Shin Lu hadn’t been surprised to hear from Tia, but she was gratified that Marcus’s kidnapping had been a success. Not only did Shin Lu still have a job, but she was glad to be in control while Tia took her little overseas jaunt with Marcus Pike.

It felt good to sit behind the big desk, stirring up those familiar pangs of frustrated ambition.

They’re vacationing together, Shin Lu told herself. If it doesn’t fall apart, they’ll probably wind up melding the two companies. But I’d still be able to keep my job here, in all likelihood, if her new man doesn’t disagree.

She’d taken three calls that morning: two with prospective new clients to arrange personal interviews for Longshadows services, and one a repeat client hoping to rehire a certain service provider for the third time in a calendar year.

“We try to suggest different service providers,” Shin Lu said into the phone, leaning back in the leather desk chair.

“Why?”

“Because they provide different services. At the rate you’re paying, you really owe it to yourself to try new things, new people. There’s also an emotional aspect to these services which it behooves us to monitor.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Americans, Shin Lu thought to herself, shaking her head and glad the client couldn’t see. “Our clients often fall in love with their service providers. But more often than not it’s just a matter of Stockholm Syndrome. Clients think they’re in love, but there are psychological factors at play which they often fail to comprehend.”

“Are you calling me stupid?”

“No, of course not. You came to us; that makes you one of the rare few. But we’re professionals, Miss Noland, and we know every aspect of what we’re doing.” There was a pause, giving Shin Lu the opportunity to add, “Take some time and think about it, maybe talk it over with your therapist or a friend. If you haven’t changed your mind, give us a call back and we’ll see what we can do.”

It was an easy, professional way to end the call. Shin Lu had been watching Tia do such things for over five years, and Shin Lu was surprised at how easy and natural it felt for her to take up the reins.

The temp at the assistant’s desk called from outside with a grim tone. “You have a visitor.”

“I do, or Tia McBride does?”

After a pause, she said, “She’s here to see you.”

She? “Okay, send her in.”

Shin Lu stood up from behind the desk and walked around to cross the office as the double door opened and Denise DuBois walked in, smiling and extending a friendly hand. “Shin Lu, Denise DuBois. I work for Marcus Pike.”

“Marcus—? You mean—?”

“I’m afraid I do.”

“I see.” Shin Lu paused, looking the attractive African American woman up and down; she was stylishly dressed and dynamically sexy. “And you came here to see me?”

“I’m afraid I did.” She looked around the office, then back at Shin Lu. “How about I buy you lunch?”

* * *

Denise leaned across the table at Vezzo, a casual Italian restaurant. Shin Lu wasn’t very hungry, but she was keenly interested in what Denise had to say between bites of a rigatoni in clam sauce.

“Don’t tell me you’re not frustrated,” Denise said, chewing her pasta and washing it down with a sip of chardonnay. “How long have you been the sidekick?”

“Assistant,” Shin Lu corrected her, glancing down at the untouched salad in front of her. “Six years.”

“Six years,” Denise repeated, shaking her head. “It’s only been three for me, but I worked with Marcus on other projects before.”

“Then you should be perfectly content.”

“Should I be? Should you be? Shin Lu, we’re women in the modern era. Despite what you may see going around on the streets, this is our time, this is our generation.”

“Every generation has the same duty, Ms. DuBois, to perform whatever duties the State requires.”

“The State? Honey, this is the United States of America, the individual is the State—for the people, of the people, by the people.”

“I’m not sure your interpretation is precisely what the Founding Fathers had in mind.”

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t live to serve some greater power, be it the government or God or even Marcus Pike. And I don’t think you’re that type of person either.”

“You don’t know me at all.”

“Don’t I?” Denise leaned back, eyes dipping to shrewd slits as she chewed the rest of her pasta and washed it down. “You live alone, no boyfriend, no romance at all in your life, in fact. You work for Tia McBride, and you probably go out on gigs too, am I right? Hot little Asian chick like you, I’ll bet men are all over themselves wanting you to stomp on their balls or whatever.”

