The sound of the engine revving made me glance back to see the car racing toward me. I turned and ran for the closest property, leaping over a small hedge and racing along the fence guarding the lot. The car gained, and the sound of tires crunching on the shoulder gravel drew my eyes in fright. It was aiming at me!

Leaping up and grabbing the bars on the fence made the struggle to pull myself over a testament to my poor conditioning. The impact of the vehicle on the fence sent a shock wave through the metal, shaking me loose, and knocking me forward with the battered barrier. The car was wedged in the bars and the section it had knocked out was at a shallow angle, propped up by a cement water fountain. I was caught up in the bars and yanked and pulled at my clothes to free myself as the car door slammed, as the thud of what sounded like pile drivers approached.

Zeet stomped up onto the damaged fence, his weight forcing it down and crushing the cement top of the fountain. I rolled away just in time, leaving most of my shirt and one leg of my pants snagged in the wreckage, bounced up and tore off across the wide lawn in the direction of Ellington's.

Karen rolled off the air mattress with a shriek and sank under the water as I came vaulting over the low stone wall surrounding the patio. Nicole sat up and spilled her drink, her mouth open in a silent shout.

"They found us! Quick, inside." I ran to the edge of the pool and dragged Karen painfully from the water, shoving her toward the bedroom door. Nicole flew in right behind us and slammed the sliding door shut, slipping the lock.

"What happened?" Nicole watched as I ripped the rest of the shirt off and stepped out of the ruined pants. "Is this some kind of gag?"

I tossed a towel at Karen and then grabbed a pair of jeans from the drawer and a wrinkled t-shirt with the phrase, Private Eyes Love to Watch. "Does that look like a game?" I shoved the dresser over in front of the door and waved the two women from the room.

They both did a stutter step as they watched the impossibly muscled hulk barging his way through the patio furniture and heading straight for them.

"Ladies!" I shoved them out of the room and slammed the door behind them. At the same time, they heard the glass doors shatter and the scraping of the dresser as Zeet barrelled into the room, swinging his fists like wrecking balls.

"What in God's name is going on down there?" Ellington appeared in his study doorway and looked down at the trio skidding across the marble foyer and heading for the stairs.

"They found us!" I shouted, pushing the women ahead of me up the stairs, the fact that I was using their respective bottoms failed to register as it might have at one time.

Ellington was standing puzzled, watching them and then his mouth opened wide. "Oh my God..." He saw Zeet burst from the bedroom into the front hall with his huge head pivoting like a tank turret until the twin barrels of his eyes settled on the upstairs landing.

They blew past him and down the hallway. "Mr. Bravo, c'mon, hurry." They skidded around a corner and found themselves in Ellington's study. Floor to ceiling shelves of leather-bound books, trophies, awards and what seemed like hundreds of photographs of some of the country's most well known people.

Against one wall was a simple desk with a laptop open and idling in the middle, and a worn swivel stool, both a harsh contrast to the panelled walls, deep carpeting and heavy draperies. Ellington hurried in behind them, slammed the door, and went straight to a cupboard by the desk.

He pulled out an extremely wicked looking gun with twin barrels, broke it open and jammed a pair of fat shells into the chamber, then cranked it shut and aimed it at the study door.

"Who is he?" He asked hoarsely.

"It has to be one of Bernie's goons."

"How did he find you?"

"So help me, Mr. Ellin—" The door shook and flew open at the same time Ellington released both barrels.

"Holy shit!" Karen exclaimed as the smoke from the discharge swirled about the room, and when it began to clear they saw what appeared to be a giant, roasted marshmallow filling the doorway.

"What the hell!" Ellington looked at his gun and then at the box he'd used and groaned aloud, realizing his error.

"What happened?" I watched as Zeet entered the room very slowly, all menace gone from his approach.

"I used my custom blanks by mistake. They're intended for scaring small predators from the garden."

"They were definitely the wrong load." Nicole noted.

Zeet moved robot-like to a large hassock in front of a leather love seat and with the same grace as a dirigible settling on its mooring lines. He sank down, staring at the wall in front of him.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Who cares! Let's just get the hell out of here." Karen started to circle around the blackened lump.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute." I said, moving cautiously nearer to Zeet and bent down, looking in the man's face. "You okay?" Nothing. "He seems alright, no blood or anything."

"It wasn't shot it was just black powder. You're just not supposed to use it at such close range to anything." Ellington stood the gun in the corner and came to stand by me.

"I think he'd agree."

"What now?"

"I still say we should amscray."

"Karen, what's Mr. Bravo supposed to do with – with this if we just bugger off?"

"Well what are we going to do with him?"

I told them of my concern for Nora and that maybe I could find out where she was from their unwelcome visitor. Ellington agreed, more and more he was beginning to regret his involvement, and a quick glance at Nicole conveyed volumes.

"We should contact your policeman friend." Nicole suggested. "We can still question him about your wife, but at least the police would take over custody."

"Sounds like a plan. You okay with that, Mr. Bravo? I mean it is your house and all and they'll want to question you about us being here."

"I'll simply tell them my daughter invited the lot of you as house guests."

"Will they buy that?"

"Who will contradict me? Cynthia is in no position to get any more involved with police."

"Houseman is looking for Nicole though." Karen reminded. "We said she had pictures, remember?"

"We will just deny your statement. Nicole can claim ignorance of the whole thing. We'll manage something."

Karen and I exchanged glances; sticking together apparently wasn't a priority for Ellington. While the group discussed their strategy, Zeet regained some of his senses and he was listening carefully to the comments, particularly those about the photos, and when I resumed my attention, gave a start at the piercing stare from the charcoal coloured face.

"Shit, he's awake." I leaned a little closer. "Where is Nora Wallace? Is she with Bernie Bonducci?"

"You are Christopher Wallace?" The voice rasped.

"Just answer my questions."

Zeet's hand shot out and he grabbed me by the throat, raising me up on my toes. Nicole screamed and Ellington ran for his gun while Karen stepped forward and jammed a vicious hand into Zeet's crotch and squeezed. There was a tiny wail as the hand opened and I fell to the floor.

Zeet's mouth dropped and his eyes watered copiously, leaving tiny white trails down his wide face.

"You move and I'll hand them to you later." Karen snarled. Zeet wailed a tiny squeak again and nodded, sitting perfectly still. "Ask your question, Christopher and hurry up, my hand's cramping."

Ten minutes later I had Nora's whereabouts, the address, and had placed a call to Houseman with a brief explanation of what he would find at Ellington's home, then borrowed a car from Ellington and took off for Bernie's.