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“He gave up stealing secrets.”
    “ Don’t remind me,” Simon curtly remarked. “It was bad enough that you stole the heart of my prized specialist, David, but then you had to go and add Dallas to your collection as well. How does he like building boats for a living instead of working for me?”
    “ He doesn’t miss all the intrigue, Simon. He’s happy having a legitimate life without having to hide what he does for a living.”
    “ But I’m sure he hasn’t walked away completely from his old life. Dallas was an expert at manipulation and interrogation. Old habits die hard in one skilled in such arts. Haven’t you found that to be true, my dear Nicci?”
    Anger bubbled up from the pit of my stomach. “What do you want, Simon?”
    “ Yes, enough reminiscing.” He paused for several seconds as I waited anxiously for him to continue. “I noticed you and Dallas have two first class tickets back to Connecticut in two days’ time. But I need you to stay in New Orleans for a while.”
    I pictured the short man dressed in one of his fine suits and admiring the sliver-handle on his cane as he spoke to me. His brown, rat-like eyes flashed across my mind.
    “ What’s going on?” I asked.
    Simon gave an impatient sigh. “Something has come up in your quaint little town. A job for which you would be perfectly suited.”
    “ A job? Simon, are you kidding me?”
    “ I seem to remember you took me up on my offer to make you one of my specialists a few months back.” He laughed, sounding more like a little girl than a man. “I told you when I had a need for you, I would be in touch.” He paused and I could hear the sound of papers rustling on the other end of the line. “Keep your phone with you. I’ll call in the next few days with the details. In the meantime, find a way to send that former employee of mine back to his boatyard. This job requires only you.”
    “ Simon, I’m not going to drop everything and hang out in New Orleans because you—”
    “ Did I mention the job involves our dear boy, David, and his Jennys,” he edged in.
    I felt my heart skip a beat.
    “ I guessed that would peak your interest. All things will be revealed in due time,” Simon declared and then he abruptly ended the call.
    I stood there in the dim light of the driveway staring at my cell phone.
    “ Nicci?” a deep voice called from the front door.
    I glanced back to the house to see Dallas coming down the steps. I quickly put my cell phone back in my purple purse.
    “ What are you doing out here?” he asked as he came up to me.
    “ I got a phone call from…” I stopped myself.
    Dallas placed his hand on my forearm. “Who called you at this hour?”
    “ An old friend,” I calmly stated.
    He pressed his fingers into my flesh. “You don’t have any old friends, Nicci.”
    I wrenched my arm free of his grip. “You don’t know everything about me, Dallas.”
    “ I know enough,” he insisted. He stood for a moment, staring into my eyes as if trying to read my mind, and then he looked down at the ground.
    “ I came out here to tell you I shouldn’t have gone off on you like that at the reception,” he admitted as his eyes returned to mine. “I’m sorry. I have been pushing too hard on the subject of our getting married. I realize you have other obligations right now. With your new book coming out, I know your publisher has put a lot of pressure on you for this book to do well.”
    I nodded as I glanced nervously about the drive. “Hamper Publications is promoting Unfinished Business as their premier release of the summer.” I took a breath and tried to calm the panic simmering beneath my skin. “That, combined with all the good press Painting Jenny received, makes this book a little more nerve wracking for me. Dora once told me you’re not a real writer until you publish a second book,” I admitted with a discouraged frown.
    Dallas pulled me into his arms. “You’re a real writer and that little snooty