Free Urban Prey by S. J. Lewis Page B

the stop button and then ‘rewind’. The VCR made a threatening whirring noise. They probably ought to replace it soon. It might also be a good idea to switch to DVDs, but that wasn’t his department.
    “Are you going to watch it again?” Lisa asked. “If you are, I’ll get myself some more coffee now.”
“No,” Ron shook his head. “I think once will be enough.”
    “You have her all figured out, then?”
    “Well, I have a place to start,” he replied. “And I was right. She wants an adventure, just like she said. Somebody made a mistake when they thought she just wanted the standard treatment.”
“What?”
“She’s looking for something special,” Ron said. “Somebody didn’t pick up on that.”
“Maybe they did, finally,” Lisa suggested.
    “What do you mean?”
    “They sent for you, didn’t they?”
    He laughed. “You may be right,” he said. “But I still have to figure out how to get to her.”
    “I’m sure you’ll think of something,” Lisa smiled. “I read your file. Hell, I think every female at the office did once they got word you were coming.”
    “I thought you were into girls.”
    “I was curious.” Lisa shrugged. “So what?”
    “Nothing,” Ron said. “I didn’t realize I was a celebrity.”
    Lisa giggled. He hadn’t expected her to be the giggling type.
    “So, you think you can bring her in?”
    “Maybe,” he replied. “I have to do some thinking, though. Do you know of a good gym around here? I’ve kinda let myself go the past month, and I could use some tuning up. Besides, nothing helps me think more than working up a good sweat.”
    “Sure,” Lisa nodded. “There’s one only five or six blocks away: Mommsen’s Fitness Center. I can take you there.”
    “Do I need a membership to get in?”
    “Nah,” Lisa said. “They’ll charge by the hour. As long as you’ve got proper I.D. you can get in.” She stood up and stretched her arms over her head. “Want me to drive you now?”
“No,” Ron smiled up at her. “But I do want you to take me there. I’m going to make myself some breakfast first. You hungry?”
    ***
    “This is a pain,” Lisa mumbled as she walked alongside him. It was bitterly cold out, and she kept using him as a windbreak whenever a gust hit them.
    “I’m saving you the trouble of finding a place to park,” Ron said. It was a little before noon, and there weren’t many other people out. That would change soon.
    “There’s a parking lot right across the street from them.”
    “I’ll bet it’s expensive.”
    “Yeah, well, so what? The company’d pay for it.”
    “This is good exercise.”
    “You want the exercise, not me,” Lisa pointed out. “And what’s the point of getting some exercise before you go exercising?”
    “It’s good for you,” he replied. “Like a warm-up. It gets your heart pumping, your blood flowing…”
“Your nose freezing,” Lisa interrupted grumpily. “I don’t feel warmed up at all.”
    “Look, once you get me there you’re free for a couple of hours. Go have a long lunch or something and pick me up at two-thirty.”
    “Not likely,” Lisa shook her head. “That was a Hell of a big late breakfast you cooked up. I’m not hungry now, and I won’t be until dinnertime. Pretty good cooking, by the way.”
    “Thanks. So go see a movie or something.”
    “No way,” she said. “There’s nothing out now worth seeing that I haven’t already seen. Anyway, how do you think you’re going to pay them?”
    “I’ve got money.”
    Lisa fished around in a pocket of her jeans. She pulled something out and flourished it under his nose. “Ta-da!” she grinned. “Company credit card. They’re paying. And as long as they’re paying, I’m going to take advantage of their facilities too.”
    “I thought you didn’t want any exercise.”
    “Foolish male,” Lisa’s grin was wicked. “I don’t, especially, but after I work up a sweat I get to wash it off in the women’s locker