"It'll just take me a few minutes. Then we'll know for sure that everything's safe."

"We're safe here. I don't want you going over there. What if somebody is there?"

"Then he'll be in big trouble, won't he?" Eve stepped onto the submerged bench, then onto the ledge. Water spilling off her body and spattering the concrete, she hurried over to the towels.

She squatted and snatched up her pistol.

"Wait," Dana said. "Tuck's right. You really shouldn't go over there."

"Don't worry about it. I'll be right back."

"Maybe you won't!" Tuck said. "Come on, you're gonna ruin the party."

Still squatting, Eve shifted the pistol to her left hand. She pushed her right hand into the folds of Tuck's towel and pulled out the .44 magnum. "Mind if I borrow this?"

"Yeah, I mind. Just stay here."

"If somebody is hiding over there," Eve said, "I think we should find out about it."

"Doesn't mean you have to risk your ass."

The huge revolver in one hand, the black automatic in the other, Eve stood up. "This better be loaded."

"Damn it, Eve!"

Eve smiled, said, "Take it easy," then started striding toward the end of the pool.

Dana leaped up. "Wait!" she called. "I'm coming, too."

"Me, too!" Tuck shouted.

Eve stopped and faced them. "No. Just..."

They both sprang out of the spa.

"All for one and one for all!" Tuck yelled.

"Jesus H. Christ," Eve said.

Water dribbling off her body, Dana crouched over her purse, fumbled inside and pulled out the pistol that Eve had loaned her last night.

As she rushed toward her two friends, she saw Eve hand the Smith & Wesson to Tuck.

"Be careful with it," Eve said.

"Don't you want to deputize us?" Tuck asked.

"Where would I pin the badges?"

"We don't need no steenking badges."

Eve in the lead, Dana and Tuck side by side a few paces behind her, they walked the length of the swimming pool, turned the corner, and headed for the dark row of bushes.

"If there is a Peeping Tom," Tuck said, "he'll think he's having a wet dream."

"Oh fuck," John muttered, "I'd love to get a shot of this."

"Don't try it. We've gotta get out of here."

In Owen's mind, John ignored him and lurched out of the bushes, onto the pool's apron straight in front of the spectacular trio and raised the big-lensed camera for what might've been the greatest photo of his entire life-and they opened up on him, their guns roaring, fire flashing from their muzzles. Owen could see how the flashes threw stark light across their wet, naked bodies. And he could see how the slugs struck John, smacking holes in him, making him twirl and dance in slow motion until he fell on his back.

Grabbing John's arm, squeezing it, Owen blurted, "Come on!"

And John didn't try for the shot. "Yeah," he said. "Let's book."

Side by side, they scurried backward.

We'll be okay, Owen told himself. 'They'll never see us in here. Not without a flashlight.

He was nearly certain they had no flashlight.

As he crawled backward, he kept his eyes forward and watched for them. He ought to be able to see their legs through the bushes when they got to this end of the pool. Probably a few seconds from now.

Rustly sounds came from the bushes to his left.

Oh jeez, somebody IS over there!

The cough, a few minutes before Dana's arrival, had frightened him badly.

But he'd heard nothing more from over there.

With Dana's arrival, he'd been able to push his worries aside. Awestruck, he'd watched her remove her clothes. He'd been stunned to discover, when she pulled off her T-shirt, that she wasn't wearing a bra.

"Ah, look at them titties," John had said, inspecting her through his telephoto lens.

Owen had resisted an urge to hit him. He'd learned his lesson about that sort of thing. Besides, a blow might've jiggled the camera and ruined a shot.

The camera had clicked and buzzed again and again as Dana drew the T-shirt over her head, dropped it, and stepped down into the spa.

Then John had said, "Show's over. Ready to go?"

"No way."

"What, you don't want to leave? I thought you couldn't wait."

"Blow it out you ass, Cromwell."

"Think maybe they'll have an orgy?"

"Shhh."

"A three-way babe orgy."

"Shut up."

"How'd you like to get in the middle of that?"

The mere thought of it excited Owen. "Just shut up, okay? You want them to hear you?"

"They can't hear shit...those bubbles and everything."

"Maybe. But I'm not so sure we're the only ones over here."

"What, your phantom cougher?"

"It sure sounded like a cough."

"Why don't you go investigate, offer him a lozenge?"

"I haven't got a lozenge."

"What're they gonna do, just sit in there and drink all night? Come on, babes, let's have some action."

"Would you please be quiet?"

Not long after that, the beautiful stranger had climbed out of the spa.

"Oh man, oh man," John had murmured, his camera clicking and buzzing.

"Oh shit," Owen had said. "She's getting the guns! She beard you, you asshole!"

"Take it easy."

Then Dana had stood up and climbed out, followed by Lynn.

"Oh man," John had said, snapping shots rapid-fire, "look at Lynn, look at Lynn. Oh man, she shaves it!"

I see, I see!

"We've died and gone to heaven, man!"

Except that Dana, down on one knee, had just pulled a pistol out of her purse. And Eve had just handed the giant silver revolver to Lynn.

And then they were all together, coming around the pool like a bizarre version of the Earps on their way to the O.K. Corral.

Side by side, Owen and John kept crawling backward. Owen watched for the legs of the women.

"I meant to bring a flashlight," he heard one of them say. Her voice came from the left and sounded as if she was still down by the deep end.

"Want me to run in the house and get one?" He recognized Lynn's voice.

"No, don't bother. Let's get this over with."

"What was that?" Dana asked.

Bowels going cold, Owen stopped crawling. John stopped, too.

"Did you hear something?" the stranger asked.

"I thought I did. In there."

"What?" Lynn asked.

"Like leaves."

"Probably just the wind," Lynn said.

"Maybe."

"I'm a police officer," the stranger said suddenly in a loud, hard voice that made Owen flinch. "Come out of the bushes. We know you're in there. Come out slowly with your bands over your bead."

Owen turned his head. John, on hands and knees, seemed to be looking at him.

Softly, Owen went, "Shhh."

"I'll give you five seconds. Then I'm coming in after you. If you make me do that, I'm gonna be pissed."

Owen counted slowly to five, then to ten.

"Here I come, " she announced.

"You're not really...?" Lynn's voice.

"You two wait here. Keep your weapons ready, but try not to shoot me."

"If you go in, I go in," Diana said.

"Me, too," said Lynn. "All for one..."

John suddenly whispered, "Let's get the fuck outa here."

They resumed crawling backward.

Fast.

For a few seconds, Owen heard talk about getting scratched by the bushes.

Then the stranger announced in a, loud voice, "Here we come, ready or not."