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“You mean things like ‘Let’s engage in a little discovery’? ‘I’ll show you mine if you’ll show me yours’?”

“Yes, but we can’t forget my personal favorite—‘Let’s go back to my place and study the penal code.’”

He took a step toward her. “How about ‘I have no statute of limitations when it comes to making you feel good’?”

From the deep, compelling tone of his voice Alisha inherently knew he was telling the truth. “I’ve never heard that one before.”

“That’s because I just made it up. I can be pretty quick on my feet.”

She was surprised her feet were still holding her up. “Very creative, Counselor. And to quote another cliché, I don’t want to end up as another notch on your bedpost.”

He sighed, a rough one. “Why is it that women always think men have ulterior motives?”

“Probably because they do.”

“Believe it or not, my reasons for inviting you over don’t have anything to do with sex.” He rubbed a hand over his nape. “What if I told you that I could just use a friend?”

She could tell him she related to that on a very personal level. “I’m sure you have plenty of friends.”

“Sometimes it’s hard to know who your friends are in this business.”

How true, Alisha thought. “I’m not sure we can really be friends.”

“Sure we can.” He moved a little closer. “We can have a friendly conversation, like we’ve been doing since the first time we met.”

“Friendly? You call telling me my car was a piece of junk when I asked you about a mechanic the other day friendly?”

“And then you told me in explicit detail where I could drive it.”

“True, but you deserved it.”

Daniel shrugged. “I think you take everything too seriously.”

“And you don’t?”

“Yeah, most of the time, but not around you. Beats the hell out of me why you bring out that side of me.”

Exactly what Joe had said earlier. “That’s because I’m not like most women you know. I don’t automatically swoon in your presence.” It took great effort on her part not to do that.

“To be honest, I like that about you. That’s why I want to spend some time with you. We can watch the fireworks from my living room window. Do you see a problem with that?”

Alisha saw a big problem—namely she’d be sorely tempted to climb all over him if he moved even a millimeter closer. “For all intents and purposes we’re opponents.”

“We’re not opposing each other on any case.”

“We could in the future.”

“I’m not concerned about the future. I’m only thinking about tonight.”

How tempting it would be to take him up on his offer. How very, very tempting. But Daniel Fortune’s status as an unflappable attorney was second only to his rep as an in-demand lover.

He took another slow step toward her. “Do you really want to spend the rest of the evening alone, Alisha?”

She didn’t want to react so strongly to the way he’d said her name, but she did. “I’ve been alone before.”

“So have I, but it’s New Year’s Eve. People shouldn’t spend the holiday alone if they have other options. Unless you’re involved with someone.”

“Not currently.”

“Then I don’t see any real harm in it. Nothing complicated. Just two friends seeing in the new year together.”

Alisha hadn’t really viewed him as a friend per se, but he wasn’t a seedy stranger. After all, he’d made it his life’s work putting criminals behind bars. In that regard, he was safe. His magnetism…well, that was another thing altogether.

But she truly didn’t want to be alone. Not tonight. She would keep a tight grasp on her control. She would go to Daniel Fortune’s apartment and take her chances. “Do you have any wine?”

His gorgeous grin heralded success. “If I do, then you’ll come home with me?”

“Yes. To watch the fireworks and have a drink.”

“You’re welcome to check out my bedpost for notches.”

She didn’t dare get anywhere near his bed. “No thanks.”

“I wouldn’t mind showing you my custom-made wet bar. Lots of shelves. And counter space.”

“Room enough for two, no doubt.”

“Probably so, with a little careful maneuvering.”

Alisha felt as if she’d been thrust into some unknown dimension. Maybe he did want to do her. Worse, she wanted to do him. Joe and Julie would be so proud. But caution spoke louder than carnal need. “Be careful, Counselor, or I’m going to rescind my offer.”

He looked somewhat contrite. “Sorry, but you walked right into that one.”

She only hoped that when she walked into his apartment she’d keep a choke hold on her hormones. “Where’s your car?”

“I’m on foot.”

She pointed to the lot across the street. “Mine’s over there. I’ll drive us.”

“Save your gas. We can walk it from here.”

Maybe walking wasn’t such a bad idea. Maybe then they’d be too tired to do anything that might be deemed risky. Maybe they should jog. “Okay, Counselor. Lead the way.”

