Easy Prey

by John Sandford

"Hurts," she said again. She looked at Lucas as if he might be able to help. He sat helplessly with his hands in his lap. "I know it does…"

  Lucas hadn't seen Jael since the fight in the gas station, although she'd left a message. And he had a call-back slip from Catrin. Weather needed to talk to him: "About a frog," the message slip said.

  He didn't quite know how to start. Instead of starting, instead of deciding anything, he went back to his office, put his feet in a desk drawer, leaned back in his chair, and tried to work it out. One thing was, he really wanted a couple of more days with Jael. Of course, Weather—the only woman he'd ever really loved. But remember the time that he and Catrin… Jeez. That thing with the Lady Remington, that he'd done with Jael on the phone—Catrin had invented that.

  He smiled, remembering, and he'd almost fallen asleep when the phone rang.

  He jumped, opened his eyes, picked it up.

  A woman's voice said, "Lucas?"