Arny raised his arms above his head and groaned as Shirley announced a call from Clarke Ames. With a long sigh he picked up the phone and asked Clarke what he wanted this time.

"I've got real trouble, Arny."

"We did this already, Clarke. I told you–"

"There's a body in my house." Arny sputtered to a stop, envisioning Clarke's confession to his wife resulting in a murder.

"What have you done?"

"Nothing! Darlene and I were discussing my uh- my problem and this woman barged in waving a gun."

"What woman?"

"She was black and she was after the pen. It's the same trouble all over again."

A black woman. Arny closed his eyes and hung his head in defeat. Luane Treeline. He suddenly perked up.

"You said a body? What body?"

"While she was here threatening us two more guys arrived and she immediately shot one dead and maimed the other."

"Jesus, Clarke!"

"I know but I didn't do anything. She kicked the wounded guy out, yelling at him to tell Gravestone something or other then she suddenly left and now I'm stuck with a dead man in my front hall."

"Cover him with something but don't move him and I will call you back in a few minutes." Arny chewed a lip as he dialed home. This was not a time for the cops this was time for CONGA. He gave a regretful grunt at the thought as he waited for Gretta to answer.

When Arny called back it was to tell Clarke that some people would be coming and he was to do exactly as they said and they would be in and out before he knew it. Afterwards he was to just stay on his paid vacation, maybe even get out of town with Darlene for little while.

"I told her , Arny."

"Told who? What?"

"Darlene. I told her about Sonjia."

"Oh... and...?"

"We're good."

"That's great, Clarke. I'm happy for you, just take a lesson and think about the woman you have."

"I am and thanks Arny." They rang off and Arny stared at the phone, mulling over his advice and admonishing himself for not talking with Gretta.

***

"Just because the board backed me up doesn't mean I have free reign over CONGA assets, Arny."

"But you exercised it anyway."

"Don't be a smart ass. Maurice is starting to talk to himself according to Rose."

"You pursued all of this from the start and yes I know it was for my friends, still, Gravestone is your nemesis and it's he who is perpetuating this circus."

"Okay, okay, you win. The part I don't get is Luane's involvement still. She's obviously going after Bishop's prize which means they will be dueling one another and the urgency might step up the threat on the Glimbs."

"What can we do since we're the ones with the pen."

"The Dragon pen. I have a feeling that the Aurora has become the goal now, the Dragon pen is just a casualty to be forgotten."

"So now I have to tell Jeffrey that the subject he wanted no part of is now spotlighted by not one but two cold blooded villains?"

Gretta recalled her conversation with Jeffrey and she wasn't sure how she could handle their newer problem. She told Arny not to say anything yet and that she would do some sussing out of info from her sources and see what she could learn before yanking up any drawbridges.

***

Bishop flipped his Rolodex around with a growing disgust. Nobody's name jumped out at him and the ones he would have called were all gone... one way or another. He closed the lid gently, restrained his anger, seeing the cracked phone base alongside. If a job's worth doing... he muttered to himself. Opening the desk drawer, he pulled out the polished wooden box and hefted it onto the table with his one good hand.

Inside nested in a maroon velour lining was his Beretta M9 semi-automatic, single- action/double-action handgun with its fifteen round box magazine. He took it out and held it up, savouring the grip while aiming and smiling grimly as he imagined Gretta Lawrence in the sights.

Labouriously, he loaded the weapon and slipped it into his jacket pocket the rose from his desk and pausing to focus his determination he left the office and went downstairs to the foyer, calling his housemaid in loud tones.

Luane finished cleaning her gun and set it aside on the coffee table in the hotel room, picked up her wine glass and leaned back to watch the latest news. Nothing on the shooting at the Ames house and she wondered what they were doing about their dead house guest. She also wondered about Bishop's next move. Did he have another reserve of thugs to employ or had he exhausted his supply and was now in the game himself. She dropped remote and picked up her phone.

"Len, it's Luane. How much have I got in my fund with you?"

"There's fifty-four hundred after Castor collected his fee."

"Great. Thanks." She hung up and dialed again.

"Castor?"

"Miss Treeline. Hope you aren't phoning to complain."

"Should I be?"

"I took my fee right away since we hadn't done business before."

"Not a problem but I need more information."

"Long as you got the bucks, sweetheart."

"Quite a jump from Miss Treeline to sweetheart, Castor."

"Money's a great enabler. What's the info you want?"

Luane smiled to herself. "Bishop Gravestone. I need to know what he is currently up to."

***

"There you go taking advantage of my services for free again. For someone who deplores my activities you don't hesitate employing them for yourself." Gretta was grinning widely at Arny's flushed face after telling him the Clarke's problem had been taken care of.

"It wasn't for me. Clarke was- I felt that since we- you got us involved anyway, we should at least take some responsibi–"

"Stow it, lover." She wrapped her arms about him in a bear hug and he grunted from the pressure. "This will flush Bishop even quicker and that's a good thing."

He wriggled helplessly in her grasp. "How do you figure that?'

"He'll know it was Luane that was at Clarke's, if she didn't already tell him, and he'll also know she isn't looking for the pen to give to him."

"Why? Maybe she still is."

"Trust me, lover," she let him go and kissed his cheek. "She was out to screw him from the get go and Bishop was going to do her the minute he didn't need her anymore; that was Arnold's job. Get the pen and eliminate Luane."

"Christ, what a devious bunch. All these people you've dealt with over the years, all of them are the same. Back stabbing, lying, murderous–"

"Hence the need for CONGA. We do deal with them."

"So now what? If they're willing to do a home invasion of a guy who doesn't have the pen, what will happen to the Glimbs?"

"You have a point, lover. The Dragon pen seems to be out of the running now and that kinds leaves Jeffery exposed."

Arny wiped a hand over his face and shook his head. "That pen they're after, the Aurora, did Jeffery say anything to you about it? He sure didn't want to talk to me." Gretta began straightening things on the counter and he straightened up, eyeing her. "He did, didn't he?"

"Arny, let's not go there okay."

"What? What the hell is that? You aren't going to tell me about it?" She fussed some more then turned and rested her back against the cupboard door.

"I promised."

"Well damn it all. I guess the sidekick doesn't have a need to know." He slammed a hand against the counter top and left the room.