THE GATES OF CLIFF Top Manor loomed into view three hours later, and through them, in the twilight, Thomi detected the unmistakable shape of a Corvette in the driveway. “Well, that figures,” she uttered darkly to Ming. “Naturally he wouldn’t be like the others!” In her experience, the only indisposition that mattered to a man was his own. How nice to find Stephan harbored such consideration for hers. Why did he have to exercise it tonight? He’d said he’d see her tomorrow! Rikki’s Mustang was gone, but Halleigh’s was parked in its usual spot. Well, the chicken had fled, but had the fox taken its place? To her exasperation, her remote was missing from its place in her glove box. After a frantic search of the car, Thomi got out to push the buttons on the console beside the wall. Only the

