You can go look around in the spare room if you want. Remember where you got the equipment?

Oh, yeah. The place was a mess.

Piers laughed again, cutting chicken into pieces on a cutting board. There are a bunch of portfolios of my work lying around and some loose prints on the desk in there. I'll join you once I get the chicken going.

Cool.

Jason opened the door and giggled to himselfthere was more crap in there than in his dad's garage. He ran a hand over the tripod stands, a whole pile of lighting equipment, packing crates, and what looked like the kind of trunks a roadie for a rock band would wheel around. There were stacks of photos leaning against the wall and even more hanging. Jason opened the closet and laughedit was worse than his.

He peeked into boxes that held camera bodies and lenses and little gadgets he had no idea of the name of. Piers had a bunch of papers jammed in there, loose and in files. Jason noticed the telltale blue of a U.S. passport sticking out from a stack of stuff.

He yanked on it. That's when half the stack of crap fell off the shelf. When he reached down to gather up all the paper he saw something that didn't make senseLucio's signature. On a Geographica expense report. Jason felt a stab of fear go through his body, followed by a slow and sickening understanding.

The smart girl didn't set Lucio uphis friend did.

Jason got out his cell phone and sent a quick message to Lucio. Then, as fast as he could, he sorted through the other papersthere were a whole lot of forms with Lucio's signature. Jason's hands began to shake.

He grabbed the passport and started thumbing through to the last pages. It was hard to think straight, but he tried his best to figure out exactly when Lucio was in China. He'd been in San Francisco for about six months, and six months ago would have been late March or early April. So if he saw that Piers was in China at that time, they had a situation.

And there it wasthe immigration stamp showed that Piers entered China on March 15 and left the country on April 3.

Jason was so nervous his fingers could hardly hit the buttons of his phone. He sent another text and prayed Lucio would get it right away.

What are you doing in there? he heard Piers ask. You're awful quiet.

Jason threw the passport back on the stack and texted Lucio one last time. HELP was all he had time for.

Hey, Lucio, what's up?

Lucio strolled into the foyer, giving Josh a high five and then a hug. It is a beautiful day, yes? Where is your lovely mother?

I think she went upstairs.

Where's Jason?

Piers just picked him up.

Oh? That's great.

Both Lucio and Josh looked to the stairs, hearing the skittering sound of small paws racing down plush carpet. HeatherLynn bounded up to Lucio, barking, pawing his leg, her tail spinning around over her back.

What is all this, nena? Lucio leaned down to pick her up. She licked his face desperately, whining, wiggling in his grasp. Lucio looked at Josh. Is there something wrong with little Miss Bichon today?

Josh shrugged, then his head turned toward the door. He chuckled. Maybe she's just excited 'cause Dad's here!

That's when Lucio heard the unmistakable sound of a Porsche turbo engine winding down in the driveway. He sighed, not really prepared for a heart-to-heart with Larry, but knowing it was inevitable.

HeatherLynn squirmed and barked until Lucio put her down, but instead of running to the door she ran back upstairs. She sat on the landing, her dark little marble eyes looking down on the foyer.

The front door flew open. Larry sneered at Lucio.

Hello, Lucio said.

Larry laughed. Oh, so this is your place now? You're doing the meet-and-greet duties around here, big man?

Joshua took a few steps toward his father. Give it a rest, okay, Dad? Please.

Larry put his hands on his hips and tightened his mouth. Where do you get off disrespecting me like that in front of a stranger?

Josh stepped back. His eyes flashed and he shook his head. Lucio is not a stranger. I see him more than I see you. And if you were someone I respected, then maybe I'd treat you that way.

Larry's face went scarlet with rage.

Hey, hey, Lucio said, putting himself between Josh and his father. Listen, Josh, that was no good. You need to apologize to your father.

Sorry, he mumbled.

Why don't you take a breather in the family room? He walked the teenager to the kitchen and whispered, This is more about me than you, so give me a few minutes to calm him down, yes?

Josh's eyes were big with uncertainty, but he nodded and headed toward the family room.

Lucio took a deep breath, turned, and found Larry inches behind him.

You really think you're the shit, don't you? Larry laughed sarcastically.

Why don't we sit down and have a talk, Lucio suggested.

There's nothing to talk about. You're my wife's Eurotrash boy toyher last desperate attempt to prove to herself that she's still attractiveand you're trying to turn my boys against me. End of discussion.

Lucio could not believe this man. He did not appear to be drunk and he could not smell alcohol on his breath, but he was behaving the way he had the night of the refried-beans incident. Lucio said, She is no longer your wife, Dr. Garrison. And the reason she is now your ex -wife is because you regularly belittled her, and after you committed adultery here in your home, she divorced you.

Larry looked offended. Nothing happened in this house. It was outside in the driveway.

Lucio could not contain his laughter. What do you want, Larry? he asked, still laughing. Why did you come here tonight?

Oh, so I need to book an appointment to come talk to my own children now?

Of course not, but each time they see erratic behavior like this they trust you a little less. You confuse them.

Excuse-fucking-me?

All I am saying is you need to examine how you have chosen to live your life and ask yourself how it is affecting your sons.

Larry took a step closer, his eyes menacing. And you are their hero now? You are their good example? He laughed in Lucio's face. Come on, now. I found out a little bit about you. It wasn't hard. You're a notorious no-good horn dog with a checkered professional reputation, and that's putting it kindly.

The text message alert went off on Lucio's new cell phone again, the second time in the last minute. He wanted to take it from his pocket and make sure all was well with Jason, but he didn't have that luxury, not with Larry breathing like an angry bull, puffing up his body in preparation for attack.

I do not wish to fight you, Larry, Lucio said. If you are smart, you do not wish to fight me, either.

Ha! You think I can't take you down, big man? Is that what you think?

Lucio bit his tongue. It was not easy when he would rather give the idiota a tongue-lashing.

Answer me. Is that what you think?

Genevieve's former husband was a schoolyard bully in a middle-aged man's bodynot an attractive combination. I refuse to play this game, Lucio said, his voice calm and soft. You should go.

Larry's eyes burned. You think you're a badass, don't you? Don't you, punk?

Lucio sighed, knowing it was time for Larry to hear the truth. What I think, Dr. Garrison, is that you are having the midlife crisis from hell. I think you are setting a terrible example for your sons, who are on the verge of becoming men with only you as their guidea man who fucks anything that moves, flies off into rages, and cares more about his car than his children. Having a father like this does not bode well for them, I am afraid.

Larry's jaw dropped.

I think you are an egomaniac, Lucio continued. And I think you are a coward and a brute for treating Genevieve the way you have through the years, not to mention being the world's biggest idiot for letting her gothough I do thank you for your idiocy.