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followed from the Prescott estate. What was his role? Prescott’s visit concerned him. It was his fault. If he hadn’t tampered with Alexandria’s car then she would’ve gone back to her condo instead of hiding from him.
    O’Malley had to be a cop or a private investigator. He had the height and the build for it. He was also smart. Twice today O’Malley had almost caught him following him.
    It was his anger that made him careless, an anger he needed to control if he wanted to be with his Princess. He had lost his first job because of his anger. He was good at his job before he was dishonorably discharged. They had taught him to kill and he became good at it. Then they accused him of liking it too much. So what if he killed people that didn’t deserve to die. That’s what war was about. They concluded he was unstable. Instead of serving his country, he held the door for people, and some of them don’t even look at him. They treated him like dirt.
    He knew he should’ve forgiven Alexandria for cheating on him with the man in black. He had always forgiven her, but this time she needed to be taught a lesson. He looked toward the apartment window. O’Malley had pulled back the drapery and was peering out into the darkness. A few minutes later the front door flew open and O’Malley sprinted across the street toward his car.
    Turning on the car, putting the gear in drive, he jammed on the accelerator and drove away, tires screeching into the night. He was half way home before he turned on his headlights.
    Samuel O’Malley was going to be a big problem.
    •  •  •
    Alexandria knocked on Mimi’s door. Her room was at the other end of the house. At six thousand and fifty square feet, the house was like a football stadium. Growing up in the house, she’d often felt lost in it. Still did.
    As a child when she couldn’t sleep at night, she would always visit Mimi. She would sit in her room for hours and Mimi would tell her stories about her life in France before she moved to America. Her favorite were the stories of Josephine Baker, the entertainer.
    When things were at their most confusing Mimi would make it all better, and that’s why she was outside Mimi’s door. She was too old to be hanging on to childhood memories and was feeling a bit silly. She was a grown woman yet sometimes stepping back into the house made her—
    “Come in, Sweet Pea.”
    “Old habits die hard,” Alexandria said when she opened the door and made a bee line for Mimi’s bed. The marble tile felt cool under her bare feet until she hit the soft white rug in front of the bed.
    Alexandria loved Mimi’s room. Even though her father had remodeled the entire house, Mimi’s room had remained the same over the years. Rich heavy drapery in green silk hung from the windows. It also covered a window bench that overlooked the garden. The room was decorated with fine antique furnishings, most of which Mimi had brought with her from France.
    “Come,” Mimi removed her glasses, closing the book of poetry and setting it on the night table. She patted the large four-poster bed lifting the green silk cover. “I was expecting you. This brings back memories.”
    “Not always good ones.” Alexandria lifted the hem of her nightgown and crawled into the bed. She told Mimi about the argument with her father. “I know he means well, but sometimes he’s suffocating.”
    “He loves you, Sweet Pea. Whatever he does it’s because he loves you. Tell me what’s on your mind. The last couple of times when you visited you never came to my room.”
    “I’m a little old to be crawling into bed with my former nanny, don’t you think?”
    “Says who?”
    With a big wide smile and a sparkle in her green eyes Mimi lifted Alexandria’s spirits and she began to feel better. Mimi understood her and that’s why Alexandria could tell her anything. There was no ordering her about or telling her what was best for her or belittling the things that were important to