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Once he’d finished with the house, Alex took to the streets and talked to the neighbors. All of them knew the Watsons and even though the police suspected the widow on account of her being fifteen years younger than David, none of the neighbors believed it. They all had stories and anecdotes about the Watsons but not one of them had seen anything suspicious, and definitely had not seen anyone lurking in the neighborhood watching the Watsons’ home.

If Duane King had staked out the Watsons’ house, he’d done it from his invisible car.

Frustrated and angry, Alex went back inside to pack up his gear. It had been a long and fruitless day, but at least his evening would be good. He’d pick up Jessica at seven and take her to the Lucky Dragon. All he had to do was shower off the grime of crawling through attics and cellars, and put on a clean shirt.

As he packed up his gear, he remembered Danny’s warning to lie low. He went back into David Watson’s office and called Iggy, just to be sure.

“I’m glad you called,” Iggy said. “Some police officers were here looking for you. There’s one in a car down the street and one watching the alley. I think Detweiler might have changed his mind about arresting you.”

“He might have,” Alex said, “but Callahan sent these guys.” He explained the call from Andrew Barton and what it meant for his theory.

“So what now?”

“Now I have a date,” Alex said.

“I mean about Leroy Cunningham,” Iggy said. “You can’t just leave him to whatever fate is waiting for him.”

“It’s the same story as the ghost,” Alex protested. “I know why he was taken. I know what they’re doing. It’s just not possible.”

“Some part of the impossible must be possible,” Iggy said.

“I know,” Alex said softly. “But damned if I can figure out what.”

Iggy sighed.

“All right,” he said. “You need to clear your head, get a fresh perspective on the problem. Go have your date, then call me when you’re done, and we’ll sneak you back in here.”

“I told Danny I’d call him later,” Alex said. “I’m pretty sure I can bunk with him tonight. That’s probably safer.”

“Do you need anything from here?” Iggy asked. “I mean for your date, do you have money?”

“The only thing I need is a shower and a clean shirt,” Alex said.

“How are you going to manage that?”

Alex actually smiled. For the fist time today, he actually had an answer.

“I’ve got a complete change of clothes in my vault,” he said. “And I don’t think Mr. Watson will mind if I borrow his shower.”

Alex was about to hang up, but Iggy was quiet. He knew that meant the old man was thinking.

“I’m going to head down to the diner for a slice of pie,” he said. “Why don’t you swing by there on your way, and ask Mary if she’s got something for you?”

<p>26</p><p>The Outing</p>

Jessica was waiting for Alex in the back yard of the alchemist shop. She stood on the little patch of grass overlooking the herb garden with her back to him. Alex knew she heard the click of the gate as he let himself in, but she didn’t turn, forcing him to wait to see her until he was closer.

When he was within five paces of her she turned, flinging her long red hair around so that when she faced him, it draped over the front of her right shoulder. She wore a cocktail dress that clung to her generous figure in ways that made Alex forget all about his problems. It hung below the knee, but had a slit in the left side that rode up quite a bit. A single strap went up over her left shoulder, accented with a polished bronze clasp, and she wore a matching necklace of metal plates that reminded Alex of the ornamental collars worn by Egyptian Pharaohs.

“Hello, Alex,” she said, her voice quietly amused. “You’re right on time.”

Alex wanted to reply, but he worried that if he spoke, the vision before him would disappear. A girl that beautiful couldn’t be real. She wore just enough makeup to accent her face, with blush on her sharp cheekbones, and the dark red lipstick she favored.

“You look fantastic,” he said, finally.

He held out his arm and she stepped forward, slipping her hand onto it.

“And where will we be going this evening?” There was the faintest hint of a challenge in her question, as if daring him to impress her.

“I hope you like Chinese,” he said, desperately hoping she did. He didn’t actually have a backup plan, or any money to pull one off. Nevertheless he fixed an easy smile on his face and held her calculating gaze.

She smiled. A dazzling display of white teeth, red lips, and raw sexuality that told Alex he could relax.

“I adore it,” she said.

“Good,” Alex said. He still didn’t have any real money, not even enough for a taxi, so he hoped his charm and a quick story would keep the lovely Jessica from being too upset. “We’ve got a table at the Lucky Dragon,” he told her.

“Oh,” she cooed. “And here I thought private dicks didn’t make much money.”

“We don’t,” Alex said. “So we’ll have to go by crawler.”

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