'She works in the District. She's got no friends over in Virginia -'

'Your own credit card bills, the ones you supplied? Denice has been charging gas at a station over there by the Franconia exit for three, three and a half months. The station's just a mile down the road from our boy's apartment.'

'You think she'd be smarter than that.' Simmons nearly grinned with affection. 'She never does like to pay for her own gas. Always puts it on the card so I'll have to pay, come bill time. She's tight with her money, see. Funny for a woman to be that way. And though she knows I'll be stroking the checks, she always has to stop for the cheapest gas, even if it means driving out of her way. I bet if you checked, you'd see they were selling gas at that station dirt cheap.'

'Dollar and a penny for low-lead,' said Strange.

Simmons rose from his chair, his belly and face quivering as if his flesh were being blown by a sudden gust of wind. 'Well, I'll see you, Derek. I'll take care of your services, soon as I see a bill.'

'Janine will get it out to you straightaway.'

'Right. And thanks for the good work.'

'Always hate it when it turns out like this, Jimmy.'

Simmons placed a big hat with a red feather in its band on his big head. 'You're just doing your job.'

Strange sat in his office, waiting to hear Simmons go out the door. It would take a few minutes, as long as it took Simmons to flirt with Janine and for Janine to get rid of him. Strange heard the door close. He got out from behind his desk and put himself into a midlength black leather jacket lined with quilt and a thin layer of down. He took a PayDay bar, which Janine had bought for him, off the desk and slipped it into a pocket of the jacket.

Out in the reception area of the office, Strange stopped at Janine Baker's desk. Behind her, a computer terminal showed one of the Internet's many sites that specialized in personal searches. Janine's brightly colored outfit was set off against her dark, rich skin. Her red lipstick picked up the red of the dress. She was a pretty middle-aged woman, liquid eyed, firm breasted, wide of hip, and lean legged.