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Nash, Joe, Harvey and Ronnie stood in the parking lot that had once belonged to the SIU as they watched the barge being towed away for the last time. A few others had stopped by to pick up personal items and such, but now only the four remained. They could barely see their old office across the bay, and still they stood in silent reverence. It was the end of an era.

“Well.” Joe finally spoke once the tug was gone. “At least we have Bridges and Dominguez to fall back on.”

Nash exchanged a sly glance with Harvey. Nash knew that he had to tell Joe about it sooner or later. He cleared his throat. “Yeah, about that.” He turned to Joe who was leaning against the Cuda. “Lisa and I have decided to give our relationship another try.”

“Hey!” Joe gave him a light tap on the arm. “Congratulations bubba. That’s great, but what does that have to do with Bridges and Dominguez?”

Nash cleared his throat again. “Actually, we’re going to be trying it her way this time.”

“What?” Joe was completely confused and becoming suspicious of the stilted conversation.

“I’m going to Paris to stay with her.” When Joe stood, his arms working to express the words that he couldn’t say, Nash knew the objections to come. “Now don’t worry. I’m not going to leave you in the lurch.”

“Good,” Joe said on a sigh, his body relaxing. He had been looking forward to putting in some quality time together at B & D and Nash made it sound for a second like he wasn’t going to be working there. “A vacation in Paris is probably exactly what you need after everything we just went through with the SIU.”

Nash dropped his eyes to the ground. There was no point in stalling. It would only drag things out. “Actually, I’ve already contracted out my half of the business to Harvey.”

“What?!”

“I don’t know how long I’m going to be gone,” Nash explained as Joe sputtered out incoherent questions. “I owe it to Lisa to really give our relationship a shot. She sacrificed for me.”

“Sacrificed what?” Joe shot back. “Bad coffee and smelly truckers waitressing at the old waffle house?”

Nash chuckled as he shook his head. He knew that Joe was not going to be happy with his decision. “It’s a done deal, bubba. You’ve had me for the last 20 years. Now it’s Lisa’s turn. Besides, with the SIU gone, Harvey was looking for something anyway, so everybody wins.”

“You can’t do this!” Joe argued. “This is supposed to be our time together. We don’t have to answer to anyone. What about all our dreams?”

“Yep,” Harvey interrupted. “I can see why Pepe is so confused. Come on Joseph.” Harvey wrapped his arm around Joe’s shoulders. “I’m sure we that we can come to,” Harvey’s eyes darted over Joe’s face flirtatiously, “some sort of arrangement.” He pursed his lips in the hint of a kiss.

Joe shrugged off his arm as he turned to Nash with renewed determination. “You can’t do this to me, Nash. We’re supposed to be partners.”

“We are partners,” Nash assured him. “With all of the work you’re talking about bringing in, we’re going to have to hire in people anyway. Just consider Harvey our first. I tried to get Ronnie to join up too, but he’s got a sweet security gig lined up.”

Ronnie smiled when everyone looked to him for details. “I’ve been asked to join a security firm that guards the stars. I’ll be taking in the Glen Frey concert tonight.”

“All right Ronnie,” Harvey cheered him on as he held out a fist for Ronnie to hit with his.

“Yeah that’s great,” Joe said less than enthusiastically. “Can we get back to the problem at hand here?” he insisted.

“What problem?” Nash asked. “I don’t have a problem. Do you have a problem?” he asked Harvey.

“I don’t have a problem,” Harvey returned.

“Great.” Nash clapped his hands together. “Who’s up for a drink at O’Grady’s? I’m buying.”

“I’m there,” Harvey announced.

“Sorry boss, but I’ve got to work tonight,” Ronnie said apologetically.

“Then I’ll buy you a soda. You’re not getting out of our last toast bubba.”

“All right,” Ronnie returned, his cheeks flushing slightly. He was going to miss being a part of this team.

“I’m not done here,” Joe tried to interrupt as everyone started going separate ways.

