Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert)

"Am I supposed to know her?" Rupert took a sip of his coffee, trying to ease the discomfort in his body.

"She's... the new girl at work. She sent me here to treat you to dinner."

As Fay's name came up, Sylvia shot a glance at the heavy oak door.

Did Fay lock them in here?

Rupert caught her look and said quietly, "You two have some history, don't you?"

"Can I plead ignorance?" Sylvia still felt completely baffled by the whole thing.

Rupert spun the chunky silver ring on his finger, a frown creasing his brow. "Whoever locked that door definitely knew we were in here."

Sylvia caught on instantly.

She held out her hand to Rupert. "Your phone."

"Someone spilled a drink on me. It's fried."

"Really? That's a little too convenient," Sylvia said, suspicion clear in her voice.

"Want to frisk me?" Rupert held both hands up, palms open.

The overhead light made the garnet ring on his hand look even more striking, not

to mention the wedding band sitting snugly on his middle finger.

Sylvia tore her eyes away, pretending not to notice, and racked her brain for solutions.

Rupert followed her gaze, glancing at his own rings, then lowered his head and absently rubbed them.

back, behind the scotch bottles. Inside, there's a safe. Orson

and went searching,

"Where exactly?"

way in the back. What

toward the

behind that curtain once, at Rupert's last

breath, she stepped through the curtain. This was Rupert's secret tasting room, all mahogany shelves and dim lights. She pushed aside a rack of rare bourbons and found

called out, "It needs a

moment before finally saying,

scowled. This was no time for

in

Maybe Chris? Wrong again.

would go off, and then the whole

it,

right behind her, his breath warm on her neck. One hand

1125.

Sylvia froze.

It was her birthday.

celebrated her

safe clicked open. Inside were some auctioned bottles of wine

and, pretending not to notice the code, grabbed the spare

the phone to Rupert. "This is

past Rupert and out of

the

she really come to

outside for a bit. When Rupert finally emerged, his

if he'd never lost control at