A tall, slim woman, dressed in a business suit, her dark hair pinned back, strides off the plane first. She is carrying a small bag with a shoulder strap and a compact, leather valise. Her creamy brown skin glows with health as her dark eyes scan the area calmly. Her eyes come to rest on me as I step forward, Lloyd in step beside me.

"Sara Toone?"

Her smile is disarming and friendly from such a cool, collected beauty. "Yes," she says, extending her hand. "You must be Jill Price."

Take her warm hand in mine. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sara." Our eyes meet and hold for a moment. Sara exudes the strength and charisma of a maturing tiger.

"And you, Jill," says Sara.

"Welcome to Reno. This is my associate, Lloyd Dominguez."

Lloyd appears awe-stricken. She recovers quickly and takes Sara's hand but she does not speak.

"Jill and Lloyd, thank you both for meeting me," she says. "It is gracious of you, and I appreciate it."

A boy of perhaps six years with my friend Millie Carter in tow, steps up and says, "Don't forget to call me when ski season starts, Sara."

She kneels and hugs the boy, kissing his cheek. "I won't forget, Eric. I have your number. I'll call you and we'll make a date to go skiing, okay?"

"Okay. Are these the people meeting you at the airport?" he asks, looking at Lloyd and me.

"Yes. Would you like to meet them?"

"I'd like to meet this lady," he says, pointing at Lloyd. "She looks nice. I already know Jill. She doesn't like kids."

Kneel on one knee and look Eric in the eye. "I like kids," I tell him. "With salt and pepper. Maybe a little ketchup."

"You don't scare me, Jill," says Eric. "You're my mom's friend. She told me you talk like that because you don't know many kids."

"I know a lot of kid recipes. Does that count?"

Eric looks at Sara. "Can you believe the way Jill talks to kids?"

"She is probably trying to sound grumpy. Do you know what that means?"

Eric eyes me suspiciously. "That she's really nice?"

"You know how to tell?"

Eric looks at me doubtfully and says nothing.

"She has nice friends like your mom and Lloyd. Eric, this is Lloyd Dominguez."

Lloyd kneels and hugs Eric. "Nice to meet you, Eric. You're handsome."

"Thank you. Why do you have a man's name, Lloyd?"

"My father wanted a boy so he named me Lloyd."

"Do you have kids?"

"Yes, I do and I have two grandchildren who live in Carson City. I love children."

"Good," says Eric, glancing at me.

We stand and begin moving up the concourse with Eric and Millie. Hug Millie as Lloyd and Sara take Eric's hands and lead him away from the gate. Watch Sara's eyes glide over the two airport security guys leading us. She also glances back to see Don and the blonde following.

Brush the back of Sara's hand with mine, and say softly, "Hand me your baggage claim receipts please, Sara. Security will put your bags in the trunk when we swing by the curb."

Sara hands me the claim receipts from her inside suit pocket.

Pass them behind Sara to Lloyd, who hands them back to Jeff.

We say good-bye to Millie and Eric as they turn aside to baggage claim and we walk quickly to the Buick.

Ask Lloyd to sit in back with Sara. Take the wheel and drive slowly, looking about carefully. Listen as Lloyd explains to Sara that a hired assassin shot and nearly killed me ten days ago and that some guy jumped me earlier this evening. Once outside the parking area, I pull to the curb far from baggage claim and wait for Jeff to appear with Sara's bags. Jeff's partner is standing at the curb, looking around. Watch Don's unmarked police car park about fifty yards behind us.

"How's the guy who jumped you earlier this evening, Jill?" asks Sara.

"He'll recover. I hope he's talking to the police at the moment." Jeff, carrying the luggage, approaches the curb. When I see a break in the sparse traffic, I check my mirrors and move the Buick. Brake in front of Jeff and pop the trunk. He tosses the bags inside, slams the lid and I accelerate quickly, checking that Don's car is in my mirrors.

"You sprung a lot of the taxpayer manpower in a short time, Jill," says Sara. "Have you made arrangements for your own security?"

"Yes."

"How did you know these people don't work for Jill?" asks Lloyd.

"Too soft," says Sara.

"I hired a guy away from the feds today to run operational security, Sara," I tell her, glancing in the mirror. "He shows up late tomorrow afternoon."

"Where will I be staying?"

"With me tonight," I say, glancing into the mirror. The back streets are quiet this night so we make good time. No one follows, other than Don. As I approach Baron Ranch, I see a tow truck lifting the front of a black Ford Custom. Someone smashed in the driver's side window. "Uh oh," I whisper.

The gates open and I pull through, making eye contact with the guard. His expression says things are under control. In the rearview mirrors, I see Don parking outside the gate. Pull into the garage, pop the trunk and we pile out.

Sara and Lloyd bring in the luggage as I walk inside to get Soji's report. Find him in the kitchen laying out a late snack for us. Wash my hands at the sink as he tells me what happened at the gate.

"The driver of the Ford parked about ten minutes ago," says Soji. "He left his engine idling and told the guard he was checking directions. The guard broke the window, disabled the driver and shut off the ignition. Found a shotgun with one in the chamber and a full magazine under a jacket on the front seat." Soji pauses as Lloyd and Sara walk through and then continues, "The guards restrained the driver and called the police."

"Detective Locaccio is out at the gate now," I tell him. "A guy jumped me in the restroom of the Flamingo. I called for backup at the airport. Don followed us home."

The phone rings and Soji answers it. "Detective Locaccio is on his way up, Jill."

Open the front door.

Don walks in and we hug for a moment. His arm around my waist, we walk into the kitchen so Soji can hear this. "My partner is taking statements at the gate and I listened to some of it. I also called in to get the report on the guy at the Flamingo."

Soji and I are listening to Don but he pauses.

Lloyd walks up behind Soji and me and rests her hands on our shoulders. "Excuse me," she says, "Hello Don." He nods. Lloyd continues, "Sara will take a shower and come out in just a moment." She sees the food, and adds, "Good, you're fixing something to eat. The poor girl's starving. She wouldn't eat on the plane so she hasn't eaten since breakfast." Smiling at Don, she leaves.

Don continues, "Both these guys are local. Work for Skinny Jon, your mark in the card game at the Flamingo. Apparently, Jon's overextended financially and you cleaned him out tonight. Both these guys say Skinny Jon sent them after you to get his money back."

"That's it?"

"From what we can tell so far, Jill, this is just a local flare-up. The uniforms will pick up Jon and bring him in for questioning but we don't expect much more than this."

"Guess I overreacted, asking for backup at the airport."

"After what you've been through? You'd have been negligent if you hadn't called. Imagine if this had been a legitimate hit. People could have been hurt, or worse." When I don't react, he says, "I'm glad you've hired Tony and that you're going all out with security."

"He'll be here tomorrow afternoon. Tony will be my chief of operational security, so he'll set up the entire apparatus."

Don looks at me and shakes his head. "Some time, not tonight, you have to tell me how much shit you're into, Price."

Grin and slap him on the back as I walk him out the front door. "Thanks for the quick response, Don. Please convey my thanks to Jeff and his partner." Hug him and watch him walk down to the gate.

Suddenly, I call out, "Hey Don!" He pauses and turns. "Bring your pickup over tomorrow evening. I'll take a look at it."

He points at me, turns and walks away.

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