“Anyway, I’m going to have a busy week no matter what,” Pete said. “I think I have a runaway stripper, and I’m pretty sure she’s the one who took off with that man’s wallet last night.”
Liam laughed. “A runaway stripper? Is there such a thing? I mean, a stripper is free to come and go as she chooses, right?”
“Unless she’s wanted by the law for being a pickpocket,” Pete said grimly.
“But did you see her?” Liam asked, frowning.
“No, I didn’t see her. But lately, we’ve only had one girl in trouble for helping herself to gents’ wallets, instead of waiting for the bills in the garter-or whatever,” Pete said.
“How do you know she’s missing?” David asked, suddenly turning his attention to Pete.
“She works at the Top-O-The-Top, and when I went to try to talk to her-warn her that I’m on to her at the least-she hadn’t shown up for work. One of the other girls told me that it was unusual. She likes money,” Pete said.
“Well, it is a Sunday night,” Sam commented. “Who knows? Maybe she heard about some better pickings up the islands.”
“If I don’t find her by tomorrow, I’ll put out an APB,” Pete said.
“Pete, can we prove anything?” Liam asked.
“I’ve got the kid’s report-hell, yes, I can put out an APB. Anyway, good night, all. I’m heading out,” Pete told them.
The college kids were having a good time, and they did so without being smashed or obnoxious. Katie kept the music going longer than she had intended.
Even so, David waited for her.
“You know,” she told him, “I’ve been walking myself home for a very long time.”
“Alone?” Bartholomew said.
She didn’t look his way, but she added, “Physically walking my mortal self.”
David seemed bemused by the comment. “But it is late and I am here. Do you mind?” he asked her.
“No. I’m glad.” She waved good-night to Clarinda.
“Zigler is gone,” David noted.
“I guess he took off early.”
“Started late, and took off early. Interesting,” David said.
“You’ve been looking at him with daggers in your eyes all night,” Katie commented.
“I followed his tour around tonight,” David said grimly.
“Oh.”
“After what I heard on his tour, I’d be scared of me,” he said.
“Danny is a good guy, though,” she said. “And I guess there’s no way to keep the tour guides from telling a story, especially if they can conjure a good ghost.”
“I wonder what he does with all his money,” David said.
“Well, he isn’t working jobs that set you in the upper stratosphere of income,” Katie pointed out.
“Still, he eats where he works, lives frugally… He must have some kind of a pastime.”
“Maybe he hides all his money in his mattress. Wasn’t there a crazy person who did that once?” Katie asked.
“Crazy. Umm. There have been a lot of crazies down here. It must be the sun,” David said.
They reached her house. He stood on the porch while she found her keys and fit one into the lock. The key turned and she looked at him. It seemed that she had no voice. She wanted to speak; she wanted to sound casual.
“Would you like to come in?” she asked. Oh, God, she sounded as if she was applying for a job as phone-sex girl.
He smiled and leaned against the door frame, not touching her, and yet looking at her in a way that made her feel as if he could send out rays of static heat.
“If I come in…well, it might be dangerous, you know.”
“I don’t think you’re dangerous,” she said.
“No, I meant it really might be dangerous. I’m torn-I want to be with you, but I’m not so sure you should be seen with me.”
“Oh. Oh,” she murmured and blushed, feeling incredibly awkward. She started to step past him but he blocked the way and she met his eyes again. They were deep royal-blue, a navy color that could be so dark it appeared black in the shadows. “I would love to come in, if the offer still stands.”
She paused, feeling as if the night could change everything, and then feeling foolish, as well. Sex. So many people fell into it so easily. She’d never been able to play that game, she’d never wanted something that didn’t mean something. This felt like more. It was sex…it was intimate. Natural. Biology, something that happened between people. But she meant something to him; she knew it. She cared about him, equally.
“I…I want you to come in.” Ah, there she was, sounding like the phone-sex applicant again.
But he reached out, stroking a finger along her cheek and smoothing her hair back. “I didn’t want to want you, but I do,” he told her.
“I think…well, they do say there’s just something that attracts certain people.”
“Think we should make love and experiment?” he asked.
She shook her head slowly. “No.”
“Well, we are still on the porch.”
She smiled, suddenly feeling sure of herself, and at ease. “I like the idea best of us both knowing that we wanted…one another from the start.”
“Actually, I really disliked you.”
“Come to think of it, I loathed you.”