Fired Up

strategy, remember? I get big pictures and bottom lines.”
    “Yes, Fletcher was afraid that he would lose his position if he made an accusation. He wanted to deal with it privately.”
    “So he came to you to get proof.”
    “I turned up a lot of stuff on the Internet, of course. It’s amazing what people will write in their blogs and on their personal websites. They treat cyberspace as if it were a private diary. Madeline chatted at length about the affair. Her obsession was clear, but she did not implicate herself in the stalking. She just wrote that she had given Fletcher a few presents and that he had not appreciated them. He wanted photographic proof of what was going on.”
    “You took the case because you felt sorry for him.”
    “And because we’re still friends,” she said. “I could tell that he was very nervous. Fletcher is a nice guy. Intelligent. Fun to be with. Even-tempered. Great sense of humor. What can I say? I like him.”
    “You didn’t mind that he terminated your relationship at the end of the quarter?”
    “Well, actually, I was the one who ended it,” she said.
    “Because you found out about his serial monogamy?”
    “No, of course not.” She sounded genuinely surprised. “His dating pattern was one of his two best features as far as I was concerned.”
    “What was the second one?”
    “His commitment phobia. The problem was that once Fletcher discovered that I also have commitment issues he kept trying to fix me. Probably some form of misguided projection.”
    “Misguided projection.” He realized that he was still grappling with the serial monogamy thing and the commitment issues. Somehow, he hadn’t seen either coming.
    “Things got even more awkward between us when I told Fletcher that I have some talent. At that point I think that I became a patient to him.”
    “Let me take a wild guess here. Monroe doesn’t believe in the paranormal.”
    “He’s got a Ph.D. in psychology. Of course he doesn’t believe in it.” She sighed. “All in all, I had no choice but to end things after only a few dates. We never even made it as far as the bedroom. Rose thinks that still bothers Fletcher, but I have a hard time buying it.”
    “Why?”
    “Because he moved on immediately. Started dating someone else right away. Fell right back into his usual pattern. It wasn’t like he couldn’t let go. I think he just sees me as a professional failure, that’s all.”
    “Because he couldn’t fix your issues.”
    “Right,” Chloe said.
    “How did you meet him?”
    “I took one of his classes. I thought it would be useful in my work.”
    “What, exactly, does he teach?”
    “Criminal psychology.”
    “Learn anything?”
    “Mostly what I learned is that psychologists look for explanations and motives. Me, I’m just a PI. I look for bad psi.”
    He took the on- ramp onto I-5, heading toward downtown. The freeway was nearly empty at this hour. The lights of the city’s high-rise buildings, including the one in which he lived, glittered in the night.
    “You really thought that Monroe’s serial monogamy habit and his commitment issues were good features?” he asked after a while.
    “Are you kidding? I was almost convinced that he was Mr. Perfect. When I gave him The Talk, he looked downright thrilled. Then, again, men often seem happy enough at first. I’ve never been able to figure out why they change their minds. Aunt Phyllis says it’s just the way men are.”
    “I’m probably going to regret asking this, but what is The Talk?”
    “That’s when I explain about my commitment issues. I make it clear that any relationship I enter into is likely to be short-term and that there are no strings attached. I make sure that the other person knows that he is free to dump me on a moment’s notice without feeling any guilt.” She frowned a little. “But for some reason I’m usually the one who ends up doing the dumping.”
    “You’re a real romantic, aren’t you?” he said flatly.
    “I can’t afford to be a romantic, Mr. Winters. Not with my talent.”
    He shot her a quick, searching look. “What does your talent have to do with it?”
    “It’s hard to explain,” she said. She leaned her head against the back of the seat, folded her arms. “It doesn’t matter now, anyway.”
    “Why not?”
    “The serial monogamy thing got old. I moved into a new phase about a year ago. I admit that I toyed with the idea of going back to serial monogamy for a time with