Free Star Risk - 04 The Dog From Hell by Chris Bunch

been made lighter, a thin build that, except for huge breasts, approached the skeletal.
    "I'm Lollypop," she said, curling a lip to illustrate her obvious superiority. "And you're the woman who wants to be my bodyguard."
    "I don't know about wants," M'chel said easily. "I might possibly be interested in the job�you're the one who's supposedly looking for a bodyguard."
    Lollypop frowned, clearly not used to disagreement.
    There was a snort�of amusement?�from Main, and a wordless but displeased murmur from Arn.
    "Why?" Riss persisted.
    "Why else?" Lollypop said. "Someone wants to kill me."
    "Do you have any idea who?" M'chel asked.
    Lollypop gave a dirty look at Folger as if it were his fault the culprit hadn't been found.
    "None at all," she said. "If I did, I'd be screaming to the frigging police."
    She stared skeptically at M'chel.
    "I'm not sure you're my idea of a bodyguard."
    Riss didn't ask what a bodyguard was supposed to look like, reached into the portfolio she was carrying, took out a one-page resume, and handed it to the singer.
    Lollypop frowned at it, passing it to Arn, as if not happy or used to reading. The manager scanned it, and his eyes widened twice in surprise.
    "Yes," he said. "Your credentials are� more than adequate."
    Lollypop nodded, as if she agreed with the vetting.
    "The first time," she said, "someone pushed a speaker off the rack�we have our own sound, set up on a tower�and almost got me."
    "Could it have been an accident?" Riss asked.
    "I thought like that at first," Lollypop said. "But we have Mag-Clips to hold things down. And they were pried loose."
    "And there were scrapes on the tower deck," Main put in. "Somebody had to push it pretty hard to move it."
    Lollypop gave him a look that suggested his contribution was unwelcome.
    "Then� back here on Trim� someone tried to run me down with a lifter when I was leaving a club."
    "Lollypop got its registry number," Arn said. "We traced it, and the lifter was stolen."
    Riss nodded.
    "That could mark a professional," she said.
    "That's when I got scared," Lollypop said. "The third time was just last week. Someone rigged a gas bomb�at least, there were fumes after a bang�at my front door."
    Riss glanced at Folger, who nodded slightly.
    "Did you report this to the police?"
    "I did," Arn said. "They seemed to think it was some kind of publicity stunt."
    "Our latest log." Main put in, "we called Street Warrant. Maybe that gave somebody the idea."
    "Or maybe not," Lollypop said.
    "It does sound," M'chel said, "as if you have a problem."
    Lollypop looked at Riss scornfully, as if she shouldn't have bothered to bring up the obvious.
    "If I take the assignment," Riss said, "which I'll know after I do some research, there'll be three others, minimum, plus myself. My rates�"
    "I don't care about that," Lollypop said. "Arn talks business for me�for us."
    "Just so you're aware of the way things work," Riss said. "That means somebody will be with you all day, every day, and every night. Plus we'll use backup if we decide it's necessary."
    "That's going to put some kind of crimp in my sex life," Lollypop said. "Try to have some cute guys with your team."
    There was a short laugh from Main, and a very hateful look from Lollypop.
    "No offense," Riss said, meaning offense, "but my team will be there to keep you alive. We won't want to even be your friend, let alone anything more."
    "That'll put you with the majority," somebody across the table said. Lollypop's sweeping glower didn't ID the voice.
    "We'll put our best efforts behind finding whoever's after you, as well," Riss said.
    "Just keep me alive," Lollypop chirped, and a bit of fear came into her voice.
    "That's our job," M'chel said. "After all, dead clients don't pay."
    Riss mentally doubled her price as Arn rose and beckoned her out of the room. He wanted to haggle. M'chel, who was already wondering why she wasn't just passing on the job, didn't let him.
    The eventual rate was 200,000