“Need a lift?” Nash asked Joe, but didn’t wait for a response before turning the engine. “No? Okay. See you there.” Nash pulled off quickly before Joe could get in another word.

~~~~~~~~~~

Joe could only get the office door to move a few inches before having to shove it the rest of the way open. “What the hell?” he muttered. Molded protective packing, plastic bags and discarded boxes littered the reception area of Bridges and Dominguez. He kicked away some of the trash so that he could close the door again, then the persistent twang of a static riddled guitar reached him. He recognized the sound of a well-worn Grateful Dead bootleg. “Harvey?”

“Yo Joe,” Harvey called out in return, then clicked off his Grateful Dead tape.

Joe’s mouth dropped as he walked into his office to see everything completely rearranged. Everything that had been in and on his desk, was now stacked on the floor.    “What is going on? What are you doing?”

Harvey looked up at him in surprise at the sharp tone. “Haven’t had your second cup yet?” he asked with sympathy. “I’ve got a pot on to brew in the waiting area if you can get to it.” He turned back to attaching the cables to the computer.

“That’s my desk,” Joe stated, wondering why Harvey had switched his desk with a stainless steel and glass monstrosity.

“Yeah, I know. I had to switch them out.” He gestured to all of the equipment spread out around him on the desk and floor. “I hope you don’t mind. There was no way that desk would hold the weight of all this stuff, so I switched them.” He gestured to the window behind him, his excitement at starting the new job evident. “I’ve always wanted an office with a view.” He beamed as he looked down the slope of San Francisco. The view of the bay had been nice, but he was tired of looking at water. He knew that he was going to love working there.

“What are all these boxes?” Joe asked, willing to concede the point of which desk was his for the moment. The explanation behind all of the new equipment was dominant in his mind.

“I told Nash that I needed some equipment for the office and he told me to charge it to B & D.”

Joe didn’t think his chin could drop any further. The agency had been doing fairly well staying in the black with minimal people and extras, but he was only seeing red at the moment. “You charged all of this to the office?” he demanded to know.

“Yeah. Why?” He glanced around at the huge mess he had made, then realized where Joe had been leading. “I’m sorry Joseph.” He immediately dropped what he was doing and stood. “I don’t know what I was thinking.” When he saw the tension in Joe’s shoulders ease, he knew that he discovered the reason for the early morning tirade. He started grabbing boxes and papers. “I didn’t realize it was so late. We can’t open up shop with all this lying around. I’ll clean it up right now.” Harvey started kicking and pushing boxes out into the waiting area. When Joe started to speak again, Harvey held his hand up. “Not a problem boss. You’re welcome.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

Joe glanced through the partially open sliding glass window that separated the office from reception. Harvey was still busy talking to his friend. “Nash, he took my desk.”

“He did what?”

“He took my desk! My big, antique oak desk. He took it. It’s covered with all sorts of electronic equipment. Hell, I don’t even recognize half of it. Which brings me to another point,” Joe droned on in a stressed, but hushed voice. “You told Harvey he could use the company credit to buy all this junk?”

“I told him to get what he needed and he did. He got a great deal. Face it, bubba. Detective work of the future is mostly electronic. It will pay for itself in no time.”

“But what about my desk?” he shot back. “Now I’ve got the ugly glass and stainless steel thing.” He struggled to think of the right way to describe it. “It’s just not manly. I feel there should be a mirror attached with powder puffs and pearls.”

Nash chuckled at the image of Joe sitting at a vanity table. “If you don’t like the desk, get yourself another one.”

“With what? Or limits are maxed out with all of this new equipment.”

“You’ll think of something, bubba. You always do.”

“Hey Joe,” Harvey said softly as he walked back into the office. “My neighbor, Jada Kale, would like to talk with you about hiring Bridges and Dominguez.”

“Bring her in,” Joe instructed him, then waited until Harvey returned to the woman in the reception area. “At least he’s bringing in business,” he whispered into the phone. “I’ll talk to you later.” He hung up and stood just as they were entering.

“Jada, this is my boss, Joe Dominguez. Joe, my neighbor Jada Kale.” Joe and Jada quickly shook hands. “Jada has a bit of a delicate problem,” Harvey began.

Jada shot him a nervous glance. “I feel kind of silly coming here, actually,” she admitted. “My husband has....well, he’s just been working late a lot lately and I’m sure it’s innocent. I don’t have any proof and there’s...” she trailed off. She wasn’t there to defend her husband. She needed to know the truth. “I think my husband is having an affair and I want to hire your agency to find out for certain.” She heaved a heavy sigh once she had blurted it all out.

Joe gave her a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry to hear that you suspect your husband, Mrs. Kale, and we can certainly help you, but I want to make one thing very clear. If we do discover any evidence, that can’t just disappear again. There’s going to be consequences no matter what we find.”

She nodded quickly. “I understand that,” she said with resolve, her back straightening a little. “Trust is something that’s very important to me, Mr. Dominguez, which is why I debated for quite some time before coming here.” She looked over at Harvey and gave him a smile. “When Harvey told me that he was joining this firm, there wasn’t any question in my mind that this was the right place.” She smiled when he shrugged off the compliment in embarrassment. She turned back to Joe. “So rest assured, Mr. Dominguez. I didn’t make this decision on the spur of the moment. I understand what the ramifications might be.”

“Okay,” Joe conceded. “What made you suspect your husband in the first place?”

“When he told me that he didn’t want me to come into the office any longer.” She nodded with certainty. It had been like a stab wound in her heart. “We would meet for lunch once or twice a week,” she explained, “whenever his schedule would allow and I would pick him up at the office.” She sighed heavily as she thought back on those days. It sounded so trite speaking about it, but those lunch dates had meant so much to her. “I knew practically everyone there by name. Michael’s secretary would even have my favorite coffee waiting for me and we would chat for a few minutes.” She thought about that for a long moment as she willed herself not to cry. It was amazing to her how the little things always seemed to mean the most. “Our marriage was as close to perfect as anyone’s could be and now I feel like I’m getting cut out of his life. I have to know why. There must be a reason behind it. If there’s another woman, I have to know.”

It was easy to see that she was distraught over the possibility and Joe was hesitant to get into the middle of a domestic dispute. He could practically hear Nash yelling in his ear, “no more domestic cases”. “That’s not a lot to go on, Mrs. Kale,” Joe balked. “Do you have any actual evidence?”

She looked at him with determination. “If I had any real evidence, then I wouldn’t need to hire you.” She felt her confidence rise. “I’m an intelligent woman, Mr. Dominguez. I’m not taken to flights of fancy. I have been happily married for ten years with the exception of the past two months and I want to find out what has happened to change that.” She startled herself with the strength of her own speech. She was hesitant to add anything further, but she did have one small scrap of evidence. “Actually, there is something. My husband has been coming home smelling of this...perfume.” She shook her head. She could almost smell it from just the thought. “It’s sickeningly sweet.”

“Do you know what it’s called?” Joe asked.

She hesitated. The thought of discovering the name never even occurred to her. “No I don’t, but I could find out.” She made a mental note to stop past the perfume counters in the Embarcadero Building.

“It would help if you could give us as much information as you can about your husband’s daily activities, his associates, friends, clubs. That sort of thing.”

“All right,” she said. The surprise was evident in her voice when he readily accepted her case. She wasn’t sure if she should be flattered or concerned that she had been so convincing. “I’ll have a list for you by this afternoon.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Adjusting the focus, Chris peered through the binoculars at the man approaching the Kales' house. Well, he’s certainly unique. The guy was wearing tan cargos, a loud tie and he was wearing a brightly colored vest over his jacket. "Hey, Guy. Hippie at four o'clock. Get his picture."

"You got it." Twisting the lens to bring the man in focus, Guy snapped off a few pictures. When the door opened and Mrs. Kale smiled, hugging the visitor, Guy grinned in satisfaction. "Gotcha."

Sharing a look of triumph, the two settled in for what they figured would be a long wait. They were both surprised when, ten minutes later; a black car pulled up. They watched as a Hispanic man in a suit climbed from the car and headed up the front walk. Again Mrs. Kale opened the door and greeted the visitor warmly. Guy snapped off some quick shots and glanced at his partner with a puzzled frown.

Chris shrugged, as confused as her partner. "Threesome?"

Snorting with suppressed laughter, Guy shook his head. "I sure hate to break this to the husband."

"Well, there could be a plausible explanation for why they're here.”

“Sure,” Guy returned sarcastically. “They look like the typical termite inspectors.”

“What’s the matter Guy?” she shot back. “Concerned that a possible bug zapper dresses better than you do?” She fought to keep down a smile when he suddenly sat straighter and smoothed a hand down over his tie.

“We'll stake her out for a few more days and see what develops."

Twenty minutes after the second man had entered the house; the pair came back out again. Chris and Guy sprung to life as they watched the men wave to Jada as they walked back toward the street. They paused in front of the black car for a few minutes. “I wish they would get our microphone fixed,” Guy grumbled. “I’d love to know what those two are talking about.”

Listening to the click and whir of Guy's camera, Chris aimed her binoculars at the hippie as he walked back to his PT Cruiser. "Well, I gotta say one thing for them…they're all business. They were in there, what? Twenty minutes?"

"Yeah, tops. Guess that's what you call wham, bam, thank you ma'am, huh?" Guy chuckled, knowing that would get a rise out of his partner.

"Shut up, you cretin." Chris had her pencil poised to copy down the license plate for the Cruiser as it pulled out, then her hand froze when the Cruiser only went half a block before pulling up to the curb again. The hippie climbed out of the car and headed up some steps and into a house. She quickly jotted down the plate number, then tapped her pencil against her thigh as she continued to watch the house. Several minutes later, Chris saw him exit again, walking a Great Dane. "Holy cow. The hippie's her neighbor.”

“What?” Guy’s head snapped up to look at her, then he followed her line of vision. When he saw whom she was referring to, he pulled the camera out once more to get a few more shots.

“He must've come to her place from work or something. He's got a nice dog, though."

Once again, the camera whirred and clicked as Guy took more pictures of the mystery man and his dog, then he gave her a curious look. “Since when are you into Great Danes?”

Chris chuckled. She knew exactly where he was leading and she wasn’t going to let it happen. “You know I love puppy breath, Guy.” She reached over and ruffled his hair. “Which is why I love you so much.”

He batted her hand away, then quickly smoothed his hair as he continued to watch their suspect. Guy chuckled when the man stopped to help an elderly lady pick up the groceries that had spilled from her sack. "This guy's too much. He boff's the neighbor's wife then helps little old ladies with their groceries."

She watched as the man carried the sack and chatted with the elderly woman while he walked with her to her front door. Chris couldn't help but think that there had to be some other reason for the strange meeting with Jada Kale. A romantic, although kinky, brunch just didn’t seem to fit into the picture. She watched him until he turned the corner and disappeared. The hippie’s more like a Boy Scout, than a home-wrecker. "Guy, I have a feeling that there's more to this than meets the eye."

