Page 137 of Lawton

"Well, I guess that's where we're different." Her voice trembled. "Because I didn't think I'd have to prove anything to you."

The emotion in her voice caught me off guard, but I steeled myself and kept on going.

"Yeah?" I said. "And what about that movie poster? You got big plans for it? Nice of you to think of a name before you got a product. Or, have you got one of those too? If you do, and if it's in the house, Bishop'll find it. I guarantee you that."

"There's nothing to find," she insisted.

"Didn't seem that way to me."

"That poster?" she said. "It was my birthday present. My best friend, Erika, she's a graphic design major. It was a joke." Her voice rose. "Just a stupid joke! What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Yeah," said a familiar voice from somewhere near the stairs. "What the fuckiswrong with you?"

It was Bishop. As usual, his timing sucked.

"Oh great," Chloe muttered. She glared over at him. "Come to join the fun? Well, come on," she said, sounding half-crazed, "the more the merrier."

At the bottom of the steps, Bishop stood, staring at me. "Just what the hell are you doing?" he asked.

"What does it look like?" I said. "I'm talking to Chloe."

He looked toward Chloe and frowned. "Is that what you call this?"

Yeah, it was messed up. But there was at least some logic to it. Lamely, I tried to explain it in terms he'd understand. "It's the only place that's secure. No wireless. No nothing. Shit, you've only been drilling that into me for months." I glanced at Chloe. "I already checked for recording stuff."

He was still looking at Chloe. "I suppose that explains the blankets." He turned toward me and said, "What? You made her take off her clothes?"

"No," I said. "She did that herself."

From the chair, Chloe made a scoffing sound.

"You did," I told her.

She eyed me with disgust. "Only because you lied to me."

So now,Iwas the liar? I almost laughed. "I did not. I told you there was something you had to see." My voice hardened. "I showed it to you, didn’t I?"

"The video?" she said. "Oh yeah. That was real priceless. And by the way, the guy's totally lying."

I was tired of the stories. "He is not." I turned to Bishop. "Go on. Tell her."

Bishop looked down. He shook his head. And when he looked up, his eyes were filled with disapproval and maybe a little pity. "You know you're acting crazy, don't you?"

It was the pity that pissed me off. "You're one to talk," I told him.

"And she's right," Bishop said. "The guywaslying."

I hesitated. "What?"

Chapter 58

Bishop's words rang in my ears. They couldn’t be true. Because if it was, I'd just made the biggest mistake of my life. I glanced at Chloe and felt myself swallow.

From the stairway, Bishop spoke up. "And you were supposed to stall her, not drag her down here and tie her up."

Struggling to think, I heard myself say, "Actually, I used handcuffs."

"So," Bishop said, "you couldn't think of a better way to stall her than this?"