Not followed

“Sally,” Kumiko said, “when we came here, the route we took, the trains and cabs, that was in order to make certain we were not followed?”

“Nothing’s ever certain.”

“But when we went to meet Tick, you took no precautions. We could easily have been followed. You enlist Tick to spy on Swain, yet you take no precautions. You bring me here, you take many precautions. Why?”

The waiter put a steaming glass down in front of her. “You’re a sharp little honey, aren’t you?” She leaned forward and inhaled the fumes of brandy. “It’s like this, okay? With Tick, maybe I’m just trying to shake some action.”

“But Tick is concerned that Swain not discover him.”

“Swain won’t touch him, not if he knows he’s working for me.”

“Why?”

“Because he knows I might kill him.” She raised the glass, looking suddenly happier.

“Kill Swain?”

“That’s right.” She drank.

“Then why were you so cautious today?”

“Because sometimes it feels good to shake it all off, get out from under. Chances are, we haven’t. But maybe we have. Maybe nobody, nobody at all, knows where we are. Nice feeling, huh? You could be kinked, you ever think of that? Maybe your dad, the Yak warlord, he’s got a little bug planted in you so he can keep track of his daughter. You got those pretty little teeth, maybe Daddy’s dentist tucked a little hardware in there one time when you were into a stim. You go to the dentist?”

***

Mona Lisa Overdrive ch 9