~~~~~~~~

Joe could hear his heart pounding in his ears, as he rubbed at his head in complete frustration while Harvey jostled with their surveillance equipment. What little they did have in the way of electronics was piled onto the back seat of Joe’s car and Harvey was struggling to untangle the strap for the binoculars with the cables for the parabolic mic.
“Will you just give me the damn binoculars?” he demanded. He was ready to snap.

“All right, all right,” Harvey returned in a soothing tone. He slipped the clips off the sides to remove the strap and gave Joe a long look as he took the binoculars. “You really need to find some way of releasing the stress, Joseph.” He issued the warning, then went back to sorting out the parabolic. “You’re going to give yourself a stroke.”

“Only if the heart attack doesn’t kill me.” He shot Harvey a sideways glance.

Harvey finally managed to work the equipment free and turned back around in his seat. “This was so much easier in the van.”

“So why don’t you run out and buy one with the company credit card?”

Harvey tried to read what he could from the comment by staring at Joe’s profile. “Can I do that?”

“No you can’t do that Harvey!” Joe spared him an exasperated look, shook his head, and went back to staring at the office building.

Harvey was completely confused by Joe’s sudden hostility. “Seriously man. A little St John’s Wort in the...”

“Harvey, will you just stop talking?” he asked with a more pleasant tone of voice.

“Sure.”

As the silence filled the air, the tension mounted until Joe couldn’t take anymore. “I’m going to go get us some coffee,” he announced and climbed out of the car.

Harvey watched in complete confusion as Joe stormed away, then looked down at the equipment in hand. “I wonder when I should tell him we don’t have the battery pack for the microphone.”

“There’s our guy,” Harvey said softly when she saw Michael Kale walking out of the Embarcadero Building several hours later. He reached down for the camera at his feet as they watched Michael check his watch and scan the crowd.

“Waiting for someone Mr. Kale?” Joe asked. As he watched through his binoculars, a stunning brunette walked into view. “Whoa. I’m going to have to zoom out to get all of her in.” He zoomed in and paused for a moment when he had a clear view of her full hips sashaying across the courtyard. “Is it getting hot in here?” He blinked several times and zoomed out to see if she had a face to match her body.

Harvey snapped off several pictures, then studied the woman. Even though she had a body to stop traffic, other than her long auburn hair dancing around her shoulders, her clothes were that of a businesswoman. “She’s not exactly dressed for the street is she?” he asked as he clicked off a few more frames, hoping to catch a glimpse of her face.

Joe glanced over at him, surprised by the question. “You can’t exactly expect a guy like Michael Kale to meet a woman wearing thigh boots and hot pants during business hours. Even if it is a Saturday.”

Harvey chuckled. “You’ve got a point,” he conceded, then looked back through the lens. He was glad that there was a temporary reprieve from hostilities although he was at as much of a loss about the reasons behind the truce as he was for the outburst in the first place. “Come on sweetheart,” he whispered as he watched the woman speaking with Michael Kale.

“Have you got a shot of her face yet?”

Harvey sighed. “Not yet. If she would just...” He widened the frame of the shot just as a wiry man approached.

Joe and Harvey exchanged a confused look before zooming in with their equipment for closer inspection. Harvey snapped off several shots as they watched the new arrival take over the conversation. “That’s the geekiest looking pimp I’ve ever seen,” Joe commented.

“He does seem to be calling the shots at the moment,” Harvey concurred. When he saw Michael Kale reach inside his jacket, his finger was pressing the shutter button once more. He captured Michael handing an envelope over to the new arrival in a rapid succession of frames. “That doesn’t bode well for Mr. Kale,” he said softly. He had hoped that everything would work out for Jada and Michael. He didn’t know them very well, but they were likable people and they had always seemed so happy. “By the way, Jada called earlier. She found out the name of that cologne is Lei Seduction.” Harvey shook his head when he saw Joe glance over at him out of the corner of his eye. “I kid you not.”

“That sounds like something sold by the quart.” He looked back through his binoculars just in time to see the men shake hands, then the new arrival walked off. “What the...?” Joe muttered when Michael turned his back to them and graciously escorted the woman back into his office building. “They’re doing it at his office?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chris glanced down at the account numbers that Michael handed to her. “This is everything that your wife would have access to?” she asked carefully. She knew that some clients were extremely protective of hidden assets. Especially if it was unknown to the spouse.

“That’s everything,” Michael said with a sigh as he stared out his office window. “Except for my business account, everything is joint.” He hated the feeling that Jada was up to something, but her actions had been so suspicious of late. “There hasn’t been any unusual activity on any of those accounts and certainly not any withdraws that I don’t know about.”

“You’d be surprised at what the spouse doesn’t know, Mr. Kale.” She knew that she needed to broach the subject of the neighbor, but she was hesitant.

Michael turned to face her. “You’ve already found out something, haven’t you?”

“What do you know about your neighbor at 1243?” She knew that he was trying to bring an image to mind when he repeated the address to himself. “It’s the white house on the corner,” she added to assist him.

