Suddenly, I felt the Ventura Highway spinning like a pinwheel on the ass of a pinata at a Christmas Party for the Blind. Danny had done it...slipped me the mickey before he caught the big sleep himself. The last thing I remembered was Baby's red-lacquered fingertips on the hand gripping the steering wheel, while visions of sugar plums unloaded hollow-points clips in my head.

A decade later I woke up- looking right at a huge rubber sign that read CATSPAW . It was the heel of Nesbitt's police regulation wingtip. "Get up, Madison! Get up before I stomp your stupid head into the dirt!" He and Moe grabbed a handful of my Shirt and yanked me to my feet."Baby..." I mumbled, as Nesbitt brushed me off with an action that was damn close to police brutality."Enough of your endearments, Madison. I'm just doin my job. Course, I oughta run you in for vagrancy. Look at ya- sleepin in the Colladia bushes by the side of the Highway."

"Yeah, Lieutenant. You're a true prince. Where's my hat?"

"On the passenger seat of that Piece of shit you drive, parked over there in the grass."

I got lucky the key was still in it. "Hey, Madison," said Nesbitt," I got some bad news. Somebody 86ed your pal Danny Flynn. Similar MO to the Gentry job, only Danny took the pick in the back." He shut my door for me. "like I said, a real prince," I growled. He smiled that yellow nicotine grin."You ain't mixed up in this are ya, Blakey? You know, Danny, Papers... and you still stink of Patchouli oil."

"Not a chance, copper." I turned the key."Say Nesbitt?"

" Yeah?"

"Borrow a couple of bucks for gas?"