And with only minimal second thoughts, Alisha accompanied Daniel Fortune to his condo, feeling as if tonight she might go anywhere he cared to take her.

Two

Daniel Fortune liked order, but tonight he’d invited chaos into his world in the form of five feet two inches of prime redhead with an attitude. The reasons he’d asked Alisha Hart into his home had been only partially true. Yeah, he could use a friend, because real friends were rare. But the truth of the matter was he wanted more than her friendship. He wanted her. He had since the first time he’d lain eyes on her. But the timing hadn’t been right back then, and timing could be everything. He needed to remember that, otherwise she’d be out of there quicker than he could say “I object.”

She wandered around his apartment for a few minutes, picking up various items to study them. Just when he was about to ask her to take off her coat and stay awhile, she pulled the black all-weather jacket from her shoulders and tossed it and her purse onto the club chair in the corner.

“You’re very neat,” she said as she ran her fingertips over the back of the steel-gray leather sofa.

“I like everything in its place.” Daniel liked having her in his place. He liked her sassy mouth. He liked the fact that she gave as good as she got. And he really liked the man-killing dress.

She strolled toward him and pointed behind him. “That is a nice wet bar.”

“Thanks. You ready for that wine now?”

“Sure.”

Turning his back to her, he took a glass from the marble shelf and pulled the bottle of merlot from the built-in wine rack. He could see her watching him from the mirrored wall behind the bar as he dislodged the cork and he hid a smile as her eyes tracked down his back and lower. She was checking out his ass. He had no problem with that. In fact, he’d be willing to give her a closer, unencumbered look if she asked.

After pouring the wine into the glass, he turned and her gaze zipped up to his face as he offered it to her. “Enjoy.”

She took the wine and a sip. “This is good. Aren’t you going to have some?”

“I don’t drink alcohol. I’ve seen what it can do to people who can’t control their impulses.” He’d lived with the sorry results for most of his childhood and faced them daily during adulthood in the context of his job.

She held up the glass. “That’s why I’m only having this one. I still have to drive home tonight.”

He’d prefer she stay until morning, but that was probably asking too much. “You’ve only been here a few minutes and already you’re talking about leaving.”

“I’m just being realistic, Counselor.”

“It’s Daniel. Tonight we’re not attorneys, we’re friends.” He gestured toward the couch. “Have a seat and make yourself comfortable.”

He followed her to the couch, keeping a fair distance just so he could watch the sway of her hips as she walked. Nothing wrong with a little mutual ass-checking.

Alisha settled against the corner of the sofa and he sat on the opposite end, trying not to crowd her even if he did want to be closer.

“If you don’t drink, then why do you keep alcohol around?” she asked.

He stretched his legs out before him and rested his joined hands on his abdomen. “Strictly for socializing.”

“I see. Have custom wet bar, will entertain. I’m sure it impresses your friends.”

“I don’t entertain too often. Hard to find the time. And as I’ve said before, friends are few and far between these days.” A reminder of why she was here, nothing more than simple companionship.

She kicked off her shoes and curled her legs beneath her. “So are the rumors true?”

With her dress now riding high on her thighs, he had one helluva time concentrating on conversation. “What rumors?”

“That you’re going to run for D.A.?”

“That depends on party politics. They could decide someone else would make a more appropriate candidate.”

“They would be crazy not to consider you.”

“I don’t have a wife and kids, so that could be a determining factor.”

She toyed with the hem of her skirt, drawing Daniel’s attention. “Oh, I don’t know about that. As a bachelor, I’m sure you would garner the female vote.”

“Would I get your vote?”

“That depends. I have yet to see you in action.”

“Do you mean in a courtroom?”

She sent him a sly, sexy smile. “Of course that’s what I meant.”

Damn. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to move off the topic of work.”

“Fine by me,” she said. “Tell me about your family.”

That was one conversation he preferred to avoid, but out of courtesy he offered, “I have a brother and two sisters.”

She took another drink of the wine and then set it down on a coaster on the end table. “What about your parents?

He figured she’d ask that next and he planned to keep it simple. “Both dead.”

She gave him a sincere, sympathetic look. “I’m sorry, Daniel. I didn’t know that. What happened?”

“A car accident about seven years ago.” Enough said. He shifted toward her and draped an arm over the back of the sofa. “What about your family?”