“Oh! That’s Harvey Leek. He’s a decent enough sort of guy. A conscientious neighbor. I heard that he was laid off recently over some bureaucratic nonsense, but I never did get the full story. Why do you ask?”

“We saw him speaking with your wife earlier today and we needed to get some background on him,” she returned evasively, already moving to the door. “The name will be a big help. Guy will run down that list you gave him of Mrs. Kale’s appointment schedule. With any luck, we will have something for you soon.”

~~~~~~~~

“I honestly don’t know what to make of it, Nash,” Harvey confided. Nash was the one person that really understood Joe. “The only time today he seemed like himself was when we were getting some shots of the guy we’re following.” He shook his head. “The fact that he was acting normal then was strange in itself.”

Nash chuckled. “That sounds like Joe. He likes to model his life after a coin toss. Risky and subject to change at any given moment.

“Boy you’re not kidding.” Harvey chuckled as well, but quickly sobered. He leaned back against the counter as Nash poured him a glass of water. “I hate to say this, Nash, but I’m not sure this is going to work out.”

Nash looked up in shock. He was sure that Harvey and Joe would really hit it off given the chance. To have Joe complaining to him on the phone all day, then to have Harvey showing up that night was a little more than he expected. Both of them were already willing to call it quits after just one day. He gave Harvey his water, then braced himself. “Alright. Tell me what happened.”

Harvey shrugged his shoulders as he gazed out at the skyline from Nash’s kitchen window. “It’s not any one thing. I’m just catching this weird vibe off of him. Like my existence suddenly annoys him for some reason.” When Nash started to chuckle, he had to as well. “I’m serious man. I’ve never seen Joe so stressed out and I don’t know what to make of it. Has he called you? Do you know what’s going on?”

Nash gave him a sideways glance. No one else had been able to get a call through on his cell with Joe calling every fifteen minutes. “It’s everything Harv,” he said evasively. “The SIU closing down, me going to Paris, you moving into Bridges & Dominguez. You name it. It’s the entire transition. Joe just needs to get settled into the new routine and then he will be fine. You know how it is breaking in a new partner. Trust me on this one.”

His eyebrows shot up. “To tell you the truth, Nash, I’m not sure Joe is going to make it much longer.”

“Give it a couple of weeks,” he insisted. He couldn’t believe that he was having to talk Harvey into staying on at B & D. “I’m positive that the two of you will work things out eventually.”

At that moment, Harvey had his doubts, but he was willing to give it a little time. “If you say so, man.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harvey gave King a pat as they started on their morning walk. He couldn’t remember the last time he had a Sunday off. Normally he would enjoy a leisurely walk with King, but the problems he was having with Joe evoked a black cloud over his thoughts and had managed to kill a good night’s sleep as well. His conversation with Nash had done little to ease his mind about working with the detective agency. He was still concerned about the new dynamic with Joe. Harvey had simply assumed that it would be like working for Joe at the SIU, but for some reason, Joe just didn’t seem like the same, happy-go-lucky guy.

He sighed heavily. “With all the years we’ve been together, you would think I would have learned something about him,” he told King. The Great Dane spared him a glance, then returned his attention to the walk. “So what do I know about him?” he continued the one-sided conversation. There had to be something that would give him a clue as to what to do next. “He’s a schemer.” He chuckled at the though. “It’s a good thing he became a cop because he probably would have been arrested years ago.” He tightened his grip on the leash when he saw an alley cat dart across the street, but, luckily, King was more intent on sniffing out his favorite spots.

Harvey’s mind started to wander again. “There’s got to be something,” he mumbled. “He’s always looking for ways to save a buck or make a buck,” he said offhandedly. “Maybe that’s it,” Harvey mumbled to himself as King paused for a moment to mark his territory. “Maybe he's worried about the money.” The tense conversation from the stakeout returned to him and he was suddenly struck with an idea.

He tossed it around in his mind as they continued on their walk and his step became a little lighter. The idea appealed to him. He was fairly certain that his friend from Berkley was still in town. He would have to make a phone call as soon as he returned home.

Harvey was oblivious as he turned the corner with King. His mind was so focused on the possibilities of smoothing things out with Joe that he didn’t see anyone coming toward him until he met her head on. She let out a yelp when her grocery bags went crashing to the ground as she stumbled back. Harvey quickly reached out for her arm to steady her. “I’m so sorry!” he apologized. “Totally my fault.” He bent down quickly to help retrieve her scattered produce. “I wasn’t watching where I was going and I...” His voice trailed off when she squatted next to him. She leaned over just enough to give him a full view of cleavage and he had to force himself to pull his attention away. “Sorry!” he finally concluded, hoping that she hadn’t caught him staring as he went back to gathering the items that were rolling down the steep hill.

Chris watched as Harvey chased down the runaway oranges and chuckled. He was having a tough time controlling the Great Dane and chasing the fruit. “King no!” he yelled. Chris laughed out loud when the dog joined in the fun and started catching the oranges in his mouth. When Harvey tried to pry the first one away, he ended up getting squirted. He muttered something that she couldn’t quite make out, then went back to gathering as many of the things that he could before King could get them.

Harvey gave King a tug as he walked back over to Chris. “I’m afraid that I owe you a couple of oranges.” He dropped what he had salvaged into the bag she held for him.

“That’s quite all right,” Chris returned. “It was worth losing a couple to get the floorshow.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Oh, a woman into vaudeville. I like that. I’m Harvey, by the way.” He held his hand out and shook hers.

“Chris,” she returned.

“Did you just move in here?” he asked. The owner had told him weeks ago that she was looking to take in a border. He hadn’t noticed her before on their routine walks and he was certain that he would have.

She glanced back at the house towering above them. “Oh, no,” she answered a little too quickly. Her mind suddenly went blank. She flashed one of her winning smiles while trying to figure out what to say next. She wasn’t sure why she suddenly felt rattled. “I’m just dropping off some groceries for a friend. She’s getting out of the hospital today,” she added, then nearly cringed. Stick to your story, she ordered herself silently.

“Mrs. Canter?” Harvey said with concern. “I thought she was going up to her sisters for the week.”

She felt her stomach drop to her feet at the fact that he knew who lived in that particular house and what her itinerary was. Chris leaned toward him, instinctively switching to a more provocative stance. “That’s just what she was telling everyone,” she said in a lower voice as she lightly touched his arm. “She’ll kill me if she finds out I told anyone, so please...”

“No, no. I understand,” he returned reassuringly. “It’s just such a surprise since Mrs. Canter seems to like to talk about what ails her.” The aging lady had cornered him more than once on his walks. It was one of the few times that he still allowed King to pull him away.

“Well, thanks for the help, Harvey,” she said, hoping to make a quick exit. Their meeting was a total bust. When she needed to resort to flirting to cover her mistakes, it was time to move on. “I’d better get these things inside.”

“Would you like me to help you get...?”

“No that’s okay,” she interrupted. “I can manage.” The last thing that she needed was him following her up to the house only to find out that she doesn’t have a key.

“Okay. Again, I’m sorry about the groceries.” He knew she was ready to walk away, but, for some reason, he didn’t want her to go. “Hey, why don’t you let me take you to dinner to make it up to you?” he suggested impulsively.

