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Micki put a mug of coffee in front of Susan and sat down across the table from her. Susan looked up and they were both silent for a while. Finally, Susan asked, "Why are you here? Why did you come to see me?"

"I need some money."

Susan nodded. "Okay, I see, and your idea is that I'm going to give you the money because I've just figured out 'what he's really like,' and I'm going to feel guilty about working for him all this time." She leaned forward and picked up her coffee. She sipped it and then placed the mug on the folded newspaper.

"I am a bad person," she went on, "but not for the reason you think. I'm a bad person because even though the man I work for–"

"The man you love," Micki muttered into her mug.

Susan laughed. "The next vacation I get, I want to spend it where you live, the country where things are so simple. Anyway, the man I work for just had two men killed, and he had it set up so that their bodies would be found in the most ridiculous and humiliating situation he could imagine."

"I wonder if this comes as any big surprise to you," Micki said quietly. Susan ignored her.

"One of those man was going to withdraw his support," she continued, "and maybe make some public statements. Plus he called you a slut. The other man, this Hobbs, didn't do anything, at least nothing that Mike Sheldon cares about. And now they're both dead.

"You know why I'm a bad person? I'm a bad person because the thing that upsets me the most is how Mike treated you. More than two murders." She picked up her coffee. "You might as well take off that horrible, smelly jacket, because I'll give you money, and some clothes besides, but there's a price. I want to know what's going on, all the questions Mike was too angry to ask." She held up her hand, "Not for him. If he wants to know, he can stop being so stubborn and ask you himself. This is just between you and me. But if you don't want to tell me, you can leave now."

Micki nodded and stood up. "Okay," she said, taking off her jacket and hanging it over the back of her chair. Susan went to the stove and got the coffee pot. She topped off both their mugs and then sat down.

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