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down from me. A blue Toyota. Zena. She had been watching, too. Of course! They couldn’t steal the paintings until they came back from the gallery.
    I watched her speed away down the street. She was going too fast for me to catch her, but now I made up my mind. Maybe I was a chicken, maybe I’d lost my head, but I was going to stop running around. I gave the Suzuki a kick and headed for Victor’s shop.
    Closed.
    But I always know where to find Victor. Within three blocks of his place, there’s a Starbucks and two other coffee shops. He doesn’t usually go to Starbucks. He prefers something special. Today, it was a dark, dim place called the Lively Bean. Ugly booths. Plastic seats. But the room was filled with the wonderful smell of roasting coffee.
    Victor was a regular. Instead of a booth, he has his own little table. He was dressed in his usual shapeless hat and grey suit, with a grubby tie knotted around his neck. His watery eyes looked up as I came in. “Paul, dear boy. How lovely to see you.”
    “Victor, this isn’t a social call.”
    “No? But you’ll have some coffee.” He waved to the waitress. “Mabel, bring my young friend some of the Jamaican.”
    As Mabel brought it, I said, “You like to give lectures about discretion. Keeping your mouth shut.”
    “It’s a good habit, my boy.”
    “Well, I’m going to break it.”
    “Dear, dear.”
    “You’re going to say this is none of my business, only you made it my business.”
    Victor sipped his coffee and murmured, “Did I?”
    “Admit it. You told Zena to come to me for those paintings.”
    “Perhaps I did.” He put his cup down and looked at me, straight on. “Which is why I’ve been expecting to see you.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “I knew you’d catch on.”
    “But you’ve fooled Zena.”
    Victor laughed. “I don’t think so. Paul, the beautiful Zena is far from a fool.”
    “Victor, I don’t want her mixed up with you.”
    He laughed again. “Dear boy, I believe you’re in love with her. You should see your face. Such passion! You’re going to save this beautiful lady from wicked old me !”
    “Something like that,” I said.
    “Well, you’ve got it wrong. And there are other values in life besides love. Money counts for something, surely.”
    “Victor, you know all about that.”
    “So does your beautiful friend,” Victor replied. “I hope it won’t shock you to learn that this was entirely her idea. I’m not involving her in anything, she involved me . If you don’t believe it, ask her yourself.”
    He looked up.
    I turned around. Zena had come in. She was wearing a light grey suit, and her hair was pulled back from her face. She looked like the most beautiful businesswoman in the world.
    “Hello, Mr. Stone,” she said. And then she smiled. “Hello, Paul, I mean.”
    Victor murmured beside me. “She involved me, dear boy. Now we want to involve you.”

Chapter Five
    I Sign On

    “The moment I saw you,” Zena said, “I knew you were perfect.”
    The moment I saw you , I thought, I knew you were perfect, too. But I only thought this, keeping my mouth shut. Victor would approve; I was being discreet. But then I did ask, “Perfect for what?”
    When she smiled, she had dimples, two sweet little hollows in her cheeks. She glanced quickly at Victor. “Well,” she said, “I knew it would be easier with three.”
    Victor took a sip of his coffee, then set it down. “Zena is being polite, for my sake. It’s a question of my physical abilities. You are a gooddeal younger, stronger, fitter. Those qualities will be a help in our little job.”
    “You’re crazy. You want me to hit someone over the head?”
    Victor laughed. “No, no, dear boy. Nothing like that. You shock me. Surely you know me better.”
    I was a little surprised, to tell you the truth. Victor was no angel, but violence wasn’t his line. “Then you better explain,” I said.
    I looked at Zena. It was a great pleasure to look at Zena. This