She gestured down to the wedding band on his hand. “Won’t your wife have a problem with that?”

He glanced down at the ring, then quickly explained. “Divorced,” he said simply. “I just wear it now out of habit. Are you free Friday night?” he pressed. He didn’t know what had gotten into him. Chris was obviously way out of his league.

“Sure,” she said without thinking. What are you doing? the voice inside her head screamed.

“There’s a new Cantonese place a couple of blocks from here.”

“I know the place,” she lied. She didn’t think she would ever get away.

“Meet you there around seven?” he asked, a little surprised that she had so readily agreed.

“Great.”

“Smooth Chris,” Guy said mockingly when she climbed back into the van with her groceries.

“Shut up Guy.” She dropped the sacks in a corner of the van, then flopped down on the nearest stool. She knew that she had screwed up in more ways than one and Guy rubbing it in didn’t help. What she couldn’t understand was why it had happened? She was more professional than that.

“I’ve seen rookies make fewer mistakes.” He couldn’t remember a time when Chris had gotten more flustered. “What is with you today?”

“Have you gotten anything on him yet?” Chris asked instead of answering. Her instincts seemed to be out of whack where Harvey Leek was concerned. She wanted to trust him, but she already knew that she couldn’t. Even if he was telling the truth about being divorced, he was cheating with another man’s wife.

“Here’s a news flash for you. He was one of the people working at the SIU.”

That grabbed her attention. “You’re kidding?” It had been a huge scandal that had even made the papers, though the rumors circulating around the SFPD had been far more interesting. Her mind wandered off as she tried to picture Harvey Leek’s involvement.

“Nope. Apparently, he was one of Nash Bridge's closest associates.”

Chris tried to shake off the unsettling feeling she was having. What little information they had received on Harvey Leek bordered on incriminating, but there was no actual proof. What confused her was the desire to trust him, to get to know him better. “Man, this guy must be one hell of an actor,” she mumbled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Standing next to the green and white antique, Joe was stunned. When Harvey had proudly proclaimed that he'd procured a van for B & D, what stood before him wasn't exactly what Joe had envisioned. After a moment of dazed silence, Joe found his voice. "What the hell is it?"

"C'mon, Joseph. Surely you recognize a VW camper when you see one." Smiling at the old vehicle, Harvey opened the door and crawled inside. "I know it's not exactly ideal, but it's better than working out of the back seat or your car. The cabinets will come in handy for storing our equipment and the...”

Only half listening as Harvey rambled on and on about something, Joe took in the Grateful Dead memorabilia covering the inside of the old camper and felt his chest tighten. When he came up with the idea of running a detective agency with Nash, it had been a vision of just the two of them. Instead, his partner of 20 plus years bailed on him for his ex-wife to rekindle the romance in Paris, his business account was drained, his desk was pinched and now he was supposed to go out on surveillance in a wreck? No way! He rubbed his fingers roughly against the creases on his forehead, as he finally became aware of what Harvey was saying.

"It'll be a little cramped, but we can put a narrow shelf along this side and bolt a couple stools here and here. The plus side is the bed. It’s small, but now we have a place to catch some sleep when there's two of us. Sure beats the floor." Harvey was still smiling as he mapped out the plans for improvements.

Holding up one hand to stop the flow of words, Joe shook his head in amazement. "Harvey, when I mentioned needing a van, I meant a real van. Not this…this…" Joe struggled for the right word. "Antique.” He sighed heavily in frustration and felt the acid start to churn in his stomach. He could see the agency slowly slipping away and could already hear Inger insisting on returning to Sweden since there was nothing left to keep them in San Francisco. “I can’t believe you went out and bought a van without consulting me.”

“But it’s not...”

“Did Nash tell you that it was okay?” he interrupted, trying to find some logic to the abrupt turns in his life, but he didn’t wait for an answer. “You know, since he has decided to pack it in for Paris, I’m the head of this agency. I’m the one who gets to say what we keep and what we don’t. I'm not sitting for hours on surveillance in some hippie camper that still smells of grass. And what's with all the Grateful Dead stuff littering the thing? You know, not everything revolves around the Dead."

By the time Joe finished, his voice had risen to a shout. He stopped and took a deep breath. He knew Harvey had meant well, but the disappointment and frustration of Nash's impending departure had left Joe's fuse a little short. The smile had dropped from Harvey's face and Joe could clearly see the hurt. He muttered a soft curse. “Harvey-”

“I know this isn't what you wanted, Joe, but...” Harvey’s voice trailed off and he sighed heavily in defeat as he stared longingly at the inside of the van. He had hoped to be using it again, but it didn’t look like it was going to happen. “Don't worry about the cost. It’s my contribution to the agency,” he explained. “I got it from buddy of mine from Berkley. He's moving to London and wanted the camper to go to somebody who understood the memories attached to it. I just thought that...” He couldn’t even finish. There was no point. It didn’t matter what he thought anymore. Joe had made that perfectly clear. “I went to a few Dead shows with him in this old gal, and he knew I'd lost the Ranchero, so he gave me a good deal.”

Climbing slowly from the back of the old VW, Harvey gave it a long look as he stood next to Joe on the sidewalk. With a sigh, Harvey tossed the keys to Joe who barely managed to catch them before they hit the ground.

“Keep it or not, Joe. I guess it doesn't matter anymore. You're right; not everything revolves around the Dead. But not everything revolves around money, either. If you sell it, just do me the favor of taking all the Dead stuff out for me.” Without a backward glance, Harvey walked downhill toward the corner, where he could catch a taxi.

“C’mon, Harv. Harvey, wait!” Scrubbing a hand over his face, Joe sighed heavily and felt the weight of the keys he clutched in his left hand. Damn. Now what do I do?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"And that's what happened." Joe took a swallow of his beer and leaned against the counter. "I tried calling his house, but he didn't answer and when I drove over there, his car was gone. He must have turned his cell off. I don't know if he'll even come into the office tomorrow."

Rolling his eyes in utter disbelief at how badly things were working out, Nash crossed his arms. "Joe, I'm gonna be honest with you, bubba. I don't understand what's going on with you. I mean, I know the two of you have always had a rather strange dynamic, but I thought you liked Harvey."

Looking up in surprise at Nash's statement, Joe frowned. "I do like Harvey. What makes you think I don't? I mean, I worked with him for six years didn't I?"

"So, if it's not Harvey…what's the problem?"

"Man, you just don't understand,” he returned, deflated.

Nash shrugged. “So enlighten me.”

Joe hesitated for a moment. He knew that it was his opportunity to vent, to tell Nash everything that had been on his mind, but it all really boiled down to one thing. “This was supposed to be something you and I did. We were going to be our own boss and put our experience to good use. It’s something that we’ve talked about for years and now, all of the sudden, you’re backing out and I feel like everything is falling apart.” Unable to find the words to say what he meant, Joe just shrugged and made a gesture of frustration. "I don't know how to explain it, Nash."

“So who’s to say that you still can’t make it work?” Nash asked. “Harvey is the best guy you will ever have on your team and you know that as well as I do.”

Joe nodded absently. “I’m not debating Harvey’s work ethic. I know he’s a stand up guy, but...”

“But he’s not me.” Nash popped the cap on another beer and slid it across the counter to Joe. He was glad that he had a friend like Joe, but sometimes it frustrated the hell out of him as well. "Bubba, I know that you're disappointed about how things worked out, but if you're going to take your frustration out on somebody it should be me, not Harv."

