it through the bars to the dog. Carson grabbed it and went back on patrol.
The usual Christmas fare. Repeats of specials he had seen dozens of times before. He flipped through them. There was the Island of Misfit Toys, and Linus wrapping his blanket to shore up that pathetic little tree. He growled with displeasure and turned it off.
"Oh, I love this one!" she cried. "Best 'Christmas Carol' ever!"
They were cuddling on the couch downstairs, a bowl of popcorn and a pitcher of bourbon-laced eggnog on the coffee table. Nicky was curled up on the far end, forcing them together. He wondered if that was her intent.
"The Mister Magoo one was the best," said Lehrmann.
"Never saw that one," she said.
"They used to show it when I was a kid," he said. "The Ghost of Christmas Future scared the crap out of me."
"That's no surprise," she said. "The future always scares you."
He looked at her.
"Where did that come from?" he asked.
"Oh, come off it, Sam," she said. "It's Christmas Eve. Our third together. Only we're not completely together, are we?"
"I'm over here most nights, aren't I?"
"Yes, but I'm a greedy little bitch, Sam," she said. "I want them all. Where were you Tuesday night?"
"I was home."
"Now, that's simply a lie," she said. "I called you at home, and you didn't answer. And when I drove by, no one was there."
"Wait, Tuesday. You're right, I wasn't home. I was at the warehouse most of the night. Waldo wasn't feeling well. He's this new Doberman puppy, and - "
"I called your cell, Sam."
"Battery was dead. I forgot to recharge it."
"And I went by the warehouse, Sam."
He was silent for a moment.
"You did," he said.
Chapter Two
"I most certainly did," she said. "There was a light on, but no one answered the door."
"I may have dozed off," he said. "I'm surprised Carson didn't start barking. He must have known it was you."
"You know," she drawled. "I bet if Carson could speak, he could tell a lie way better than any drinking buddy ever could."
"I don't have drinking buddies," he said.
"You going to tell me what's going on?" she asked.
"Why are you doing this tonight of all nights?"
"Because I am tired of being with a man who won't be with me, Sam Lehrmann," she said. "I am tired of you keeping secrets from me. I can't live with a man who keeps secrets."
"Everyone has secrets."
"That is true. But I want you to trust me with yours, Sam. I want to know that you trust me."
He took his hands and placed them on her shoulders.
"There are things about me that no one can know about," he said.
"I do understand the concept of secrets, Sam," she said sharply. "I don't care if you're an escaped convict, or practice vivisection on hitchhikers, or you're a Mets fan. I just want to know the truth."
"I'm not a Mets fan," he said. "I'm not a convict, and I almost never practice vivisection on hitchhikers."
"Tuesday night, Sam. I want to know where you were."
"I was at the warehouse, Mona, and that's God's own truth for you."
"Alone?"
"Just me and the dogs. Not another human being around."
"And what were you doing there?"
"Nothing that concerns you," he said.
"You concern me," she said.
"I love you and I trust you," he said. "Now, I am asking you to trust me when I tell you that there is something about me that I cannot possibly talk about with you, or with anyone else. But it doesn't affect how I feel toward you, or - "
"Get out," she said wearily.
"What?"
"Get out, go away, don't come back," she said. "Get out of my house, get out of my life. I don't have many good years left, Sam, and I am sure as hell not going to waste them on you. Get out."
"It's Christmas Eve, Mona," he protested.
"There is no more room at this inn, Sam," she said. "And there ain't no manger waiting for you in back. Get out. And if you run into the Three Wise Men, ask them why they think they're so smart when they ain't got any women in their lives."
He stood up, walked to the door, then looked back at the woman and the dog on the couch. The dog was looking at him. The woman wasn't.
"You take good care of her, Nicky," he said.
The dog nodded. He left.
It was just as well, he thought. Stupid of him to even try. But it had lasted longer than he could have hoped, and he was