“I’m an only child. My mom and dad live in a small town in West Texas.”

When he noted the hint of sadness in her voice, he asked, “Why aren’t you with them?”

“Well, because the drive takes me nearly a day and I would have had to turn around and come right back home. I did spend Christmas with them, though.”

“Sounds like you’re a close family.” Something Daniel had a hard time fathoming in light of his bitter past.

“Very. They’re absolutely the best. We didn’t have a lot of money while I was growing up, but it didn’t matter. I had everything I needed and a lot of love.”

Something he couldn’t even begin to relate to. He’d had the material objects because of his banker father, but the man had been bankrupt when it came to love. Daniel opted to keep the conversation focused on her. “I bet you were a cheerleader in high school.”

She let go a terse laugh. “Hardly. I didn’t have adequate pom-poms.”

Don’t do it, Fortune. But he couldn’t prevent his gaze from drifting to her breasts before he went back to her blue eyes. “I don’t see anything wrong with your pom-poms.”

A slight blush stained her cheeks. “Thanks, but I wasn’t the cheerleader type. I was the studious type. I concentrated on making the grade instead of the usual high school stuff like sports and dating, that kind of thing.”

“You didn’t date?”

“Not really. Not until college, and even then not that much. I was bound and determined to be the best law student ever. I graduated with honors.”

“Then you went to work for Gailey and Breedlove.”

“Yes. They recruited me.”

Daniel prepared to ask something he’d wanted to know for a while now. He’d heard some speculation about her departure, none that he’d been able to verify. “That’s a pretty prestigious firm. Why did you leave?”

“It’s a long story, but basically I found that the justice scales were tipped toward those who had the money and means to pay for a good defense. That’s why I decided to strike out on my own and try to do my part to make things more balanced.”

Not the version he’d heard, but he’d settle for her explanation without pressuring her for more. “That’s why you signed on to serve as a public defender?”

“Yes, but I want to eventually concentrate on general law instead of criminal law, providing good counsel to those who have the need but not necessarily the money.”

“How do you expect to make a living at that?”

“Actually I have a few cases that could prove to be lucrative—provided I win. Just nothing up-front until they’re settled. But I’m getting by.”

“And I suspect you’re working your ass off.”

She patted her hip and smiled. “Believe me, it’s still there.”

“I’ve noticed. And I’m glad.”

She looked somewhat self-conscious as she twitched on the cushions. “By the way, how is Jim Krauss in court?”

For a moment he wondered if she had a thing for his colleague. Nah. The guy was about as boring as they come. And married. “He’s fairly good. Why?”

“I’m wondering what I’ll be facing during the Massey trial, if it goes to trial.”

“I thought we weren’t going to discuss that,” he reminded her.

“Just curious.”

“Krauss better be at his best since you’re damn good.”

“How would you know?” she asked. “You’ve never really come up against me.”

The images the comment evoked had every muscle in his body coming to attention. “True, I haven’t. But I’m sure we’d both enjoy it immensely.”

“You’re certainly confident, Counselor.”

“Remember, it’s Daniel tonight, and you’re not all that short on confidence either.”

“No. I’m just short.”

“Your hell-on-wheels attitude makes you seem a lot taller.”

She laid a hand above her breast. “Attitude? I don’t have an attitude.”

“Yeah, you do, Counselor.”

“It’s Alisha,” she said, throwing his words back at him. “And you have to have a little bit of an attitude in this business to be taken seriously, especially if you’re a woman.”

He gave her a long glance from face to feet, pausing in between. “Believe me, it’s more than obvious you’re a woman, attitude or no attitude.” When he moved closer and pushed a wayward curl from her shoulder, she immediately tensed. “Relax. I’m not going to jump you.”

“Do you think I’d be here if I really believed you would?” she said without looking at him.

“Something’s making you nervous.”

“Okay, I admit it, being here with you makes me nervous.” She sent a quick glance his way. “Are you happy now?”

He could think of several things that would make him happy. Having her nervous wasn’t one of them. “I’m strung a little tight myself.”

That brought her attention back to him. “The iceman nervous? The prosecutor who prides himself on being totally in control?”

God, he hated that whole “iceman” thing. “Believe me, I’m not always in control.” Right now his control was in jeopardy. “And under certain circumstances, I’m definitely not the iceman.”