"I know, Nash, I know." Sighing, Joe twirled the bottle around in small circles. He knew that he had screwed up majorly with Harvey. “You should have seen his face.” Joe cringed at the thought. “I felt like I had just kicked a sick puppy.” Nash cringed as well. “That's why I want to apologize to him,” Joe explained, “but I don't know where he is. Besides, with the way things have been going lately, I’d probably screw that up too.”

Looking out at the lights of the city below them, Nash listened to the sound of the bottle scraping on tile as Joe idly rolled it. He knew that Joe was hinting that he wanted his help and, in that particular case, he didn’t mind being the middleman. "I'll go talk to him."

"He's not answering his cell phone and he's not home. I looked for him all afternoon. How do you propose to talk to him if you can’t even find him?"

Tearing his eyes away from the twinkling lights below, Nash turned to look at his best friend. He felt that part of this was his fault for blind-siding Joe with his decision to leave. It hadn’t been an easy one. San Francisco was his history and he had always thought that it would be his future as well. If nothing else, he wanted to make sure the people he cared about most were on the right track. "I think I know where he is."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Coasting the 'Cuda to a stop, Nash shut off the engine and pocketed the keys. Just as he'd thought, a lone figure could be seen at the bottom of the sloping hill. The full moon cast an ethereal light on the marble headstones that dotted the cemetery. Taking a deep breath, Nash climbed from the car and headed down the hill.

"I thought I'd find you here."

Startled, Harvey spun around and nearly lost his footing on the damp grass. "Geez, Nash, you almost gave me heart failure. I didn't hear you drive up."

Nash didn't bother to answer, but went to stand in front of the simple marble headstone. He felt a pang of sorrow at the sight of the name etched so carefully on the marker. Evan Cortez. Even now, the loss felt so fresh. He had known Harvey would still come to his partner and best friend to tell his troubles to. It was what he, himself, would've done.

He stared at Harvey’s profile for a long moment and wondered what he had managed to sort out in his head. He knew that Harvey would come to a logical conclusion, but he hoped that his sentiment would figure in as well. “I talked to Joe tonight." Nash saw him tense. "He's been trying to reach you to apologize.”

“And he sent you here to do it for him?” Harvey countered. Things were worse than he thought if Joe couldn’t even face him again.

“I'm not going to say anything; that's something Joe needs to do himself. I just want to understand what's going on with the two of you.”

Twisting the beret in his hands, Harvey stared at Evan's grave. He had been asking himself that question all day and he still hadn’t arrived at a satisfactory answer. "I don't know, man. That’s what I was trying to tell you before. I didn't understand why I seem to be rubbing Joe the wrong way. I thought that getting the van might be a step in the right direction. It was my contribution to Bridges & Dominguez,” he explained, then shook his head as he stared at the ground. “All it seemed to do was piss him off.” He sighed and tried to wave it way. “I don’t know. Maybe I'm just not cutting him enough slack or something.”

Nash chuckled at the thought. Harvey was one of the most forgiving people that he knew and he was relieved to hear that Harvey seemed to be focused more on working things out than on walking away. “Joe’s definitely someone that you have to get use to.”

“You don’t have to tell me that,” Harvey replied with conviction. “It’s not like I don’t have some idea of what he’s going through. I know what it's like to lose a partner…a best friend.” He stared at the headstone. Casting Nash a sardonic smile, Harvey gestured to the headstone. "I came to work things out. I just needed someone to talk to, to clear my head. It helps, sometimes, to talk to Evan. I know I sound crazy, but I know what he'd say…I can hear his voice in my head."

"It doesn't sound crazy, Harv.” Nash put his arm around Harvey’s shoulders. “How do you think I knew where to find you?" Nash smiled when Harvey laughed quietly. "So, the two of you are going to work this out?"

"I think we'll make it, Nash. It just might take some time. As soon as Joe gets used to the idea that you'll be in Paris for a while, he'll get used to me hanging around the office. In the meantime, I'll try not to take it personally." Of course, Harvey knew that was easier said than done.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Glancing once more at the clock, Joe frowned at the late hour. Harvey should've been in the office half an hour ago. He worried that maybe he'd blown it, that Harvey wouldn't come in at all. With a sigh, Joe went back to wiping the smudges and fingerprints off the stupid glass desk he was stuck with. The strong odor of the glass cleaner nearly made his eyes water. He looked longingly at the nice, masculine wooden desk that Harvey had purloined. “I really need to see about getting a new desk.”

When the door to the outer office opened then closed gently, Joe dumped the glass cleaner in his drawer, then sighed heavily when he could see the cleaner through the table. So much for discretion, he thought then tried to focus on the situation at hand. He didn't want to blow the opportunity to straighten things out with Harvey. Looking up expectantly, he saw Harvey standing in the door, hands shoved in his pockets, appearing as unsure as Joe felt. “Harvey, I'm glad you came in today. I wasn't sure you would.”

Tilting his head, Harvey frowned. "Then you don't know me very well, Joseph. I'd never bail on a case like that. I always finish what I start."

With a sigh, Joe motioned for Harvey to sit in one of the client chairs. They were getting off on the wrong foot already. "Sit down, Harvey, would you? Look, let me explain. Do you have any idea what it’s like to have this dream for so many years and to have your best friend bail on you at the last minute? Just when you have the chance to really make it work?"

Seeing that Harvey was nodding in understanding, Joe forged ahead. "I mean, this was supposed to be something Nash and I did together. Running the business the way we wanted to, not having to answer to anyone, you know? Then, suddenly, the SIU closes my best friend bails on me and now I'm stuck breaking in a new partner." Joe cringed the minute the words left his mouth. It hadn't come out the way he'd intended it.

Sure enough, Harvey bristled at the comment and sat up straighter in his chair. “Man, I didn’t want to be foisted on you. I thought I was here to help. If I’m not, then I should go.”

“No man. I didn’t mean it like that,” Joe apologized. “It really has nothing to do with you,” he finally admitted. “I’m upset with Nash.” He looked at Harvey a little uncomfortably. “I didn’t mean to come down on you like I have been. It’s just that Nash and I have a lot of time and money invested in B & D.” He sighed heavily.

“Which is why I bought the van.” Harvey was surprised when Joe seemed confused. “Look man, I probably know better than anyone what you and Nash have had over the last several years. I was there with you for most of it. I know how much the agency means to you and that it’s something that you have been working with for years. I felt like I should be bringing something to the table as well. I know the van isn’t top of the line.”

“Harvey,” Joe interrupted. “That van’s for doing lines.”

He chuckled at that. “I know, I know. But what do you expect on a cop’s retirement pay. Besides, it beats fighting with the equipment in the back seat.”

“That’s true,” Joe conceded. It was the first time he felt his shoulders relax in days. “I appreciate the gesture, man. It was very considerate of you and I’m sorry I reacted the way that I did,” he said and Harvey shrugged the apology away. “How soon do you think you can get the van ready?”

Harvey’s eyebrows shot up. He had been certain that Joe was going to get rid of the van. “I think I can have everything relatively together by this weekend.”

Nodding in satisfaction, Joe glanced at his watch. "Good. If you need an extra pair of hands, give me a call, okay? Listen, we need to get moving if we want to keep our appointment with Jada."

