I didn’t know what I was all bothered about, it wasn’t like Lee hadn’t given me gifts before. Last Christmas he bought Kitty Sue, Ally and I a day at the Tall Grass Spa in Evergreen. He’d also bought me a black belt with matte silver rivets and big square buckle last year, a special gift for my thirtieth birthday. Usually, he got me select pieces of silver jewelry from Cry Baby Ranch or gift certificates from Wax Trax.

Tiffany’s didn’t seem his style but I wasn’t going to complain.

Before I could get to the Tiffany Guy, Tex was there, snatching the bag out of his hand. Tiffany Guy stayed rooted to the spot, staring at Tex in horror.

“What is it? Is it ticking?” Tex boomed.

“Tex, give that to me,” I said, rushing over.

Tex shoved the bag under his sling and pulled the tiny blue box out of the bag. He defiled all that was Tiffany and, using his teeth, he tore open the little, white, satin bow and shook out the case, snapping it open.

I skidded to a halt beside him and stared at a pair of diamond stud earrings, huge diamond stud earrings.

Wow, Lee must be really sorry.

“There’s a card,” Tiffany Guy said, gingerly taking the bag from under Tex’s sling and pulling out a little white card and handing it to me.

I slid it open, pulled out the card and saw one word scrawled on it.

It said, Terry.

I felt my stomach roll.

“Put them back,” I said to Tex.

“What?” Tex was dazzled by the diamonds.

“Put them back.” Tex didn’t move, so I shouted, “Back, back, back! Put them back!”

“Cripes, woman, don’t get your panties in a bunch. I’ll put ‘em back,” Tex replied.

“I want you to take them back,” I told Tiffany Guy.

“I can’t take them back. I have express orders not to take them back,” Tiffany Guy returned.

“You have to take them back!” I shouted.

“I can’t,” Tiffany Guy said back.

I snatched the box out of Tex’s hand and pushed it toward Tiffany Guy. He put his hands up and took a step back.

“Take them!” I yelled, jerking my arm toward him.

“No, I can’t. We were told not to accept a refusal.”

“Take them!” I shrieked.

“For God sake, take ‘em, man, she’s gonna blow,” Tex boomed.

He didn’t take them so I threw the box at him. It bounced off his chest and landed on the floor. We were all staring at it when I heard the tone from my cell.

I felt something on my arm and looked down at Zombie Mrs. Salim. She was holding onto my arm and looking into my eyes. Her fingers squeezed my arm with surprising strength and I felt a weird sense of well-being steal over me.

It was then I realized I was totally freaking out and I took a deep breath, nodded to Mrs. Salim and picked up the box. I snatched the bag out of Tiffany Guy’s hand and put them back in the bag and set them on the book counter.

Whatever.

I’d give them to charity or something.

“Indy, it’s Lee,” Ally was standing by me now and she was holding out my phone.

How could I forget? The place was wired and had cameras. Command Headquarters had informed Lee of the latest delivery.

I took the phone from Ally and snapped it shut.

Ally stared at the phone, then at me.

“Did you just hang up on Lee?” she asked.

“Yep,” I answered.

Ally stared back at the phone, then back at me.

“You just hung up on my brother?” Ally asked, sidling into bitch smackdown mode in defense of her sibling.

“Ally,” Kitty Sue said placatingly.

“We’re on a break,” I told Ally.

“You’re on a break? You’ve been together a week!” Ally yelled.

“We’re on a break,” I repeated.

“I don’t believe this,” Ally snapped, her hand at her hip, countdown to bitch smackdown mode hitting critical.

“Ally,” Kitty Sue put in, “it’s none of your business.”

“What do you mean it’s none of my business? Lee’s my brother, she’s my best friend.”

“She means it’s none of your business,” I told Ally, “back off.”

“Back off? Did you just tell me to back off? I’ve been waiting twenty-two years for this!” Ally was back to yelling. “You can’t be on a break. That’s ridiculous! Hank’s never gonna get married, there’s no one perfect for him. You’re perfect for Lee and you won’t sort it out with him. I’m never gonna get a niece named after me.”

“For God’s sake, Ally, make your own babies,” I yelled back.

“No please, don’t do that. Not until you’ve found someone special,” Kitty Sue threw in.

“Um… I don’t mean to interrupt your asinine conversation but, are we gonna let those diamond earrings just sit on the counter?” Tex asked.

“What’s happening?” Duke had walked in and was surveying the scene.

I didn’t know what to do. My life had never been this out of control before. I didn’t know how to deal. I needed space. I needed time. I needed rock ‘n’ roll.

“Duke, you okay to close?” I asked Duke and he nodded. In turn, I addressed everyone (but Ally, of course). “Kitty Sue, please help Mrs. Salim find a book. Mr. Kumar, the tea’s on the house. Someone put those earrings somewhere safe and if Lee or one of his boys comes to get them, give them to him. Tex, can I borrow your car?”

He tossed me the keys. “Bronze El Camino, parked out back.”

I stomped outside and slid into the El Camino and stared in shock at the 8-track player. After a moment, I noticed there was a huge, leatherette case on the passenger side floor and I popped it open.

That’s when I hit the mother lode.

I ran my finger down them, Carlos Santana, The Eagles, Heart, War, Neil Young, George Thorogood, Thin Lizzy, The Allman Brothers Band, Molly Hatchet, BTO… it was rock ‘n’ roll nirvana.

A yanked Free out of the case and slammed it into the 8-track. I turned on the car, rolled down the windows, turned up the volume, pulled my gold Elvis shades down over my eyes and peeled out of the alley, down Bayaud and onto Broadway. I screeched passed Lee who was slamming the door to the Crossfire which was parked in a spot right in front of Fortnum’s.