Late Friday Evening

  Stefan Clayborne's Residence

  Detective Mackey shuts off the lights on his Crown Vic and drives it slowly up the driveway toward Stefan's immaculate farmhouse. He pulls the sedan onto the grass, parking it behind a monstrous bale of hay wrapped in yellow plastic. Mackey climbs from behind the wheel and looks up at the gigantic round environmental monstrosity with a curious expression. All of that hay for five cows and a horse?

  On cue, the cows behind the fence begin to bellow. Through the settling darkness, Mackey glances at the lumbering animals in the distance and grins. They'll make some nice cheeseburgers. Or a truckload full of chili dogs.

  Removing his trenchcoat and tossing it into the passenger seat, James softly closes the car door. He hunches down and makes his way across the yard. Every light at the front of the Clayborne home is out. Doesn't mean there isn't some form of alarm system or camera setup. He'll have to be extra careful, if he doesn't want to be caught.

  Mackey studies the front of the house, looking for signs designating an alarm company. Finding none, James grows more confident. Not smart, Stefan. A man with something to hide should always have an alarm.

  Detective Mackey reaches the front of the house. He inches toward the small window, at ground level, which he observed during his earlier visit to the house with Deputy Newsome. A basement. The perfect place to enter the home.

  A clatter to Mackey's left causes him to freeze with his hands on the outside window sill. A woman's voice filters to James' ears. A loudly frustrated woman's voice.

  "Oh damn! Damn! Damn! Ergh. That was my best makeup set. Ergh! Why the hell would he put it on the top damn shelf! Ergh! Damn it, Stefan! Ergh, I could kill him!"

  Mackey forgets the basement window and moves toward the side of the house. He slides along the wall, eyes focusing on the small beam of light hitting the ground, indicating an open window toward the back of the house. Once there, James almost wishes he weren't. For decency's sake.

  "Oh my! And whose little girl are you?" Mackey whispers softly enough for absolutely no one to hear. "You're not the one who watches over these fine farm animals. So what are you doing here, sugar lips?"

  The window opens up into a large bathroom. Several feet away, a very undressed woman stands at the sink rearranging her fallen makeup into two halves of a makeup tray which are no longer whole. She grumbles the entire time, cursing Stefan Clayborne from the earth to the sky.

  "Well, ole Stefan was hiding something. Just not what we thought," Mackey muses quietly. "Very interesting. Were you here in the house this morning, sugar lips? Or was that you on the phone? The call which snatched his attention away. I'm guessing that was you who called him. A wedding ring...But no wedding bells. Wouldn't look good for a woman of your sort to wear a wedding band on the stage. Might scare away customers. Or not."

  Mackey stares only a moment or so longer, noting certain characteristics about the furious woman. What he is able to see as she stoops to pick up her scattered makeup. The white fur coat on the towel hook is of most interest to the observant detective. Must have cost a pretty penny, along with the alterations to the gorgeous woman's shapely body. So much for giving up booze and loose women, Stefan. Liar, liar pants on fire. Best to be honest with oneself.

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  Slinking away from the window, Detective Mackey returns to his vehicle. About thirty minutes later, Miss. Fabulous exits the farmhouse. She is barely more dressed than she had been in the bathroom. Stefan's silent partner is now wearing a tight black dress with a large opening in the front. Diamond earrings hang from both of her ears, and a large choker literally oozes diamonds across her bosom.

  She walks down the driveway and approaches a large truck trailer parked opposite the giant yellow bale of hay. Mackey ducks down as far as he can in the seat, hoping the woman won't realize his car isn't supposed to be there.

  The woman remains oblivious to Detective Mackey's presence and observation. She unlocks the trailer and opens the door. Pressing a button near floor level, the attractively dressed woman waits for a metal ramp to descend. Mackey gapes in disbelief. Stefan Clayborne is just full of surprises.

  Once the ramp is down, the woman carefully ascends. A few moments later, the echoing sounds of a vehicle starting up within the trailer are heard. A small red car backs slowly down the ramp. Once she is far enough from the trailer, the woman gets out of her car and secures the tractor trailer. She drives off without so much as a glance in Detective Mackey's direction.

  The bewildered detective slowly sits up, peering in the direction of the farmhouse. He shakes his head sadly.

  "I definitely need one of those. Neat trick, Stefan. Really neat trick. Now, I can investigate inside the house a little."

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  A hour later

  Detective Mackey climbs back into his car, a disappointed scowl on his face. An hour of searching and nothing. Nothing to link Stefan to Aquarius anyway. But what to make of that nifty truck contraption and the bolted attic door? Why have such an elaborate setup to hide entertaining escorts and call girls? It just doesn't make sense. If Stefan were a married man, maybe. But Stefan Clayborne is free as a bird. Why so secretive? Trafficking maybe. A trafficker could make good use of a trailer like that. Maybe.

  Detective Mackey starts up the engine on his Crown Vic, but keeps the lights off. He slowly circles the giant yellow bale of hay, giving it a final long look. Chili dogs. Yes, he is rather hungry.

  Mosing on down the road, Mackey considers whether to eat somewhere along the way. He decides to wait until he gets back to the department. Freddo always saves him the best food. And Grace in the cafeteria is always so kind to let him warm it up in their industrial-sized microwaves.

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  Castleton Police Department

  Detective Mackey strolls into the operations room, two large styrofoam trays of Freddo's gourmet food balanced inside one elbow. In his other hand is clutched a steaming cup of hazelnut coffee. The only downside, it came from the local gas station. Blech.

  James is halfway to his desk when a woman police officer with long brown ringlets excitedly cuts him off.

  "Detective Mackey, there was a call for you. From the hospital. Madison Kelley...She's finally awake. The doctors aren't allowing visitors right now, but they said you can visit her in the morning. I thought you might like to know. You seemed so concerned about her welfare."

  "Thank you, Officer Wyatt. I appreciate the update," Mackey says, trying not to blush.

  "You're welcome."

  Officer Wyatt pats James' left forearm and bounds away. James watches her with a tiny laugh building in his chest. What he'd give to have her energy right about now.