"New Town, Old Town"

Episode Three: Complications

Henry Jewell was hungry but didn't feel like eating alone. He walked to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of beer. It had an ornate label and a distinctive dark brown bottle -- not the kind you would see at the neighborhood supermarket. He opened the bottle, carefully poured its contents into a chilled, heavy crystal mug and went into his office. On an expansive teak desk the screen on his computer announced that there were several e-mail messages to read. He sat down in the leather desk chair, placed the frosty mug of beer on a round straw coaster and began to read the messages. Only one interested him -- he deleted the others and studied the survivor.

"Jeweller: Is she back yet? Need to talk to you. Expect a visit. Sorry to violate your code of secrecy, but I just love to use e-mail. Hurry up and delete this -- you wouldn't want to get caught, would you? E."

Just as he finished reading the message there was a knock on the door. The timing was so significant that he knew it could only be her. Henry sighed, picked up the mug and walked toward the door. He fully expected to see Eleanor LaRousse when he opened it, and he wasn't disappointed.

"Hi, Jeweller," she breathed as he stood to one side so she could come in.

"Hello, Eleanor," he said with some irritation -- but not enough to be rude. "You're looking well. New hair style? Or is it just the color...?"

As she threw her coat over his on the chair by the door she turned quickly toward him, her right hand moving toward her long, dark hair.

"It's more or less the same. Does it offend you or are you just trying to make impolite conversation?" she said as she moved toward to balcony window effortlessly, weightlessly -- it was her trademark.

Henry followed her across the room, past the desk with the picture of Thera looking out at them.

"You didn't come here to look at the lake," he said, taking a long sip of the beer. "What's on your mind?"

She turned away from the window, looking past Henry Jewell at the picture on the desk. "You," she said, "and her...." She gestured toward the picture with a jerk of her head and stood facing him with her arms crossed.

"I'm not just something you picked up at an auto parts store, Jeweller," she mocked.

Henry winced. "I'm not aware that I picked you up anywhere, Eleanor. And that remark wasn't worthy of even you."

He placed the beer mug on the desk rather heavily. Condensation ran down the side of the heavy glass object, pooling around its base onto the smooth, oiled cherry desktop. Eleanor LaRousse moved to the desk, half-sitting on its edge.

"Choose, Henry," she said as she smoothed the hair away from her face, "or your life could get very complicated...."

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