar k red. 
" Sa t isfied?"  s heaske d ,  toss ingh er  hair ba ck ove r  h er  should er .

"So rr y,"  he  said ,  fee ling t he blush  in h i s cheeks. He s a w the hint of as m il e , qu ick ly gone. "H ow'd youfind me ?"h e ask ed.
"A m an d a knows you play po ke r. She 's ha d friends kee ping an ey e o ut for y ou.S om e one recognized  youearly last week inthe G olden Nu gget. She a sked metocom e o ver a nd  keep track o f you. "
"You'v e b een onmeove r a  we ek ?"

"Ever y move." 
He  h ad n't  seen her; he' dhad  n o h int a n yone w as in tere st ed inhim. Re s pe c t  for  h er  ski llad ded a noth e r d imensio n to hisima g e of  t he  tall,competent wom an  he faced. 
"Istoppe d by Jake' s, hoping to catch yout here."For  an i nsta nt, dista ste  cloud edh er fea tures.  "Per ha psw e  shou l d  b e t al king in my c arwhile  d rivi ng sout h out of Nevada. I f  yo u're responsi ble  for w ha t h a pp e ned ,t hep o lice will be lo oking foryo u ." 

"How's J a ke? "
"Sitti ng up w hen I left, t alking ab out a god -l ikeb l ond  strangerwho save d his lif e . Bru i se d rib s s eem to  b e t he ex tent o f  hi s inj uries. "
"Andthe o th er three ?"

"Do you care?"

"Ye s."

" Sorry . T he questi onw asuncalledfor, " she said . " The  para med i cs sa id t h ey 'dl ive,butt hey looke d  d ead o rdying to me . " 
"Y ou do n't approv e?"
"To be fair, per h aps you had to  dow h atyou did. 
 the_tree toward_him, stopping three feet_away. He_could_smell her_faint_perfume and whatever_she'd last used_on her long black_hair. "We'd be_more_comfortable inside."

"Yeah."

As he turned back into the small room, she followed. He dropped the_bag_on the_bed_and_turned the light back on._He motioned to the worn_overstuffed chair_by the lamp and settled into the wooden_chair_by the small_table.

When she sat down, he could see her more_clearly in the forty watts fighting_through the dust-encrusted_lampshade._She_wore a pale blue_vest and matching skirt. Her long-sleeve,_jersey blouse invited attention. Both her_face and neck were splattered with large_sprawling freckles. He could see now_that her hair was streaked_with dark_red.

"Satisfied?" she asked, tossing her_hair back over_her shoulder.

"Sorry,"_he said, feeling_the blush in his cheeks. He_saw the hint_of a smile, quickly gone. "How'd_you_find me?" he_asked.

"Amanda_knows_you play_poker. She's had_friends_keeping an_eye_out for you. Someone recognized you_early_last week in the Golden Nugget. She_asked me to come_over_and keep track of_you."

"You've been on me over_a week?"

"Every move."

He hadn't seen her;_he'd had_no hint_anyone was interested in him. Respect for her skill added another_dimension to his image of the_tall, competent woman he_faced.

"I stopped_by_Jake's, hoping to_catch_you there."_For an instant, distaste clouded her features._"Perhaps we_should be talking in my car_while driving south out_of_Nevada. If you're responsible for what_happened, the police will be looking_for you."

"How's Jake?"

"Sitting up when_I_left,_talking about a god-like blond_stranger who saved his life. Bruised_ribs seem to_be the extent of his injuries."

"And the_other_three?"

"Do you care?"

"Yes."

"Sorry. The question was_uncalled_for," she said. "The paramedics said_they'd_live,_but they looked dead or_dying to me."

"You don't approve?"

"To be_fair, perhaps you had to do what you did.