Rose was ordering a bottle of scotch on her com as she walked toward Freddy, “Glenmorangie?” she asked Freddy in the middle of the order.

“Aye, Sweetstuff. Sherry cask, 18 years or older,” he replied.

She smiled at him as she finished the order. He always knew exactly what he wanted.

“Rose, do you like money?” asked Freddy, and she could see he had just finished checking with someone on his com.

“I call it ‘com points’,” she said, “I don’t think I’ve seen ‘real money’ in ten years. Yes. I like money. I’ve got quite a bit of it you know.”

“I know,” he said checking the desk screen for information, “about ten and a half million, just sitting around gathering dust.”

“How did you get tha…. .” she stopped because the look he was giving her said, ‘Hey! I’m Freddy.”

“Okay, what are you worth?” she put to him.

He pushed his chair back away from the screen and waved his hand in presentation.

“Holy crap!” she exclaimed as she looked at the screen, “three-point six … billion? Three. Point Six. Billion!”

“Yes, lassie, and it should have been more by now. I’ve been so busy workin’ that I’ve had no time to make any money.”

“You need more money?”

“Auk, Rose. You know it’s not the money. That’s just how you keep score. Aye, well it is kind of handy when you want to purchase something pretty,” he reached down to the floor, picked up a paper bag and handed it to her.

She took the bag, looking at him with a knowing smirk, reached in, expecting to find a decorated cup-cake or the like, but instead pulled out a ‘Faberge’ egg. “Oh, Freddy,” she almost dropped the egg. “Oh Freddy, it’s beautiful! Wait right there,” she walked carefully over to the fireplace and set the egg down carefully in a bowl on the mantel, “I’ll have to get a stand for it,” she said and as she turned there was Freddy holding out an elegant, stand, obviously made expressly for the purpose of holding this particular egg. “You never leave things half done, do you, Fred.”

“You know it, Sweets,” he said, giving her a squeeze and a peck on the cheek, “Now to business.” He marched back over to the com screen on the desk. “Well, come here, lassie and I’ll show you how to double your’ money in less than a year.”

“Oh you sweet talker,” said Rose, as she grabbed the almost empty bottle of scotch and two glasses from the bar on the way to Freddys’ side.

She was amazed at the ease with which Freddy taught her how to leverage her money and yes it was a game. A game with a very useful prize. In the three hours, they spent ‘playing’ she had just over a million out and she could watch it coming back in at a respectable rate.

“This is far better than Com-Life,” stated Rose. Com-Life was a virtual reality game, which actually was like real life adventures, any way you wanted it. You could be anyone or thing, anywhere. Many people were addicted to it and preferred it to real life.

“Awk, I much prefer reality. I know a man, who’s Son does nothing else. If you force him out of it, he is totally paranoid. He’s in rehab now and they are trying to wean him off of it.”

The apartment com interrupted them with its’ very masculine voice, stating that there was a delivery person in the lobby awaiting permission to come up. Rose was about to give permission when Freddy said, “com show delivery person on screen.”

“Freddy, what’s up? Com allow Mr. Campbells’ request.”

“Can’t be too careful. You never know who might ….. look there’s the lobby, where’s the delivery person?”

Rose took a step towards the screen, “com show Harry at the desk.” The screen showed the desk, but no Harry. “Com, where is Harry?”

“Harry’s com is on its way up with the delivery person,” said the com, “Harry’s signature doesn’t register.”

Freddy pointed to a spot on the screen where you could plainly see a hand protruding from behind Harrys’ desk. He called the police on his com.

“Com, show personal lobby and secure door to open only with voice and iris recognition of Rose Winston-Smyth,” Freddy barreled off automatically.

“Ms. Winston-Smyth, do you…” asked the com.

“Yes. I authorize that order,” Rose said quickly.

They could hear the slight click of the extra security lock immediately after Roses statement.

“Harry’s com must carry the lock pass,” said Freddy.

“What do we do now?” asked Rose in a whisper.

“You don’t have to whisper, this place is like a vault,” said Freddy, “com lock the delivery person in the personal lobby.”

“I authorize that and allow Mr. Campbell full authority,” said Rose, before the com could ask.

The delivery person appeared on the com screen, a young, very pretty, blonde with a ponytail sticking out from the back of her uniform hat. She had the delivery box with the scotch in it and a shoulder bag big enough to hold a good-sized weapon. “Hellooo. Delivery for Rose Winston-Smith,” she said looking around for the camera.

“She’s just a kid,” said Rose.

“A professional,” said Freddy, “she screwed your name up to seem more like an uncaring delivery person.”

“Maybe she is an uncaring, delivery person,” said Rose.

The com said, “The police are in the lobby,” and it showed a split screen of the delivery girl and the police.

The police where checking Harry and had the com allow them to speak to Rose. “Miss Winston-Smyth?”

“Com, allow the police to come up. Have them show their badges,” said Rose.

“Officer, we have the assailant held in the personal lobby. I believe she is armed,” offered Freddy.

“Hello,” said Freddy to the delivery girl, “put the package and your bag down against the door and stand back against the far wall.”

