"Not much," he answered dryly. "We drink a lot…"

"That's a given."

"And try to think of things for you guys to do."

"I'll bet you do." Turning to Michelle, Noah added, "Those lazy Justice attorneys make the dedicated FBI agents do all the hard work."

Theo smiled. "It's called delegating. We do it so the little people won't feel left out."

The insults began to fly, and some of the outrageous things they said were hilarious. Vastly amused, she sat back and relaxed. When the subject eventually returned to her clinic, she said, "I'm not going to worry about this any longer. I've been blowing

this out of proportion."

"How's that?" Noah asked.

"I was so spooked after I saw the mess, I thought I was being followed. You know that feeling you get? It's hard to explain."

"I'd pay attention to that feeling if I were you," Noah said.

"But no one was following me," she insisted. "I would have spotted him… wouldn't I?"

"Not if he's good," Noah said.

"This is a very small community. Strangers would stick out."

"Yeah? What about a man driving a van with maybe a cable company logo on the side? Would he stick out? And what

about all the men and women who come here to fish? If they were dressed in fishing gear and carrying a pole, would you

think they didn't belong?"

Michelle stood. "I see your point, and I appreciate your taking the time to look at the clinic, but I really believe this was just an isolated incident."

"And that belief is based on what?" Theo asked. "Wishful thinking?"

She ignored his sarcasm. "This is Bowen," she said. "If anyone had a problem with me, he'd tell me so. Now that I've had time

to think about it, I didn't start jumping at shadows until after I saw the clinic. I overreacted. I will remind you," she hastened to

add when he looked as though he was going to interrupt, "that nothing else has happened. You want to find a conspiracy, and

there just isn't one." Turning to Noah, she said, "I do thank you for coming to Bowen."

"You don't need to thank me," Noah said. "To be honest, I only did the favor to get a favor. Theo's agreed to drive back to

Biloxi with me. He's going to give a lecture for me, and I would have driven cross country to get out of that. I still have to go

finish the training session, but at least I don't have to write a speech."

"When do you have to be back?"

"Monday."

"Oh." She turned away before either of them could see her disappointment.

Noah watched her walk away. "Damn, Theo, she's something else. If we were going to stay around for a while, I'd give you a

run for your money. I've always been a sucker for redheads."

"You're a sucker for anything that wears a skirt."

"That's not true. Remember the Donovan case? Patty Donovan always wore skirts, and that didn't do anything for me."

Theo rolled his eyes. "Patty was a transvestite. He didn't turn anyone on."

"He had good legs. I'll give him that," Noah drawled. "So tell me something. What's happening with you and Michelle?"

"Nothing's happening."

"That's a shame."

"You never told me the topic of the lecture I'm giving," Theo said in hopes of getting Noah to change the subject. "What is it?"

Noah grinned. "Anger management."

Theo laughed. "Was this your boss's idea of a joke?"

"Sure it was," he said. "You know Morganstern. He's got a twisted sense of humor. He's making me run the training program

to punish me."

"What'dyoudo?"

"You don't want to know." Noah paused and then said, "Morganstern could use a man like you."

"Ah, the hidden agenda comes out at last. Did Pete ask you to talk to me?"

Noah shrugged. "He might have mentioned…"

"Tell him I'm not interested."

"He likes the way your mind works."

"I'm not interested," Theo reiterated.

"You're happy where you are?"

Theo shook his head. "I'm done. All used up," he said. "I'm going back to the office, tie up loose ends, and hand in my resignation."

Noah was stunned. "You aren't kidding, are you?"

"No, I'm not kidding. It's time… past time," he corrected.

"Then what are you going to do?"

"I've got a couple of ideas."

"Does one of those ideas have red hair?"

Theo didn't answer. Before Noah could press, a man came over to the table and asked Theo if he could talk to him about a legal matter.

"Sure," Theo said. "Let's sit at the bar."

He got up, rolled his shoulders to work the kinks out, and then went behind the bar to pour himself a beer. "What can I do for you?" he asked the young man.

Five minutes later, Theo wanted to punch the man. Noah saw Theo's expression and went behind the bar to find out what was wrong. He heard Theo say, "Jake didn't suggest that you talk to me, did he?"

"No, but I heard you were helping people who had legal troubles."

"What's the problem?" Noah asked. He opened a long-neck bottle of beer, tossed the cap in the trash, and walked over to stand next to Theo.

"This is Cory," Theo said. "He's got two kids. A boy and a girl."

Noah squinted at the unpleasant-looking man. He looked more like a grungy teenager than a father of two children. Cory had

long dirty blond hair that hung down in his eyes, and yellow stained teeth.

"How old are you?" Noah asked.

"I'll be twenty-two next month."

"And you've already got two kids?"

"That's right. I got divorced from Emily over six months ago because I met another woman I wanted to be with. Her name's

Nora, and she and me want to get married. I've moved on, but Emily thinks I ought to keep paying child support, and that don't seem fair to me."

"So you want me to help you figure out a way you can get out of paying child support?"

"Yeah, that's right. That's what I want. I mean, they're her kids now. They're living with her, and like I said, I'm ready to move on."

The muscle in Theo's jaw flexed. Michelle was standing in the kitchen doorway, holding an empty pitcher in her hand. She'd

heard the conversation and knew from the way Theo's back had stiffened that he was angry.

His voice continued to be quite mild and pleasant as he remarked to Noah, "Cory's ready to move on."

"Are you ready for him to move on?" Noah asked as he set his beer bottle on the counter.

"Sure am," Theo said.

Then Noah smiled. "Let me."

"You can get the door."

Michelle started forward, then stopped. Theo moved so quickly she was astonished. One second he was smiling at Noah and

the next he was around the bar, had Cory by the nape of his neck and the back of his jeans, and was dragging him across the floor. Noah raced ahead and opened the door, then got out of the way so Theo could toss the man outside.

"Now, that's what I call moving on," Noah drawled as he shut the door behind him. "The little prick."

"He is that."

"You know what I wonder? How could such a butt-ugly man get two women to sleep with him?"

Theo laughed. "No accounting for taste, I guess."

The two men were walking toward the bar when the door behind them opened again and three men rushed inside. The last of

the three looked like a bouncer who'd taken one too many hits in the face. The man was huge, at least six foot four, and his nose obviously had been broken several times in the past. He was frighteningly mean looking and carried a baseball bat.

"Which one of you assholes is Theo Buchanan?"

Ndah had already turned. He had his eye on the baseball bat. Michelle saw him reach behind his back and unsnap the holster housing his gun.

The bar emptied. Even Paulie, who had never been known to do anything in a hurry, made it out the front door in less than five seconds.

"Michelle, go into the kitchen and shut the door," Theo said before he turned around. "I'm Theo Buchanan. Now, which one of