Harm slid behind the wheel and stuck his key in the ignition.

A peace offering maybe. Flowers. Women liked flowers.

The engine rumbled to life. As he pulled away from the curb, he wondered idly if Jessica still had the name of that carnation florist.

“Excuse me?”

“I said, I’ve changed my mind.”

Sheila shook her head in disbelief at her friend sitting calmly across the desk from her.

“Let me see if I understand this. The last time you and I spoke about Campbell Alexander Harm, you were screaming incoherently about castration, dull straight razors, and boiling oil. Now, fast forward three days and suddenly the idea of going into the woods with him for three months is the best thing since sliced bread?”

Elgin smiled broadly. “You got it.”

“Okay El,” her publisher asked suspiciously, “what gives?”

“Why Sheila darling, whatever do you mean?” Elgin batted her eyelashes innocently.

“Don’t give me that shit. I’ve known you long enough to know your life’s motto is, ‘Don’t get mad, get even.’ I also know what an evil, black Irish soul and devious mind you’ve got. You’re cooking something up and it doesn’t smell like Grandma’s gingerbread. Give.”

“Actually, I’m just doing my oldest and dearest friend a favor.”

“Such as?”

“Well, didn’t you ask me to work on an outline for my next book at the cabin?”

“Uh-huh.” The more her friend talked, the uneasier Sheila became.

“Well, suppose I bring you back a whole, finished book? Would that make your greedy, grasping little banker’s heart go pitter-pat?”

“I don’t know. Is it a romance or a murder mystery?”

Elgin got up, settled on the corner of her friend’s desk and grinned.

“I’ve been thinking and if I’m the madam of this literary whorehouse, C. A. Harm is about to become the piano player. My next book is going to be about two lovers in an idyllic, secluded paradise.”

She leaned down and her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “It’s going to be non…stop…sex. Morning, noon, and night. In the cabin. In the woods. In the lake. In a hammock, even, if I can choreograph it right. I’ve got things planned for these two that will have the Chinese acrobats scratching their heads.”

Rising up again, she laughed and her voice returned to normal. “What do you think of Kemp Harmon for the hero? Sound macho and studly and alpha enough? And just to make sure no one misses the point, I’m even going to dedicate it ‘to my dear friend Campbell Alexander Harm for being…invaluable to my research.’ What do you think?”

“I think when you play dirty pool, you run the table.” Sheila frowned. “Are you really sure you want to do this?”

“Absolutely,” Elgin assured her emphatically. “When I’m finished with the great C. A. Harm, he’s gonna think he tangled with a buzz saw.”

“I don’t know, El.”

“Oh come on, don’t be such a Fudd. He’s a mean, heartless sonofabitch and a bully in the bargain. It’s time somebody took him down a peg and Yours Truly is just the girl to do it.”

“But he’s only doing this to protect you.”

“Bullshit! He’s doing it for the money and I’ll wager, to salve his guilty conscience for not catching this homicidal maniac before he almost killed Pete.”

“Still, you could damage his reputation, his business. His life even.”

“Don’t dramatize,” Elgin snapped. “Oh sure, there’ll be a huge flurry of excitement when the book comes out and he’ll be embarrassed. But he’ll get tons of free publicity and far from damaging his reputation, it will probably put a whole new luster on it. Besides, three months later, the whole thing will be forgotten.”

Her eyes twinkled. “Not to mention this book is going to be your biggest seller yet. You won’t have to worry about it being banned in Boston, either. It’s going to be so hot, you’ll have to worry about the environmentalists picketing the place for contributing to global warming.”

“Well, maybe I could look at the draft.”

Elgin laughed again and patted Sheila’s arm.

“That’s the spirit. I get to kick that brute in his furry little balls and we both make a ton of money to boot. Who says there’s no justice?

“Now, call our friend Kemp…I mean Camp and break the good news to him.”

“Suppose he’s changed his mind?”

“Add more zeroes to the check. I’m sure he’s got one of those big, honking, macho SUV’s so we can go in that. Tell him to pack his silk boxers, bikini swim trunks, leave his cell phone and other assorted James Bond toys at home and be at the Roxbury Street entrance to my parking garage at six-thirty a.m. Monday morning. We’re shoving off at seven sharp.”

She stood up. “Well, I’ve got to be running along. I have about a jillion things to do before I leave. I probably won’t see you before I leave but I’ll call Sunday night.”

“Which e-mail will you be at if I need to get in touch with you?”

“I told you, Sheila, no e-mail.”

“Well if you’re going work while you’re up there, you’ll have you’re laptop.”

“I’m only taking the little one and some CD’s for storage.”

“What if there’s a crisis? Yours or mine?”

“Don’t know about you,” Elgin giggled, “but I’m not going to worry because I’m going to be with the world’s biggest Boy Scout.” She stopped and wrinkled her brow in thought for a moment.

“That’s great,” she announced with a snap of her fingers.

“What is?”

“The Scout thing,” Elgin replied, her eyes gleaming as the scene began unfolding in her head. “Camp…I mean, Kemp and the heroine are out backpacking or something way to hell and gone. They stop to look at the view and fuck and she gets concerned about protection and presto, he whips out a condom, smiles and says, ‘I was a Scout. I’m always prepared.’ Then they go at it like rabbits, being sure to dispose of their used rubbers in an environmentally responsible fashion.”

“You are a sick and depraved human being,” Sheila told her seriously. “You know that don’t you?”

“Good thing for you, too,” Elgin agreed cheerfully. “Otherwise, you couldn’t afford to indulge your weakness for cheap guys in expensive leather.”

“Bitch.”

“I love you too, Sheila. See you after Labor Day.”

When Elgin left, Sheila picked up the phone and pressed the intercom for her secretary.

“Lynn, get me Harm’s Way Security, Mr. Harm please. Tell him it’s important.”

“Well,” Sheila chirped, “I guess that takes care of everything.” She put down her pen and smiled at the woman across her desk. “I’m glad we could get everything taken care of so promptly, but Mr. Harm really didn’t need to send you personally.”

Jessica smiled. “It’s all right, really. I’m actually delighted to be here at Fantasy Publishing and to meet you.” Her cheeks colored a bit and she looked down at her lap for a moment. “I’m…well I’m a big fan of Gillian Shelby’s. I was totally blown away when I discovered that not only is Ms. Collier really Gillian…I mean, the other way around, but that she…rather you, were going to be a client. I kind of hoped I might even get to meet her.”

“Well, maybe that can be arranged,” Sheila replied. “After all, she and your boss are going to spend three months together. At the very least, I’m sure I could get you an autographed copy of her latest book.”

“Oh that would be wonderful,” the other woman exclaimed. “I mean, I’d love to meet her in person but an autographed book would be terrific too.”

“Consider it done.”

“Thank you. And thank Gillian…I mean, Ms. Collier too.”

“When I tell her what a fan you are, she’ll be delighted.”

“I’m actually kind of surprised that Mr. Harm took this case,” the secretary remarked. “I mean, he’s got a pretty low opinion of what he calls ‘women’s porn’ to begin with and I got the distinct feeling that he and Ms. Collier didn’t exactly hit it off. Then, after what happened to Pete…well, it just surprised me, that’s all.”