~~~~~~~~~

Shuffling through the pictures, Michael felt his world spin out of control. He'd hoped it was all a misunderstanding, that there'd be a logical reason behind his wife's odd behavior, but the evidence was staring him right in the face. He shuffled through the pictures once again. He wondered how long his wife had been seeing their neighbor, Harvey Leek. Michael didn't know who the shorter man was.

With a sigh of regret, Michael tossed the thick bundle of photographs across the desk. He looked up to catch Chris' eyes and saw understanding and sympathy. "So, those are the men that my wife's been having an affair with?"

Exchanging glances with Guy, Chris cleared her throat as she gathered up the pictures. "Mr. Kale, we don't really have any proof that you wife has been unfaithful to you. She's had several meetings with these men, but we don't know what they do during those times. The only way you'll know for sure is to talk to your wife. See what she has to say when she sees the photographs."

Lacing his fingers together on the desk, Michael pondered his options. He knew the only way he'd know the truth was to confront his wife, but he knew it would be the end of their marriage if she'd been unfaithful. He wasn't sure he was ready to discard the life they'd built together. "What if she has a logical explanation to all this?"

Leaning forward, Guy smiled reassuringly. "Mr. Kale, if you like, we can go with you. If you're not sure that your wife is being unfaithful and need more proof, then we can continue to keep her under surveillance. It's up to you."

Weighing his options, Michael nodded slowly. "Yes, I think that's the best plan. I'd…I'd like someone there. Maybe with you there, she'd see that lying would be no use because you'd seen what she'd been doing. I just never dreamed this would be happening to us."

Glancing once more at her partner, Chris shifted uncomfortably. She never did get used to this part of the job. Dealing with clients' emotions wasn't always easy. "Nobody expects something like this, Mr. Kale. Hopefully, there will be a logical reason behind the meetings, but you have to be prepared if there isn't. I'm sorry."

Shoulders slumped, Michael looked at his desk clock and stood. "I guess there's no sense in putting it off. She should be home right now, so I might as well get this over with." He silently begged his wife to have a good reason for her clandestine meetings with their neighbor and the stranger.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Have you found something?” Jada asked as she gestured for Harvey and Joe to follow her into the sitting room.

“I’m afraid that we’ve hit a bit of a stumbling block, Mrs. Kale,” Joe began. “We have been able to identify the various associates of your husbands with the exception of two.”

Harvey pulled out the black and white images of Michael with the unidentified man and woman. “The woman never did turn around, so I don’t have a picture of her face, but what about the guy?”

Jada took one of the pictures and stared at it for a long moment, then shook her head. “I’ve never seen him before or her from what I can tell. What are they doing with Michael?”

“Unfortunately, we don’t know that either,” Joe returned. “The fact that your husband met with them outside the office suggests that they aren’t clients.”

Jada’s eyes darted up to his. She knew what he was implying. “So what you’re saying is that they may not be clients of Michaels, but he may be a client of theirs.”

“We don’t know anything for certain, Jada,” Harvey said softly. “Which is why we need to track down every lead.”

“Believe me, Mrs. Kale, we would not have come here with this if there were any other way of identifying the pair,” Joe assured her. “So far, everything and everyone associated with your husband is checking out.”

She started at the picture and could actually feel her temperature rising. “I use to know everyone in Michael’s life. Including most of his clients.”

“What the hell is going on here?” Michael demanded as he burst through the front door.

“I should be asking you the same thing,” Jada countered quickly and started toward him, but stopped in stunned silence when the man from the photograph stepped out from behind her husband as well as a woman she could only assume was the third in the shot. Jada looked down at the photograph that flattered her curves, then her eyes ran slowly up the brunette’s body.

“How long has this been going on?” Michael demanded as he looked from Jada to his overly friendly neighbor.

“What did you expect, Michael?” she volleyed. “For me to sit back and watch while you destroy our marriage? I had to turn to someone.”

Michael’s mouth dropped open in shock. “I can’t believe you’re admitting to it,” he breathed. “Never in a million years...”

“What about you?” She folded her arms over her chest. “Are you going to admit to hiring this...” She gestured over to the woman behind him and fought with herself to use a ladylike word. “This...person.”

“You’re damn right I did,” Michael asserted.

Silence fell over the room as Michael and Jada glared at each other. Joe looked back and forth between the pair, wondering who would be the first to speak. “Okay,” he said slowly.

Jada glanced back over her shoulder at Harvey and Joe. “If you will excuse us,” she looked back at her husband. “I think we should talk about this without a crowd.” They walked out of the room and across the hall to the study.

“So the groceries were a setup,” Harvey stated rather than asked and she nodded. His eyes had locked onto Chris’ the moment she stepped into view.

“Wha...?” Joe looked to Harvey for an explanation. “You know her?”

