yourself. You know how much we appreciate it, don’t you? And hey, rumor has it you’re going for a Birkin next. That’s awfully ambitious, but I know you can do it. You take care now. You know I love you.”
Jack asked the obvious. “You gave a purse and a wallet to a soup kitchen? Did I hear that right?”
“Yes, that’s right. Alec, are you going to look in all the corners and make sure no one’s hiding?”
“I’ll do that now.”
“Hold on,” Jack said. “You aren’t at all curious about Muffin’s phone call?”
“Not really,” Alec replied, smiling as he walked into Sophie’s bedroom.
Jack didn’t want to let it go. “Explain why you would give a soup kitchen a purse and wallet.”
“Because I wanted to,” she answered. “Don’t look so worried, Agent MacAlister, the purse and wallet aren’t code words for anything illegal.”
Sophie left Jack looking bewildered and went to the kitchen to get a bottle of water from the refrigerator.
Alec finished his inspection, got a bottle for himself, and tossed one to Jack. “Promise me you’ll stay in tonight and tomorrow,” he said to Sophie. “I’m not leaving until you give me your word.”
“I promise. Don’t forget that you already gave me your word you wouldn’t tell Regan about the threatening calls.”
“I won’t tell her.”
“Thank you. You know what a worrier she is.”
“You’re not worried?”
“Not at all.”
“Regan might stop by later.”
“No,” she blurted before she realized it was a trap.
“But you’re not worried,” Alec said dryly.
“I just don’t want to take any chances with my friend’s life, that’s all. I’m being cautious. Besides, I’ve got a lot of work to do.”
He kissed her on the cheek. “Lock the door behind us.”
Jack waited until he and Alec were in the elevator and then asked, “You’re just gonna leave it at that?”
“She has protection. She just doesn’t know it. Whenever her dad’s in the news, I hire Gil, and he gets a couple of his friends, all retired cops, to help watch round the clock. No one will get to her. She’ll be okay.”
“The threats … these happen a lot?”
Alec nodded. “Yes, but this is the first time Bitterman has gotten any calls about her. That’s new. But like I said, she’ll be okay.”
Sophie really wasn’t worried. As soon as Alec and Jack left, shechanged her clothes and went to work on her computer. Time got away from her, and it was almost seven when Cordie called. “It’s on,” she said. “Start watching.”
Sophie didn’t waste any time. She ran to the television to make certain she was recording the reality show. It was one of her favorites. The truth was, she and Cordie watched and loved almost all the reality shows. Regan called her friends reality junkies. Neither Cordie nor Sophie was offended.
Ten minutes later, Sophie called Cordie. “How can John and Sara think they’re in the desert? There isn’t any sand.”
“They’ll be the first to go,” Cordie predicted.
Five phone calls later, the show was over and real life resumed. Sophie stretched her arms above her head and yawned. Deciding to turn in early, she switched off her computer and headed toward her bedroom. There weren’t any sheets on her bed. She had only one set of king bedding, and they were in the washer. While she waited for the sheets to dry, she ate half of a cold pizza, then went to the bathroom to brush her teeth.
The phone rang. Seeing that it was Cordie, she picked up.
“Oh my God, Soph,” Cordie laughed, “have you looked at YouTube yet?”
“What for?” Sophie mumbled through the toothpaste.
“Jack MacAlister. You’ve got to see the video.”
“Okay, I will.” She hung up the phone and went back to the bathroom to gargle.
The phone rang yet again. “Oh good grief, Cordie …” She plodded back to her bedside table. Caller ID displayed an un familiar area code. She hesitated for two rings, then decided to
Jack asked the obvious. “You gave a purse and a wallet to a soup kitchen? Did I hear that right?”
“Yes, that’s right. Alec, are you going to look in all the corners and make sure no one’s hiding?”
“I’ll do that now.”
“Hold on,” Jack said. “You aren’t at all curious about Muffin’s phone call?”
“Not really,” Alec replied, smiling as he walked into Sophie’s bedroom.
Jack didn’t want to let it go. “Explain why you would give a soup kitchen a purse and wallet.”
“Because I wanted to,” she answered. “Don’t look so worried, Agent MacAlister, the purse and wallet aren’t code words for anything illegal.”
Sophie left Jack looking bewildered and went to the kitchen to get a bottle of water from the refrigerator.
Alec finished his inspection, got a bottle for himself, and tossed one to Jack. “Promise me you’ll stay in tonight and tomorrow,” he said to Sophie. “I’m not leaving until you give me your word.”
“I promise. Don’t forget that you already gave me your word you wouldn’t tell Regan about the threatening calls.”
“I won’t tell her.”
“Thank you. You know what a worrier she is.”
“You’re not worried?”
“Not at all.”
“Regan might stop by later.”
“No,” she blurted before she realized it was a trap.
“But you’re not worried,” Alec said dryly.
“I just don’t want to take any chances with my friend’s life, that’s all. I’m being cautious. Besides, I’ve got a lot of work to do.”
He kissed her on the cheek. “Lock the door behind us.”
Jack waited until he and Alec were in the elevator and then asked, “You’re just gonna leave it at that?”
“She has protection. She just doesn’t know it. Whenever her dad’s in the news, I hire Gil, and he gets a couple of his friends, all retired cops, to help watch round the clock. No one will get to her. She’ll be okay.”
“The threats … these happen a lot?”
Alec nodded. “Yes, but this is the first time Bitterman has gotten any calls about her. That’s new. But like I said, she’ll be okay.”
Sophie really wasn’t worried. As soon as Alec and Jack left, shechanged her clothes and went to work on her computer. Time got away from her, and it was almost seven when Cordie called. “It’s on,” she said. “Start watching.”
Sophie didn’t waste any time. She ran to the television to make certain she was recording the reality show. It was one of her favorites. The truth was, she and Cordie watched and loved almost all the reality shows. Regan called her friends reality junkies. Neither Cordie nor Sophie was offended.
Ten minutes later, Sophie called Cordie. “How can John and Sara think they’re in the desert? There isn’t any sand.”
“They’ll be the first to go,” Cordie predicted.
Five phone calls later, the show was over and real life resumed. Sophie stretched her arms above her head and yawned. Deciding to turn in early, she switched off her computer and headed toward her bedroom. There weren’t any sheets on her bed. She had only one set of king bedding, and they were in the washer. While she waited for the sheets to dry, she ate half of a cold pizza, then went to the bathroom to brush her teeth.
The phone rang. Seeing that it was Cordie, she picked up.
“Oh my God, Soph,” Cordie laughed, “have you looked at YouTube yet?”
“What for?” Sophie mumbled through the toothpaste.
“Jack MacAlister. You’ve got to see the video.”
“Okay, I will.” She hung up the phone and went back to the bathroom to gargle.
The phone rang yet again. “Oh good grief, Cordie …” She plodded back to her bedside table. Caller ID displayed an un familiar area code. She hesitated for two rings, then decided to
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