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“Question: Your woman cheats on you with another woman. Better or worse than her diddling with a guy?”

“Oh, worse. Bad enough she’s playing you, but she’s doing it without a dick, which means she doesn’t think too much of your equipment. It’s a guy, you can maybe rationalize it some. You know, he took advantage of her, or she had a moment of weakness.”

“Took advantage of her.” Eve snorted. “Men are really sad and simple.”

“Please, a boy needs his illusions. Anyway, it’s another skirt, she had to go looking, and she had to go looking for something you don’t have. Makes you a double loser.”

“Yeah, that’s how I see it. It’s going to give you a real hard-on against women. So to speak. We’re going to want to find out how long Julietta’s been going girl-on-girl.”

He set the empty mug down and linked his hands in a gesture of prayer. “Please, please, please, let me do it. I never get the fun stuff.”

“I need subtle on this.”

“My middle name.”

“I thought your middle name was Hornydog.”

“That’s my first middle name,” he said with some dignity. “Come on, Dallas, how about it?”

“Play ring-around-a-rosie with Unger. Talk to the staff at the hotel and keep the bribes to a minimum. Budget’s not going to stretch if you keep slapping down fifties. Talk to her neighbors. Sniff around her place of employment. She’s going to get wind of it, so keep the reason for the look-see quiet. Subtle, Baxter, seriously. I’ve got to do an out-of-town. If I get lucky, I’ll be back in tomorrow. If not, it may take another day.”

“You can leave this in my very capable hands. Oh, and I won’t put in for the fifty,” he said as he started out. “It was worth the price of the ticket.”

He’d handle it, she thought. She couldn’t be in Boston, New L.A., and poking around Serena Unger in New York at the same time. Baxter could work that angle, Feeney the like-crimes area, and she’d pursue other potential leads.

It appeared she’d put together a team without intending to.

Now, she thought, she was about to add another member. And it would be her turn to play it subtle.

She didn’t expect to get through to Roarke on the first try, but the great god of meetings must have decided to cut her a break. His admin passed her on to him, with the polite comment that he’d just returned from a business lunch.

“So what’d you eat?” she asked when he came on.

“Chef’s salad. How about you?”

“I’m getting something in a minute. You got any business in Boston?”

“I could have. Why?”

“I’ve got to make a run up there, maybe out to the West Coast. Check out some things. I don’t want to take Peabody. She’s got the exam day after tomorrow. She needs to stay here, plus I can’t be a hundred percent I’ll be back on time for her to make it. Thought you might want to tag along.”

“I might. When?”

“ASAP.”

“This wouldn’t be a maneuver to avoid Summerset’s return?”

“No, but it’s a handy side benny. Look, you want to go or not?”

“I have to do some shuffling.” He angled away, and she saw him dance his fingers over a small keyboard. “I need . . . two hours will do it.”

“That works for me.” Now came the tricky part. “I’ll meet you at the Newark transpo center, say seventeen hundred. We’ll grab a shuttle there.”

“Public transpo? And at five o’clock? I don’t think so.”

She just loved the way he sneered. “Timing can’t be helped,” she began.

“Accommodations can. We’ll take one of my shuttles.”

Which was exactly what she’d expected him to say. Thank God. The last thing she wanted was to squeeze on to a commuter sweatbox and deal with the inevitable delays and poor hygiene. But she knew how to play the game, and gave him an obligatory scowl.

“Look, pal, this is police business. You’re just along for the ride, and possible out-of-town nookie.”

“All nookie is appreciated, but the method of transpo’s a deal breaker. I’ll pick you up when I arrange things here. And if you argue, you’ll just put me behind.” He checked his wrist unit. “I’ll let you know when I’m on my way.” And clicked off.

That, she thought, went perfectly.

Shortly