“You could’ve fooled me. I’ve never seen you look the least bit on edge.”

“Maybe you haven’t been looking hard enough. Or maybe you just don’t want to see it because around you I’m always on edge.”

“Around me?”

Time for the truth, regardless of the consequences. “Yeah. Every time I’m near you. Don’t pretend you haven’t noticed this thing between us.”

“What thing?” Her sudden inability to look at him contradicted her denial.

“The one we’ve been skirting for the past few months.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Okay, have it your way. I’ll spell it out for you.”

“Please do.”

When Daniel inched a little closer, this time Alisha didn’t move. In fact, she felt as if her bottom had been bonded to the cushions or perhaps she was simply mesmerized by his aura.

“I noticed you for the first time last year, while you were still working for Gailey and company,” he said. “But I also noticed you were with Troy Moreau most of the time and I sensed something was going on between the two of you.”

He had that one nailed. “We worked together quite a bit.” The truth. “Nothing more to it than that.” A lie.

The look he gave her said he didn’t exactly believe her. “Back then I didn’t approach you for that reason and because I was involved with someone, too.”

“Who?” Did she have to sound so absurdly jealous?

“It doesn’t matter. That’s been over a long time. When I heard you’d been added to the public-defender rolls, I started looking for you.”

Unbelievable. “You started looking for me?”

“Yeah. Do you remember that day you negotiated the plea on the Jones case back in August?”

“That was my first case as a public defender.”

“Do you remember me coming in to sign off on the deal because the D.A. was out of the office?”

Boy, did she, right down to every detail, including the red diamond pattern on his navy tie. “Yes.”

“I didn’t have to be there. Hildebrand talked to me about it beforehand and I’d given my okay. I came in because I wanted to see you.”

Alisha felt the creep of a blush climbing up her throat. “Really?”

He smiled. “Really. And after that I kept searching you out just so I could talk to you. Didn’t you ever wonder why we kept running into each other?”

“I assumed you just found provoking me so much fun, you couldn’t stay away.”

“I didn’t want to stay away from you. The provocation was just a cover for the fact that I wanted to know you better. A lot better.”

She was having a difficult time buying any of this. She was having a harder time remaining upright while he was so close. “I bet you say that to all the girls downtown.”

“No. And if you’re going to say you haven’t noticed the chemistry between us, Alisha, then you’re lying to yourself and to me.”

Confession time, she thought. “All right, maybe I did notice.”

“You’ve also noticed my ass.”

Wonderful. She’d been caught. “Unless you have eyes in the back of your head, I don’t see how you could know that.”

“When I was standing at the bar a minute ago, getting your wine, I was watching you in the mirror and saw you giving it a look. But that’s okay because I’ve looked at yours more than once.”

Alisha’s head started to whirl, but it wasn’t the limited amount of alcohol that had her thoughts so jumbled. It was him. “Why did you wait until now to tell me all of this?”

He reached up and brushed another rebellious strand of hair away from her cheek. “You kept giving mixed signals every time I was around you. Stop, go, maybe. I was never sure how you were going to respond to any kind of overture from me. But after I saw you tonight, sitting in that bar alone, looking so damn good, it was all I could do not to grab you up and carry you out.”

Aha! His true motive. She was the only one alone and, therefore, available. “I thought this was all about friendship.”

“I’m willing to settle for friendship, if that’s all you want. But it’s going to be tough when I’ve had some fairly serious fantasies about you for months now.”

They couldn’t be half as wicked as hers involving him. “What kind of fantasies?”

He ran a slow fingertip up and down her forearm. “Like the other day, when we passed each other in the stairwell. You had on that brown suit—”

“Yes, and if I recall correctly, you told me brown wasn’t flattering on me.”

“I told you that because what I really wanted to do was take it off you, especially when you leaned your arm on the rail, your jacket parted and I saw just a glimpse of right here.” He drew a line down from her collarbone to the side of her breast, causing a shiver to run the length of Alisha’s body. “That little bit of bare flesh had me wondering exactly what you had on underneath that jacket. Five more seconds and I might have tried to find out.”

Alisha shivered. “I see.”

He toyed with the silver-and-green chandelier earring hanging from her lobe. “I’m not sure you do. But let me tell you about my favorite fantasy, then maybe you will see.”

