Price of a Bounty - By S. L. Wallace Page 0,3

quietly for quite awhile. Then Richard said, “Is your driver waiting?”

“No, silly. Then my father would know I was here. My driver is still with the car back at Angelina’s.”

“How did you?”

“I gave him the slip, and I walked. It really wasn’t that far. But now that you mention it, it is late. Maybe I should stay. You know, a girl shouldn’t be out on the streets all alone, especially at this time of night.”

“And have your father call the police…again? And anyway, I’ve had a long day. I’m exhausted. I’ll call my friend, Eberhardt. He can give you a ride home.”

“Have you thought about what I said? About getting a car of your own, now that you have the means?”

“No, not yet.”

Interesting! Why hadn’t he told her his real name or that he had a car as well as a chauffeur? There seems to be more to you, Mr. Burke, than even I’ve uncovered.

“Wait, Oren. There is one more tiny thing…I need a little cash for the rent,” Rose said.

“How much do you need?”

“3,000 gats, and I’d rather not ask my father for it.” As the sound of her footsteps approached the door, I backed up and moved toward the bed. I could hide, but then Richard would wonder why I wasn’t where he’d left me.

“Wait. Rose. I don’t keep that much in the apartment, but I can get it for you. I’ll stop by tomorrow afternoon.”

Did she really believe he was a gardener who wore a suit, and who had enough money that he could loan her 3,000 gats for the rent?

“Oren, I have a fabulous idea,” she gushed. “I could move in with you! Then we wouldn’t have to pay twice the rent, and I could help you relax after a stressful day in the sun.”

“Something to talk about another time,” Richard said gently. “Let me walk you to the car.”

“Couldn’t you just borrow your friend’s car and drive me home yourself?”

“He usually doesn’t let anyone else drive it, and as I’ve already explained, I’m exhausted. I shouldn’t drive right now.”

When I heard the front door close, I cracked open the bedroom door. The plush cream carpeting gave way to a smooth polished hardwood floor. I’d have to step quietly. Quickly, I searched for the missing gats.

In the front closet, I found Richard’s pin-striped business suit. Had he transformed into Oren the gardener for Rose?

I checked through his desk and found an account booklet for Richard Burke III. The missing money wasn’t listed as a recent deposit.

Could he have more than one account? No. He has another apartment.

I hurried back to the bedroom and closed the door behind me just as Richard reentered the apartment. I returned to the bed and covered myself with the comforter. Then I waited for the apartment to settle into the quiet of the night.

My job had become more difficult. My plan had been to make contact and convince Richard to take me home. I knew he wouldn’t risk taking me to his other apartment. That was good because in addition to Elaine Ramsey hiring me to take out Oren, not Richard, the stolen gats were also here, or at least they had been here the last time I’d checked. Then, I planned to kill him in his sleep and leave with the money as well as anything else of value. The only loose end would have been the driver, Eberhardt. He knew what I looked like, but I wasn’t worried about that. I was skilled at transforming my looks.

Now, I needed a new plan. How could I retrieve the money from Richard’s other apartment, the one with high techno security, yet kill him here in “Oren’s” apartment? It had to be that way or Ramsey would know. As soon as it hit the newsvids, she would realize that Oren was Richard, a member of the Elite. If I killed him there she would know that I’d held back information. That wouldn’t do. I guessed I’d have to convince Richard to keep me around longer, to trust me, until I could find a way.

I stretched and wondered where he would sleep tonight. Most men would have chosen the bedroom with me, but Richard had been such a gentleman throughout the evening that I suspected he would sleep on the couch. Time passed. Richard didn’t return.

-Guy-

Who is Madeline?

A mysterious young woman recently entered my life. I noticed her the second she walked into the café and was pleasantly surprised when she walked directly