“What?” said the girl, “I’ve got a delivery here for..”

“Just do as you’re told,” said Freddy.

The girl did as she was told and as she backed against the wall two police officers came through the outer doors. She hit the floor and pulled a gun from her jacket. It was an old-fashioned, Lugar, style pistol with a silencer on the barrel. She squeezed off three shots hitting the first officer in the right leg and arm. The female officer behind him, pulled him from the room before he could hit the floor. She closed the sliding door but put her weapon, an electric impulse gun, in the doorway before it completely shut. She had it set it for array, stun and as the girl was shooting at the weapon, it emitted a fast bright light and the girl was still, but for the odd twitch.

The door opened and the officer stepped in and showed her badge to the camera. Two other officers appeared and took the girl into custody.

“Com, admit the officer,” said Rose, looking to Freddy for confirmation. He nodded.

“Miss Winston-Smyth, I’m officer Judy Bench,” she showed her I.D..

“Officer Bench, this is Fredrick Campbell.”

“How do you do?” said Freddy, extending a hand.

“How is Harry, at the desk,” asked Rose.

“He is quite dead, I’m sorry to say,” said the officer. Rose hung her head, feeling responsible and trying not to burst into tears.

“Do either of you have any idea who that girl is or what she wanted?” asked officer Bench.

“I don’t know,” said Freddy, “we are both very well healed. Could it be robbery?”

“I think it may have been more than that,” said the officer. She had her com open to the station, as was normal practice so that officers could be monitored for safety sake. “You will have to come in for questioning. Hang on a minute,” she had a call from the station, “well Mr. Campbell, that was the chief. Evidently, you will not have to come in for questioning,” she said with a certain perturbation. Obviously, this was not procedure and that made her uneasy. She didn’t know whether to back out of the room or sing them a song.

Freddy saw the confusion in her eyes and said, “I’m sure this seems highly irregular to you, officer Bench, but I work with the police, what would you call it. Incognito,” he winked as he said this and continued, “I’m sure that between you, your’ fellow officers and I, that we can bring this conundrum to light quickly.” She found herself at the door and quite satisfied with that explanation. “Well, good evening Judy Bench. I hope that the other officer is not injured severely.” He had her hand in his and let go as the door closed.

“You dog!” said Rose, “You charmed her right out the door.”

“She was upset. Did she look upset when she left?”

Rose just shook her head, “Poor Harry. He was a good guy, I think. Didn’t really get to know him, but he was always there with a smile and a nice greeting.” As she said that, Harrys’ replacement arrived.

Freddy had his com link with the buildings’ and checked him out.

“Do you have any idea what that was all about?”

“Maybe. I’ll have to check with a few contacts,” answered Freddy, “sitting in the chair by the desk com, “Hey look. You’re up almost eighty thousand. Should be more. You know another really bad thing about this?”

“There’s more?”

“They took the scotch as evidence,” said Freddy sadly and she thought she saw a tear in his eye.

“Glass of wine?” she asked.

“Vodka and ice, please. I need something with a little kick.”

“Me too,” she said.

They both were beat, but Freddy had to talk to his contacts and try to find out what this was about. He sent the security video of the delivery girl to ten different people in six different countries. One came back right away from the U.S. with the girls’ particulars.

“Says here that her name is Patricia Patkin, a twenty-nine year old dance instructor from Duluth. She was initially from St. Petersburg, Russia and her name was Patkinsky. She is a contract killer, kidnapper and what have you. She has never been caught in her ten-year career. No information on who she’s working for now,” Freddy put down his notes and then put down the vodka. “I’ve got three contracts on the go right now. One is all but finished and it wouldn’t matter if I were involved anymore or not. One is for a large company trying to search out a spy from another large company. That is definitely not it. The third is the Canadian Government looking after Jones. Gotta be it, but why? I’m not as essential as the government thinks. I’m just warning them of undesirables. I can’t stop someone eventually copying the formula for Malecode, no one can. It’s not worth killing me for.”

“Killing You!” Rose was even more upset now.

“It’s okay Rose. I can’t see this going any further,” he lied. “Russian. I wonder if my old friend Vladimere is involved and why,” he thought.

Anyone who hired a professional hit girl would hire another. Maybe it was a grudge from the past. Whatever. He went and got them both a drink and suggested they get some sleep. “Big day tomorrow.”

“Not too big, I hope,” said Rose quietly, but Freddy heard her and silently agreed.

He called the police station and had them patch him through to officer Benchs’ com. He gave her all the information on the girl which made her more than happy. Then he called the chief and told him that officer Bench would fill him in. He also told the chief how struck he was with officer Benchs’ professionalism and quick actions.

When he finished, he turned to see Rose looking at him smiling, “She was very good. But, does she deserve the ‘Medal of Honour’?”

“Give credit where credit is due,” was Freddys’ reply, “she’s got the right stuff.”

“You should know.”

“Damn straight. Now let’s get some rest.” He took her by the hand and led her to bed. They spent the night holding each other and wondering more than sleeping.