Alisha wasn’t sure her heart could take much more. It was already beating like a bongo against her chest. But she had to know. “Since you seem to be on a roll, continue.”

He grinned. “You know that sofa in Riley’s chambers?”

“The ugly plaid one?”

“Yeah. The last time I was there, I’d just seen you in the hall. You asked me about the holiday schedule—”

“And after you’d harangued me about not owning a calendar, you told me what you knew, end of conversation.”

“That wasn’t the end of it for me,” he said. “Just being around you, even for those few minutes, had me distracted. I was requesting a continuance from Riley and I fumbled around like an idiot because I kept imagining us stretched out on that sofa. Naked.”

Wow. “Please tell me Riley wasn’t watching in this fantasy.”

“No, it was just you and me, after hours.”

She swallowed hard. “What were we doing?”

“You sure you want details? It’s pretty wild.”

For a long moment Daniel simply stared at her with those incredible, intense eyes. She still didn’t quite believe this was happening. Still had a difficult time believing he wanted her in that way.

She was mildly aware of the colorful flashes of splintered lights outside the window and very aware of how much he affected her. “I believe the fireworks have started.”

“Yeah, they have.” Daniel pulled her against him with one arm and framed her jaw in his free hand, rubbing his thumb over her cheek in a hypnotic cadence. She reacted with low-down heat and a rush of dampness, as if he were touching her intimately. “Happy new year, Alisha.” Before she could return the greeting, he laid his lips on hers.

On one hand, she’d hoped he was a lousy kisser, forcing her common sense to come back around. On the other hand, she knew he wouldn’t be, and he wasn’t. He drove her into merry madness with his soft lips, tantalized her with his tongue until she lost all sense of reasoning or thoughts of why she shouldn’t be doing this.

But doing it she was. And worse, she wanted to do more. She wanted to do him.

Daniel prided himself on knowing women well, including all the things that made them hot, made them want and at times even made them beg. But Alisha Hart had thrown him totally off balance. He sure as hell wasn’t complaining, because he’d imagined this for months—having her pressed against him, kissing her senseless until he questioned if he had any sense left either. Still, he needed to take it slow. Needed to make sure he was reading her right before he did something that might make her bolt.

But when she broke the kiss and whispered, “Show me the details,” slow suddenly lost all its luster. Slow couldn’t describe what happened next. He pulled her up from the sofa and went after the zipper on her dress while she tore at the buttons on his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. “We shouldn’t be doing this,” she muttered as she tackled his fly.

“Probably not,” he replied as he slid the dress down in a rush.

And that was the end of all meaningless protests. He considered suggesting the bedroom as he relieved her of her bra and panties in quick order, but it was too far away and he was too far gone. After he shirked off his slacks and briefs, they ended up on the couch, facing each other in a tangle of limbs, hands roving over each other as he kept his mouth firmly fixed with hers. He found her breast with his mouth and slipped his palm between her thighs, finding her, as he’d predicted, hot and wet. She released a soft moan as he touched her, moving in sync with his hand as he drove her to the edge. Luckily she hadn’t touched him in the same way yet, otherwise he might go over with her.

“I want you,” she whispered. “Now.”

Exactly what he needed to hear to continue. With the last scrap of coherent thought he told her, “I want to see your face.”

He rolled to his back, settled her on top of him and guided himself inside her. His breath hissed out through his gritted teeth and hers caught in a gasp. She leaned down and teased his lips with her tongue, splayed her hands across his chest to explore but failed to move, as if trying to prove she was in control. In many ways, she was.

Daniel had no problem with that. He’d never been territorial when it came to sex. But then, he’d never been with a woman quite like her. With her ruffled red curls spiraling down her shoulders and her blue eyes glazed, she looked like a mixture of fire and ice. She made him hot, made him sweat, made him mutter a curse that made her smile.

“What do you want me to do, Daniel?” she asked, her voice as sultry as her expression.

He palmed her breasts with both hands. “Whatever you feel like doing. I’m at your mercy.” And he was.

She lifted up, then moved back down his shaft with agonizing slowness. “Am I doing your fantasy justice?”

“Oh, yeah.” Even those two words took a lot of effort when she began to quicken the pace.

