The Anonymous Client

this time we know it. He ditched my shadows this afternoon because it seemed like a routine job and no one suspected he was wise. My men are onto him now. They’ll stick like glue.”
    “You sure of that?”
    “Of course I am.”
    “Wanna bet?”
    “What do you mean?”
    “I’ll bet you dinner Bradshaw walks away from your men again.”
    Taylor rubbed his hands together. “You’re on, Steve. Shit, if I’d known that I’d have ordered steak.”
    “I thought you liked the burgers here.”
    “I do. But I love to gamble.”
    “Big deal. All we’re really betting is whose expense account it goes on. So it’ll come back to me anyway.”
    “I know, but what the hell. You want a side bet?”
    “No. It’s a bad bet for me anyway. If I win, I lose. But—” Steve broke off. “Son of a bitch!”
    “What?”
    “Don’t look around, but there’s a girl with blonde hair and big round glasses sitting at the end of the bar.”
    Taylor grinned. “No shit? Your secretary? Why don’t you ask her to join us?”
    “It’s not funny, Mark. She’s playing detective. I don’t like it.”
    “She know you saw her?”
    “I don’t think so. Stay here and don’t look at her. I’m gonna head for the men’s room.”
    Steve got up, went out the door and down the stairs. Instead of continuing down to the men’s room, he went up the stairs on the other side. He circled around the bar, came up on Tracy Garvin from the other side, and slid onto the bar stool next to her.
    “You come here often?” he said.
    Tracy turned to give him an exasperated are-you-really-trying-that-old-line look. Then she recognized him. For a second her eyes flashed embarrassment, then anger. Then she smiled and said, calmly, “No. First time. And you?”
    Steve frowned. “Look. You’re playing detective, and I don’t like it.”
    Tracy’s eyes flashed. “Oh, yeah,” she said. “What are you gonna do, fire me? I already gave notice. And it’s after hours, and what business is it of yours where I eat?”
    Steve took a breath. “Look. This isn’t a game. If the girl spotted you watching her, it could be serious.”
    “She won’t.”
    “I spotted you.”
    “Bullshit. You know me. The girl doesn’t.”
    Steve frowned again. She was right. Women who were right exasperated him. “All right.” he said. “Since you’re here, you might as well join us.”
    “Thanks for the invitation,” Tracy said, pointedly.
    They got up and went back to the table.
    “Look what I found, Mark,” Steve said.
    Mark Taylor actually stood up, which Steve thought was overdoing it. “Hi, Tracy. Sit down. Join the fun.”
    “Go ahead and fill her in, Mark,” Steve said. “She’s gonna pump you for the information anyway.”
    “O.K.,” Taylor said. “Now, if you promise not to turn and stare, I’ll tell you who everyone is.”
    “I know that,” Tracy said. “I just don’t know who is who.”
    Taylor frowned. “What?”
    “There’s the two guys over by the wall, and the nitwits entertaining the blonde. I just don’t know which pair is yours.”
    Taylor looked at her. “Son of a bitch,” he said. “The nitwits happen to be mine. But how the hell’d you spot them?”
    “The blonde pretending to be a pickup is one of their wives. She’s wearing her wedding ring. If she were a real pickup, and she were married, she’d leave her ring off as a matter of course.”
    Mark Taylor stared at her.
    Steve shook his head. Jesus Christ. A ridiculous, farfetched piece of deduction, that absurdly happened to be true. It was a little much.
    The waiter came back. “You got another phone call.”
    Mark Taylor pushed his chair back. “Our bird must have lit somewhere. I’ll find out where he went.”
    He went over to the cashier and took the phone.
    “What’s that all about?” Tracy asked.
    “Bradshaw went out. We’re tailing him.”
    “And Mark just got a report?”
    “Maybe. I just bet Mark dinner Bradshaw’s gonna ditch his men again.”
    “Why’d you do that?”
    “’Cause I think he will.”
    She stared at him. “Don’t you care?”
    “Sure, but there’s nothing I can do about it. But I’m betting he will.”
    Tracy was interested. “Why do you think so?”
    “Because he gave up trying to talk me into calling them off. That must mean he thinks he can handle them.”
    “Or that his heart is pure,” Tracy said.
    Steve grinned, in spite of himself. “Now there’s a thought,” he said.
    Mark Taylor came back from the