“We bumped into each other yesterday,” Harvey explained. “Literally.” He shook his head. He felt like such an idiot. “What are you? Local, federal or private?”

“Private,” she admitted.

Harvey gave Joe an ironic look. “They’re detectives.”

“You’re kidding me,” Joe said as he turned to the other two for verification.

“I’m Guy Patterson and this is my partner Chris MacArthur. We’re with Shadow Enterprise.”

“So are we to assume that you have left the SFPD and joined the ranks of private eye?” Chris asked Harvey.

“You could say that,” Harvey returned evasively.

“Convenient timing,” Guy interjected.

“Bridges and Dominguez has been around for a number of years,” Joe said curtly. He was tired of the thinly veiled suspicions referring to the final days of the Special Investigations Unit. “I had better go tell the Kales that this has all been a huge mix up before they start dividing up the china.”

Chris had seen the shock, then the disappointment in Harvey’s eyes when she walked in with Michael Kane and it gave her pause. After learning that he had worked at the SIU, she had expected to see a more hardened edge to him. The knot tightened in her stomach when she looked up at him again as he brushed passed her.

“Why don’t you want me coming into the office anymore?” Jada demanded.

“Because of the new guy, Stevens,” Michael immediately returned. “The guy actually had the nerve to ask me if you ever cheated on me. I thought that I was protecting you from him his foul mouth. How was I to know that he was actually trying to warn me?”

Jada’s mouth dropped open. “You’re accusing me?” She was completely astonished as she gestured to Chris standing in the next room. “And you have the nerve to show up here with her?”

“She works for me,” Michael returned.

Jada folded her arms over her waist. “I’ll bet. What do prostitutes cost these days?”

“What?” Michael was stunned into silence.

“Excuse me folks,” Joe interrupted. The few seconds they had to talk with Chris and Guy had been very enlightening. “I’m afraid that we have a case of mistaken identity here.” He looked back at Harvey who followed a few steps behind.

Jada looked at him blankly. “What are you talking about, Mr. Dominguez?”

“It’s a case of the right hand not knowing what the left is doing,” Joe returned with the hint of a smile.

Michael shook his head in frustration. “In English.”

“We’re all detectives,” Joe said simply, then glanced over at the other three investigators. “I’m not exactly sure what got all of this started, but it looks like we’ve been running around in circles.”

Jada exchanged a glance with her husband. “But what about the cologne?”

“What cologne?” Michael asked his wife instead of waiting for Joe to answer.

“The cologne that you come home smelling like every day,” Jada clarified, then took in a deep breath before taking a step back. “You reek of it now.”

Michael sniffed at his jacket sleeve, then rolled his eyes. “That’s the junk that Stevens wears. I swear he buys it by the gallon, then bathes in it before coming to work. The entire office smells of the stuff.”

Harvey cleared his throat. “I did find out that Lei Seduction is a men’s cologne,” he added.

Jada’s breathing increased as she looked up at her husband. “So you’re not cheating on me?”

“Of course not,” he said in relief. “And you’re not...” he pointed over at Harvey. When she shook her head, they both smiled, then started to chuckle at their mistake.

~~~~~~~~~

“Well that was fun,” Joe grumbled as he stared at the beads of sweat gathering on the outside of his beer mug.

Harvey sighed. “Now I can see why Nash was always so adamant about not taking domestic cases.” He didn’t notice the burning look that Joe gave him. “But, at least Jada and Michael have some peace of mind, now.”

“Need I remind you that you are the one that brought the case in?”

He looked over at Joe, then Harvey drew back slightly. “What are you looking at me for? At least we got paid.”

“True,” he conceded. “Hey, what is with you and Chris MacArthur?” Joe asked, curiosity getting the better of his sullen mood.

Harvey tried to wave it off. “It’s nothing, Joe. When I was out walking King yesterday, we walked right into each other and she dropped her groceries.” He thought back on the incident and shook his head. “At the time, I thought it was an accident, but apparently, we got mistaken as the flavor of the month.”

“It’s actually kind of flattering when you think about it,” Chris said, joining in on the conversation as she stepped up to the bar with Guy. She smiled at Harvey as she slipped onto the stool next to him. “At least most men would be flattered to be mistaken for a gigolo.”

Harvey’s brows shot up in surprise, then he smiled. “So I’m suppose to thank you for mistaking me for a male prostitute?”

Her smile grew. “Well, since you put it that way.” Her eyes dropped down, then slowly trailed up his body. “Maybe not.”

He chuckled at the blatant way she was looking at him. He wasn’t sure if she meant he was desirable or lacking. “Now what’s that suppose to mean?”

“Give it up Harv,” Joe discouraged him. “I’ve got a feeling you’ve met your match with this one.”

“You’ve got that right,” Guy concurred as he grabbed a handful of peanuts and tossed a few into his mouth. “You’d be at the losing end of a war of words with her.” He signaled the bartender to get their drinks.

Harvey’s smile softened as his eyes roved her face. “I’m intrigued. So, I take it you had no intention of keeping our dinner date, huh?"

Digging an elbow into Guy's ribs when her partner started to chuckle, Chris smiled apologetically. "No, I just wanted to get out of there. I couldn't believe you knew who lived in that house and that she'd gone out of town. That sort of put a crimp in my cover story."

Harvey shrugged his shoulders and returned her smile. "I make a point of knowing my neighbors. Besides, I see her out pruning her roses all the time when I'm walking my dog. She likes to talk." Taking a sip of his beer, Harvey pretended to look hurt. "So you were just gonna leave me sitting there in that restaurant?"

"Yep. I thought you were sleeping with your married neighbor and I'm afraid guys like that just aren't my type. Glad to see I was wrong." Giving Harvey a seductive smile, Chris grabbed her purse and headed for the ladies' room.

Watching her go, Harvey wondered what she'd meant by that last statement. Hearing Joe's quiet chuckle, he spun around on the barstool. "What?"

"Oh, you've definitely met your match there, bubba."

"Yeah, probably." Picking up his glass, Harvey smiled at his new partner. "So, Joseph, shall we toast our first successful case?"

"You call that successful?" Joe snorted in disgust. "It was all a huge waste of time."

"Oh, I don't know about that. For once we were able to save a marriage instead of help destroy one. I think that's a success, don't you?"

Honestly, Joe hadn't thought about it that way, but Harvey was right. It hadn't worked out the way he'd thought it would, but at least it had a happy ending. Raising his glass, he clinked it against Harvey's and smiled. "Here's to our first successful case. I hope we have many more."

"To our success." Harvey smiled as they touched glasses. Nash had been right, as usual. It looked like everything was going to work out after all. "And to many more in the future."