your style."
"No?" She shot him a direct look. "He was diverting and... educational." "And married."
"Judgmental, Phil?" she countered, then gave a shrug. "He was in between victims at the time."
"Aptly put," Phil murmured. "If you got your view of the industry through him, I'm surprised you didn't put up roadblocks to keep us out."
"It was a thought," she told him, but smiled again. "I'm not a complete fool, you know."
But Phil continued to frown at her, studying her intensely. He was more upset at thinking of her with Billings than he should have been. "Did he hurt you?" he demanded abruptly.
Surprised, Tory stared at him. "No," she said slowly. "Although I suppose he might have if I'd allowed it.
We didn't see each other exclusively or for very long. I was in L.A. on a case at the time."
"Why Albuquerque?" Phil wondered aloud. "Lou was impressed with you, and he's not easily impressed.
Why aren't you in some glass and leather office in New York?"
"I hate traffic," Tory sat back now, swirling the wine and relaxing. "And I don't rush."
"L.A.?"
"I don't play tennis."
He laughed, appreciating her more each moment. "I love the way you boil things down, Tory. What do you do when you're not upholding the law?"
"As I please, mostly. Sports and hobbies are too demanding." She tossed back her hair. "I like to sleep."
"You forget, I've seen you ride."
"That's different." The wine had mellowed her mood. She didn't notice that the candles were growing low and the hour late. "It relaxes me. Clears my head."
"Why do you live in a room in the hotel when you have a house right outside of town?" Her fingers tightened on the stem of the wineglass only slightly: He was an observant man.
"It's simpler."
Leave this one alone for a while, he warned himself. It's a very tender spot.
"And what do you do when you're not making a major statement on film?" she asked, forcing her hand to relax.
Phil accepted her change of subject without question. "Read scripts... watch movies."
"Go to parties," Tory added sagely.
"That too. It's all part of the game."
"Isn't it difficult sometimes, living in a town where so much is pretense? Even considering the business end of your profession, you have to deal with the lunacy, the make-believe, even the desperation. How do you separate the truth from the fantasy?"
"How do you in your profession?" he countered.
Tory thought for a moment, then nodded. "Touche." Rising, she wandered to the window. She pushed aside the shade, surprised to see that the sun had gone down. A few red streaks hovered over the horizon, but in the east the sky was dark. A few early stars were already out. Phil sat where he was, watched her and wanted her.
"There's Merle making his rounds," Tory said with a smile in her voice. "He's got his official expression on.
I imagine he's hoping to be discovered. If he can't be a tough lawman from the nineteenth century, he'd settle for playing one." A car pulled into town, stopping in front of the pool hall with a sharp squeal of brakes. "Oh, God, it's the twins." She sighed, watching Merle turn and stride in their direction. "There's been no peace in town since that pair got their licenses. I suppose I'd better go down and see that they stay in line."
"Can't Merle handle a couple of kids?"
Tory's laugh was full of wicked appreciation. "You don't know the Kramers. There's Merle," she went on,
"giving them basic lecture number twenty-two."
"Did they wash all of Hollister's windows?" Phil asked as he rose to join her.
Tory turned her head, surprised. "How did you know about that?"
"Tod told me." He peeked through the window, finding he wanted a look at the infamous twins. They seemed harmless enough from a distance, and disconcertingly alike. "Which one's Zac?"
"Ah...on the right, I think. Maybe," she added with a shake of her head. "Why?"
" 'Zac Kramer don't hold with no woman sheriff,'" he quoted.
Tory grinned up at him. "Is that so?"
"Just so." Hardly aware he did
"No?" She shot him a direct look. "He was diverting and... educational." "And married."
"Judgmental, Phil?" she countered, then gave a shrug. "He was in between victims at the time."
"Aptly put," Phil murmured. "If you got your view of the industry through him, I'm surprised you didn't put up roadblocks to keep us out."
"It was a thought," she told him, but smiled again. "I'm not a complete fool, you know."
But Phil continued to frown at her, studying her intensely. He was more upset at thinking of her with Billings than he should have been. "Did he hurt you?" he demanded abruptly.
Surprised, Tory stared at him. "No," she said slowly. "Although I suppose he might have if I'd allowed it.
We didn't see each other exclusively or for very long. I was in L.A. on a case at the time."
"Why Albuquerque?" Phil wondered aloud. "Lou was impressed with you, and he's not easily impressed.
Why aren't you in some glass and leather office in New York?"
"I hate traffic," Tory sat back now, swirling the wine and relaxing. "And I don't rush."
"L.A.?"
"I don't play tennis."
He laughed, appreciating her more each moment. "I love the way you boil things down, Tory. What do you do when you're not upholding the law?"
"As I please, mostly. Sports and hobbies are too demanding." She tossed back her hair. "I like to sleep."
"You forget, I've seen you ride."
"That's different." The wine had mellowed her mood. She didn't notice that the candles were growing low and the hour late. "It relaxes me. Clears my head."
"Why do you live in a room in the hotel when you have a house right outside of town?" Her fingers tightened on the stem of the wineglass only slightly: He was an observant man.
"It's simpler."
Leave this one alone for a while, he warned himself. It's a very tender spot.
"And what do you do when you're not making a major statement on film?" she asked, forcing her hand to relax.
Phil accepted her change of subject without question. "Read scripts... watch movies."
"Go to parties," Tory added sagely.
"That too. It's all part of the game."
"Isn't it difficult sometimes, living in a town where so much is pretense? Even considering the business end of your profession, you have to deal with the lunacy, the make-believe, even the desperation. How do you separate the truth from the fantasy?"
"How do you in your profession?" he countered.
Tory thought for a moment, then nodded. "Touche." Rising, she wandered to the window. She pushed aside the shade, surprised to see that the sun had gone down. A few red streaks hovered over the horizon, but in the east the sky was dark. A few early stars were already out. Phil sat where he was, watched her and wanted her.
"There's Merle making his rounds," Tory said with a smile in her voice. "He's got his official expression on.
I imagine he's hoping to be discovered. If he can't be a tough lawman from the nineteenth century, he'd settle for playing one." A car pulled into town, stopping in front of the pool hall with a sharp squeal of brakes. "Oh, God, it's the twins." She sighed, watching Merle turn and stride in their direction. "There's been no peace in town since that pair got their licenses. I suppose I'd better go down and see that they stay in line."
"Can't Merle handle a couple of kids?"
Tory's laugh was full of wicked appreciation. "You don't know the Kramers. There's Merle," she went on,
"giving them basic lecture number twenty-two."
"Did they wash all of Hollister's windows?" Phil asked as he rose to join her.
Tory turned her head, surprised. "How did you know about that?"
"Tod told me." He peeked through the window, finding he wanted a look at the infamous twins. They seemed harmless enough from a distance, and disconcertingly alike. "Which one's Zac?"
"Ah...on the right, I think. Maybe," she added with a shake of her head. "Why?"
" 'Zac Kramer don't hold with no woman sheriff,'" he quoted.
Tory grinned up at him. "Is that so?"
"Just so." Hardly aware he did
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