I don’t think any of us can ever know the effect we will have on another persons life whether
by our casual proximity or by having shared more substantial time. I couldn’t tell whether
Twilight only slipped into Tully’s orbit for a once around or if she had settled in for awhile
circling. Either way it was clear from the way Tully’s eyes flared that Twilight had left a lingering
impression.
‘Where did you get this Stone?’
‘My client and I am of course not at liberty to say who that is. You no doubt can understand
that.’
‘Where is she? What do you want?,’ Tully’s voice had suddenly loss the gentile edge and was
replaced with a tone that was razor sharp, ‘Has something happened to her?’
‘Now that is what I was hoping you could tell me. I have been paid generously to find her and I
have a short window to do so. You are my first lead.’
‘Why does your client want to find her so badly?’
‘I can honestly say I don’t know. I asked him and he felt it was on a need to know and I didn’t
need to know.’
‘So it’s a man looking for her?’
‘That’s about all I can tell you. Yes. I would imagine there have been a lot of men looking for
Twilight. If that is her real name. You wouldn’t happen to know any other alias’ she went by
would you?’
‘Doesn’t matter, I think I know who your client is Mr. Stone,’ she gave me a hard stare and
then took another sip of her drink, ‘I might have some idea of why he wants to find her. So I am
not so sure whether I should help you or not.’
‘I don’t know my client’s motives, but he seemed more concerned about getting something
back from her. He seemed more interested in that than in actually getting Twilight.’
Tully gave a shrill laugh and tossed back the remainder of her drink. ‘You think someone’s
going to walk into your office and ask you to find someone so they can murder them. Did you just
get your feet wet last week Stone?’
‘Look, I am no one’s patsy and I don’t like to think of myself as someone putting a death skull
on anyone’s back. I get paid whether I find her or not, so maybe I am trying to make sure anyone
else my client might have hired doesn’t find her first. Did you ever think about that? When you’re
on the hunt better to use as many dogs as possible.”
Tully looked at me with questioning eyes this time. Either to size me up for a coffin or a new
suit, but she was definitely taking the full measure of my character. She raised her hand in the
direction of the bar and in no time Red appeared beside the booth with the special bottle in hand
and another shot glass. He expertly refilled Tully’s glass and filled the one he placed in front of
me without spilling nary a drop. Tully raised her glass and gestured for me to do the same.
‘To happy hunting,’ she said as we both took a half swig. The warm spiced liquor flowed over
my tongue, sending warm tendrils across my chest. My first reaction was to cough, but I held
everything at bay. Tully’s mouth turned into a humorous smile over my efforts. ‘I