"What the hell are you talking about?"
"You can't drop a bombshell like this on a woman." Ray checked his watch. "Not when she's only got a few hours to shop."
"I don't see any major problem here. It's just a fancy party."
"Obviously you've got a lot to learn about marriage," Ray said.
"You're an expert? You've never been married."
"At least I had the common sense to acknowledge my lack of expertise and buy a manual on the subject."
Fontana looked at him. "There's a manual?"
"Ten Steps to a Covenant Marriage: Secrets of a Professional Matchmaker by Celinda Ingram."
"Don't tell me you're reading a book on how to get married."
"Bought a copy this morning."
"Why in hell did you do that?" Fontana asked.
"Because Kay is reading it. Figured it would be a good idea to keep one step ahead of her."
"Damn. You can't be serious. It doesn't happen that fast."
Ray spread his hands. "Says the man who got married within hours after meeting the lady."
Before he could think of a rational response to that remark, Sierra answered her phone.
"Hello?" She sounded distracted.
He heard muffled traffic noises in the background. "Where are you?"
"In my car. Simon found Hank. I'm on my way to talk to him."
A strange sensation exploded in his gut. Not panic, exactly, but something very close to it.
"No," he said. With superhuman effort, he managed to keep his voice calm and controlled. "You are not going anywhere."
There was a short, brittle silence.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Sierra said quietly.
He didn't need Ray's elevated eyebrows to realize he was not handling this well.
"Listen closely, Sierra. I don't want you meeting Hank alone."
"Why? What's wrong?"
"I think Jake Tanner was involved in something very dicey, and I don't want you following him down the same dust-bunny hole. Understood?"
"You found something?" she asked quickly.
"It's more like what I haven't found. Look, where are you supposed to meet Hank?"
"East Wall Street. Place called the Firewall Tavern."
"Hell. Trust you to find your way to the Firewall. Out of all the dumps in the Quarter, you picked that one to walk into alone."
"What's wrong now?" Sierra asked, sounding bewildered.
"Don't go into that place without me," he said, keeping his voice very even.
"Why not?"
"It's a dive."
"That's okay, I do dives."
"Not like the Firewall. Pay attention, Sierra. I repeat, do not go into the Firewall without me."
"You know, Fontana, we really must have a little talk soon. Just because you're my husband for a while, that doesn't give you the right to order me around as if I were one of your hunters."
Well, at least she had referred to him as her husband, not as her partner in the investigation. He set his back teeth. "Please don't go into that tavern until I get there. It isn't just any Quarter dive. People have been known to disappear into the catacombs or get permanently ghost-fried when drug deals go bad there. Last I heard, journalists don't have any special immunity to a mag-rez or a ghost."
She exhaled slowly. "Okay, those are all good, logical reasons for waiting. I'll meet you outside the Firewall."
He allowed himself to breathe again. "One more thing."
"If this is another warning about the Firewall, you've made your point."
"This isn't about the Firewall." He was on his feet, taking his black jacket off the wall hook. "I forgot to tell you this morning that we've got a social engagement tonight."
"What kind of social engagement. Your family?"
"I don't have any family, remember?"
"You never told me that. I know your parents were never married, but that doesn't automatically imply that you don't have a family."
"It does in my case. The social engagement I'm talking about is the annual Crystal City Charity Ball. The head of the Guild always attends. I need a date. In light of recent events, that would be you."
"Are you kidding?" She sounded outraged. "I can't go to the Crystal Ball with you."
He winced and held the phone some distance away from his ear. He noticed that Ray was smiling.
"Why not?" he asked cautiously.
"You need a ball gown to go to a ball. I don't have one in my wardrobe. Didn't think I'd need one here in Crystal."
"So? Go shopping this afternoon. The Guild will pick up the tab."
Ray winced.
"Damn it, Fontana," Sierra said tightly. "You can't just spring something like this on a woman—"
Out of nowhere, inspiration struck. "Donovan Corley will be there," he said.
"Corley?" Sudden interest replaced the annoyance in her tone. "Are we talking about the same Corley who is the CEO of Underworld Exploration?"
"The very same."
"You'll introduce me?"
"Sure."
"You've got a date."
He ended the connection and gave Ray a satisfied smile.
"I'm a fast learner," he said.
Chapter 15
HER PS! SENSES SHRIEKED A WARNING WHEN SHE WALKED through the door. Not that she needed her intuitive talent to know that the Firewall was the kind of place that gave hunter bars a bad name, Sierra thought. She doubted if even the most thrill-seeking coeds or bachelorette parties would schedule an evening of fun here. Dark, dingy, and reeking of stale booze, it smelled a lot like the alley where Hank and Jake had made their homes.
The ambient underground psi was very strong. Fontana was right; the establishment was probably sitting on top of a hole-in-the-wall. She didn't doubt that he'd been correct about the drug dealing in the basement, either.
With the exception of a couple of tough-looking types dressed in faded khaki and worn leather, the place was nearly empty. The bartender gave Sierra and Fontana a hard look.
"Got a feeling the service is not great here," Sierra said quietly.
"That's okay," Fontana said. "I don't plan to leave a tip." He took her arm in a proprietary manner. "I see someone in the last booth. Is that Hank?"
She peered through the gloom. There was a shadowy figure at the back of the room. "Yes, I think so."
"Keep moving."
She did, but it wasn't easy. Her intuition was shrieking at her to turn around and run. The only tiling that kept her going forward was the knowledge that Fontana was by her side.
Elvis wasn't happy, either. He rumbled softly, not in a good way, and went sleek. His second set of eyes appeared.
One of the men gave Sierra an assessing look and leered. "Well, well, well, Chuck, look what just walked in. Kind of classy for this part of town, ain't she?"
Evidently this pair didn't read newspapers or watch television, Sierra thought. They hadn't recognized Fontana.
"I do believe that what we have here is a nice uptown couple that wandered into the wrong place at the wrong time," the second man said. When he leered, he displayed a lot of bad teeth.
His companion guffawed at the witticism. "I'll bet the pretty lady would be real nice to us if we did her a couple of favors first."
"What favors you got in mind, Chuck?"
"I think we should singe the guy in the suit first. Teach him some manners. This is a hunter bar. Outsiders ain't welcome. Then we burn the little rat on the lady's shoulder. It's a pest-control issue."
"Whatever you say, Chuck." The first man got to his feet. He stepped directly in front of Sierra. "I'll bet you came here looking for a good time, didn't you, honey? Chuck and me, we'll be glad to show you one. Ain't that right, Chucky?"
"Damn right," Chuck agreed.
He, too, was on his feet. He started to circle around behind Fontana.
"Hang on to Elvis," Fontana said quietly to Sierra. "I don't want him to get hurt."