In the balmy sundown light of a California spring twilight, Theresa Argent paced the rich Spanish tiles of her patio, ignoring the far reaches of the blue Pacific gradually turning orange in the dipping sun. The speakers hidden in the synthetic boulders scattered around the garden among the catii and bougainvillea were warbling with the voice of Christine LAvin.

It was the kind of love
You never recover from
Even though she's found another one
To take his place,
She never will escape the truth.
And at times like this
When the moon is right
And the air is foggy
Like it is tonight
She thinks about
What might have been
If she had just held on to him,
The kind of love
You never recover from...."

She muttered angrily at the swell of affection the song brought out in her, and tried to focus. She put down her cell phone and moved inside to the wood-paneled library, opening a polished oak box to reveal a sturdy metallic handset. She picked it up and pushed two numbers on its numberpad.

"Capo Two, High E", she said, feeling vaguely foolish. There was an electornic hum that burbled for several seconds, and a deep male voice came on.

"Yo Terry, what's new?"

"Update is one folkie taken out by unknown assailant; cover holding, but that Madison character you suggested is turning out to have more than one brain cell and may be a risk. One fiddler seems to be kin to Area 51 tribe -- he said you would understand that." she rattled off, trying to sound self---popssessed and competent. The effort didn't take.

"And listen, you flat-footed fathead -- if one hair on that man's head is harme dby this stupid cops-and-robbers game I will personally hunt you down and castrate you with a butter knife. A promise, not a threat. "

"Whoah, Terry!! Deep breaths here!! If this wasn't critical to national security I never would have asked the best man for the job to do it. You know that."

"I don't give a shit, Wallace. What I said stands. I need him back, and I need him back in one piece."

"OK, ok. I have duly noted your threat of physical harm to a representative of the United States government." He was trying to inject humor, but her mood wasn't amenable to it.

"Gummint, smummint, Wallace. This is me you're talking to. No crap on this one, you understand?"

"Read you loud and clear, Terry. Thanks for the update. I will bring him home."

She hung up, skeptical, and returned to the patio, breathing hard and wishing Daniel had never worked for people like that.

Stay with me...oh, stay with me.
This is the kind of love you never recover from....

She turned her back on the sweet melody and stared angrily out at the Pacific, hoping to see a green flash, fuming.