Shin Lu looked away, to hide the truth behind her eyes and the blushing blood rushing behind her cheeks.

She went on, “And, like me, you’re nervous about what our bosses are doing together. You fear for your future, and you probably should.”

“Are you?”

“Of course I am! Your boss’ll kick me outta bed in no time, I don’t doubt that. It’s a personal thing.”

“Because you also are in love with this Pike fellow?”

“So she is in love with him; I knew it!”

“I can only guess,” Shin Lu said with a shrug.

“Well, I can do a lot better than that, Shin Lu, a lot better. And together, we’d be unstoppable.” Shin Lu sat passively, trying to reveal none of what she was thinking. “They’re away, on vacation, with their heads in the clouds. If there was ever a time to strike, it would be now. Separately, I honestly don’t think either one of us could pull it off. But together? Think about it.”

“I would rather not,” Shin Lu said, not ready to admit that she was already circling the idea with a notion of buying in. “How do you know I won’t tell Ms. McBride what you’re up to?”

Denise shrugged, taking another bite of pasta. “I’ll deny it, call you a liar. Or I’ll tell them you brought the idea to me. It’ll be your word against mine. And with everything that’s going on, my guess is they’ll believe what’s easiest to believe. People always do. But I don’t think you will. I think you’ll see the opportunity I see. And it’s not just an opportunity, it’s a mandate. If we don’t do it, one or both of us will be screwed.”

“Suppose I would rather take my chances.”

“Then do it. Sit around and do nothing, wait for the pink slip. Hey, maybe it won’t come. But if it does, then what? It’ll be too late, Shin Lu, too late for us both.”

Shin Lu had to give it some thought, as much as she wanted it to appear otherwise. “I can’t imagine what you’re suggesting, that we go to the IRS? Do you have additional information, or something on your own boss we could use?”

Denise shook her head. “No, the IRS takes them both down, both companies go with them. Anyway, I don’t know about your Ms. McBride, but my boss is pretty tight on that stuff, doesn’t let things get sloppy. He knows people too; it wouldn’t work.”

“Then what? Some other branch of the government? Something about kidnapping laws or prostitution?”

“That won’t wash either. If they could have busted them on prostitution charges, they would have by now. Even if we both stepped forward and claimed to have done it ourselves, we’d have to prove it. And our credibility would be shot.”

Shin Lu shrugged. “Then I see no other options.”

Denise looked up from her plate, eyes fixed on Shin Lu as she slowly chewed. “You’re not considering…murdering them?”

Denise leaned in closer, “’Frankly, I think a quick death for the two of them would be a merciful way to go. Get them out of our way entirely.”

“It’s absurd,” Shin Lu said.

“I know it may sound a bit…much—”

“A bit much? Double murder?”

Denise looked around, holding her hands out to quiet her lunch guest. “Shshshsh, what’s the matter with you?”

“I’m not a murderer, for one thing.”

“Okay, fine. And I never said that either—you did. So go back to being a slave to that ginger pimp you call a boss, at least until she lets you go. Then what? Back to Hong Kong?”

“I’m Korean.”

“Great, I’m sure you’ll enjoy that. In the meantime I want you to think about who it is that you’re so keen to take care of. You think she cares about you? Do you think she even likes you? Trusts you?”

“I run the company when she’s away.”

“And what do you get for it? Ordered around, living in some shabby little apartment I’m guessing, probably in one of the other boroughs.”

“Brooklyn.”

“Crooklyn, exactly. Bet the rats down there make great company, eh? I don’t suppose you…you eat them, do you?”

Shin Lu snared from her side of the table. “That’s dogs.”

Denise waved her off. “Whatever, you won’t be there long.” Denise pulled several bills from her pocketbook and put them on the table, then handed Shin Lu a business card. “My personal number, in case you change your mind. They’ll be back soon, so we’ve got about two days, I’d say, maybe less. Think about it.”

Denise turned and walked through the restaurant with a sexy, slinky stride that attracted the attention of every man in the room.

Shin Lu had other things to think about.