Alisha Hart might look like the wholesome girl next door, but it wasn’t long before he discovered she made love like a wild woman. She rode him hard and fast, taking him to the limit of his sanity. She raked her nails down his shoulders as he drove into her, touching her without restraint until he felt the grip of her orgasm.

Too soon, he thought when he moved past the point of no return. Too soon and he couldn’t do a damn thing about it. With one more upward thrust, hard and deep, he came with a vicious shudder that ran the length of his entire body.

She collapsed against him, their harsh, broken breathing the only sound echoing in the room, their skin slick and damp where they touched. He slid his hands down her back and over the rise of her butt, then back up again, while he kissed the side of her neck, working his way back to her lips.

Alisha Hart was potent poison, deceptive in that she covered her inherent sexuality with a confident, cool exterior. Any man lucky enough to experience all that enthusiasm was probably a goner, and that included him.

Following a sigh, she lifted her head and looked toward the window. “I think the fireworks have ended.”

As far as Daniel Fortune was concerned, they had only begun.

For long, listless moments they remained in the same position, Alisha lying atop Daniel with her cheek resting against his heart. She was too exhausted to move, although she had no desire to do so. However, she also had no idea what had gotten into her. Oh, yes, she did. Daniel Fortune had gotten into her, and she’d willingly let him. More importantly, she’d completely let go—something that was quite out of character for her, at least with a man she barely knew. Oh, wait. She’d never been with a man she barely knew, and that was why none of this made much sense. Yet she had no real qualms at all, only the sense that she could get used to more of this, and that wasn’t even something she dared to consider. This one instance of absolute bliss would be all she’d expect to experience with him after tonight. Otherwise, she’d be setting herself up for a major fall.

“What are you thinking?” he asked, intruding into her thoughts.

“You could use more color in this room.”

He tugged her head up and forced her to look at him. “I’m not buying that, because after what just happened I doubt my decor is on your mind.”

“Okay. I was thinking about our carelessness.”

“I know. It’s not like me to forgo a condom.”

It wasn’t like her either. “I’m personally disease-free and on the pill.”

She felt him immediately relax. “Then you can’t get pregnant,” he said.

“No. Can you give me a gift that keeps on giving?” A fine time to ask, and something she knew better than to ignore. Something she’d never ignored until now. But timeless wisdom hadn’t visited her once this evening.

“I’m clean,” he said. “Do you want to see the results of my physical?”

“No. I’m going to trust you on this one.” She had no choice.

He pushed her hair aside and pressed a kiss on her forehead. “Good, because you can trust me. I wouldn’t do anything to compromise your safety.”

Another bout of silence passed before Alisha said, “This is absolutely crazy.”

“Call me crazy, but you seemed to enjoy it. I sure as hell did.”

She certainly couldn’t deny that she’d enjoyed it greatly. “Maybe it was the atmosphere or the fact that I haven’t been with anyone in a long time.”

“I know what you mean. It’s been awhile for me, too.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“Why?”

“Well, aside from the obvious things, such as you’re an eligible bachelor and highly regarded, you’re also a man.”

“Being a man doesn’t have anything to do with it. My job doesn’t always allow for an active social life.”

Active sex life would be more accurate. “That’s true. Neither does mine. But regardless of our reasons for why this happened, we can’t take it back.”

He frowned. “Do you want to take it back?”

Did she? “Honestly no, I don’t think I do. It was… It was…”

“Hot.”

“You could definitely say that.”

His frown faded into a smile. “Great?”

She answered his smile with one of her own. “Better than great.”

He scooted up and propped his neck on the sofa’s arm. Alisha rested her chin on his chest and stared up at him, totally enthralled by his mouth, his five-o’clock shadow and those ever-changing green eyes that he kept locked on her. Reality worked its way into her mind, bringing with it more concerns she couldn’t ignore. If anyone found out about this tryst, she could be buried. Maybe that wasn’t exactly logical, but sometimes logic was influenced by past experience. “Daniel, you have to promise me something.”

He got that guy-about-to-panic look. “This sounds serious.”

“Relax. I’m not going to ask for a key to your apartment. I just need to know that you’re not going to tell anyone about this.”

His expression was a mixture of relief and frustration. “Do you think I’m going to scribble your name and number on the bathroom walls?”

“No, but these things have a way of getting around via the grapevine.”