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I waited a few seconds, then I sat down. The day finally hit me.

"If I got this right," Tom said, "That was one of the head honchos, right?"

I just nodded.

"And you kicked him out. Don't you think he's going to come after you for that?"

"Raphael won't go after Denton," Maximilian said. "He may be young, and a little rash, but he understands I am backing

Denton in this."

"Why is he in charge if he's rash? I'd expect they'd want cooler head to make the decisions."

"He is the oldest with any kind of experience as a leader to have survive this spring's attack of his family."

"You're being pretty free with the information. Don't you keep that stuff secret normally?"

"Denton brought you here, and he made it clear you work for him. I expect it means he can trust you with our secrets."

"And if he can't?"

"Then it's going to be his responsibility to make sure you understand how important it is that you keep them. I don't know you Mister..., which name do you prefer?"

"Tom Marrows."

"Denton has never mentioned you before Mister Marrows. I don't know if he picked you up off the side of the road because of how attractive you are, or if he's known you all his life. But Denton is an elder, that entitles him to do whatever he feels necessary to protect his family. It also means he is accountable for everyone who works under him."

I stood, and Tom looked at me instead of replaying. "I need to go home."

"I'll drive you," the badger said.

I shook my head. "Martin, are you going home or staying here?"

The cougar thought about it for a moment. "I'll head home. After this day, I'm not in the mood to be among lots of people.

I'll tell you what happened tomorrow, dad."

"Were you the instigator?" Max asked.

"No, I followed Dent's lead."

"Then I don't need to know. Denton can tell me what he feels is important as his leisure."

I snorted. "You trust me that much?"

"You're an elder, Denton. I can't make demands of you."

I sighed. "I so don't want this job."

"Unfortunately, it's something you have no say in the matter."

I didn't reply.

"You want to come to my place, Dent?"

"Yeah, I need to get my car."

"I'll drive you," Tom said.

"No, go home. You--"

Tom grabbed my arm and came close. I had the feeling he would preferred dragging me out of the room to talk. He kept his voice low. "Look, I know this is new, and you haven't setup anything official, but my qualifications make me the best person to protect you."

I gave him the best smile I could in my tired state, it probably wasn't impressive. "I don't need a bodyguard, Tom. I don't know what this is going to look like yet, but I can take care of myself." He opened his mouth but I cut him off. "Go home, rest. In a couple of days we'll get together and figure out how to proceed and what job we'll all have. Right now I'm too tired to make any serious decisions."

He wasn't happy about it, but he nodded.

Colby, Frank, and Fred, got in the car with me and Martin. Colby took the front and the lions sat on either side of me. For a moment I was surprised Colby had left me alone, then I found I didn't even have the energy for that. I rested my head on Fred's shoulder, then I was out.

I came awake with a start when Fred shook me. We were at martin's place. I trudged out of the car and made my way to mine. Martin invited me to stay over, but I turned him down. I wanted to go home and... something.

I sat in my car and rested my head back. I closed my eyes for a moment, and woke with a start again, but this time I felt more awake. I had no idea how long I'd napped this time. I started the car, then opened the trunk, and got the briefcase out, dropping it on the passenger seat.

I stared at it for a moment, then I chuckled, and laughed. Santiago had had it right under his nose and he hadn't known. It took me a few minutes to get it under control, and I felt better for it. I did have multiple fits of giggles during my drive back to my place.

I was able to find a parking spot on the ground floor, this area being mostly commercial this level wasn't even half full at this hour. I took my phone out of the dash and hesitated.

They had to have made it home by now. Tim, Jen, and their kids would have gone to their own place. Mom would be in bed, but dad might still be up. I called him.

"You've reached Stanley Brislow's message center. If this is a business related call, press one--"

I pressed two, I didn't feel like listening to the whole thing. "Dad, please call me. Look, we need to talk, I can explain what happened. Dad, please, call me."

He'd gone to bed. I refused to believe that he'd ignored my call. He'd been shocked by what I'd done, that's why he'd reacted that way. He would have calm down on the way home. Tomorrow he was going to call me, and I'd explain things. It might be rough for a while, but we would work it out. Unlike Magdalene, I wasn't running away. I was going to be here, ready to talk with him.

Briefcase in hand I headed for my place. Even though it was closed, I could smell the sugar and dough through the bakery's door, and my stomach grumbled. When had I eaten last? This morning?

I looked away from the bakery, and noticed a form standing by the door to my office. The street light cast him in shadows. He was too tall to be Tom. No one else I knew might show up like that. I reach at my back, but I didn't have my stunner.

I gripped the briefcase firmly. If it came to it I'd use it was a weapon, it was suppose to be indestructible, right?

The man moved and light fell across his face. The german sheppard smiled at me.

"Hey there," Reilly said, "How is my favorite felon doing tonight?"

"What do you want, Reilly? Can't you guess keep the harassing to business hours?"

"Now, now, no need to be all surly. It isn't like I woke you banging on your door, is it? I was just in the neighborhood and saw you were coming, so I waited."

I rolled my eyes. Wondered where his car was and how long he'd been watching my place. "Fine. You've seen me. You can make believe you've told me how despicable I am, and that I've told you off."

"Ahh, if only that was why I dropped by. No, this is official police business. Seems that a car matching yours was seen in the vicinity of two crime scenes. Got anything to say about that?"

He had to come ask me about that when I was tired. "Are you saying I'm the only person driving a spruce colored Dependence?" Zee had told me the exact name for it's color when I'd gotten it. And I'd remembered it because to me spruce means the tree so green, not blue.

Reilly frowned at me. "Your car's blue, and no, you're not the only one, but seeing as at one location your friend from the

FBI was also there, I immediately thought of you."

"Fine, yeah. I got there after it went down. The Police and

FBI were already there and dealing with it."

"Why did you go?"

"I was driving by and saw the pretty lights." "You know, Stenton, if you think you can be--"

"It's Brislow."

"No, I'm pretty sure we got that right, after we found out you'd been sneaked into the force. You're a Stenton."

"And you're an asshole. I had nothing to do with either of those thing. You want to talk to me, you come back in the day time."

"How did you know there was a second incident?" "You said it."

"No I didn't."

I wanted to reply immediately, but I stopped myself. He had, hadn't he? I wasn't so tired I could be falling for this kind of trick. He wasn't going to get me to tell him something he didn't know.

"You said, my car had been seen in two places. A car matching mine, which obviously wasn't mine, since I wasn't where ever it was seen."

"How do you know?"

"Fuck this. I'm going to bed."

"Maybe I should bring you in, so you can answer my questions."

I gave him a wide smile. "You want to join Cooper in the corner? It's my understanding she got reprimanded for being over eager when pursuing me. Your captain would love to have see me again." I raised my hands, only now remembering I had the briefcase. I hoped I'd hid my worry behind a frown fast enough for Reilly to miss it.

"You going corporate?" the canine asked.

"I have to pay the rent. You guys saw to it I couldn't do the work I love, so I do whatever I have to."

"You can't be that desperate, I haven't heard anything from vice about you turning tricks on the street corners."

I dropped my hands, the free one closing in a fist. "Go fuck an animal, Reilly."

I walked around him, heading for the office door.

"Be sure to stay in town, Stenton. We're going to have questions for you. It's only a matter of time."

I slammed the door behind me, hearing it lock under the ticking of the chimes. Fuck I still had to replace them.

Tomorrow, I needed sleep.