At that moment Marta Schuster came back into sight and yelled, “No, Marlon!” The big deputy dogging her stepped around her neatly, grabbed the smaller man’s shoulders, and held him fast. I’d seen the smaller man around the apartments, I recalled, and I realized for the first time that this boy was Marlon Schuster, Marta’s brother. My stomach clenched at this bombshell of a complication.

“Marlon,” the sheriff said in a harsh voice. It would’ve stopped me. “Marlon, get ahold of yourself.”

“Is it true? Is it her?”

From only five feet away, I could hardly avoid hearing this conversation.

Marta took a deep breath. “Yes, it’s Deedra,” she said, quite gently, and motioned to the deputy, who let go of the boy’s arm.

To my amazement, the young man drew back that arm to swing at his sister. The deputy had turned to walk to his car, and Marta Schuster seemed too astounded to defend herself, so I covered the ground and seized his cocked right arm. The ungrateful fool swung around and went for me with his left. Well, I too had a free hand, and I struck him- seiken, a thrust-right in the solar plexus.

He made a sound like “oof” as the air left him, and then went down on his knees. I released him and stepped away. He wouldn’t be bothering anyone for a few minutes.

“Idiot,” the sheriff said, crouching down by him. The deputy was right by me, suddenly, his hand playing nervously around his gun. I wondered which of us he’d draw on. After a second his hand relaxed, and I did too.

“Where’d you learn that?” asked the deputy. I looked up at him. He had bitter-chocolate brown eyes.

“Karate class,” I said, throwing it away, not wanting to talk about it. Marshall Sedaka, my sensei, would be pleased.

“You’re that woman,” the deputy said.

All of a sudden, I felt real tired. “I’m Lily Bard,” I said, keeping my voice neutral. “And if you all are through with me, I need to be getting to my next job.”