Vanishing Act. Fern Michaels

get on it right now and position my people. In the meantime, go on the Internet and get every tidbit of information you can on identity theft. We’ll reconvene after dinner, which, by the way, will be delicious.” Without another word, Charles backed up and went to his position at his special computers.

      “Business as usual,” Isabelle said as she got up.

      The Sisters surrounded Yoko and led her back out to the compound, where they started to chatter like magpies, each voice assuring her that they would make it right for Harry. Yoko smiled through her tears and allowed herself to be smothered with affection from her Sisters.

      “I think I’m going to like taking on the person who dared to steal Harry’s life,” Annie said, her eyes sparking dangerously. “The way Harry’s life was looted makes me think it’s not a person but a ring of people. Maggie did a series of articles in the paper about the subject a few months ago. Actually, she profiled the victims because no one was able to come up with anything that would lead to the capture of the culprits. That has to mean it’s an organized group with a leader who has some savvy and a bankroll.”

      “I think you’re right, Annie. Oh, I do relish going after whoever it is,” Myra said gleefully.

      Yoko giggled as the other Sisters hooted and hollered and stomped their feet.

      “And, dear, call Harry now and tell him he’s in good hands. Tell him the vigilantes are on it.”

      Yoko grinned at the vehemence in Myra’s tone.

      “I know I say this all the time, but, Myra, you absolutely rock,” Annie said happily.

      That’s just what Yoko needed to hear.

      “Let’s just hope we can deliver on my promise,” Myra whispered.

      Annie waved her hands in the air. “Myra, if you were a betting woman, who would you bet on? Us or those people who stole Harry’s identity?”

      “Annie, that is absolutely a no-brainer. Us, of course. I already feel sorry for the people who dared to invade and steal Harry’s life and his life savings. They picked the wrong mark this time, and we are going to teach them a serious lesson, one they’ll never forget. They might as well kiss their lives good-bye, because they will never recover from what is about to happen to them. Never. I guarantee it.”

      Annie looked down at her watch, thrilled at the fierceness in Myra’s attitude. It had been hard watching the suffering her friend had gone through since she had come back from England without Charles. “It’s almost time for dinner. I can’t wait to see what Charles has made for us.”

      “What do you think, Annie? Is it going to work or not?” she whispered.

      Annie smiled. “You know, Myra, I think it is going to work. Charles wasn’t sure what our reaction was going to be. I think he’s so relieved, he’s positively giddy. Having said that, I think dinner will be spectacular. Women are so forgiving. Maybe we need to harden up or something.”

      “No, Annie, we are what we are. Forgiveness is a wonderful thing. It really is.”

      “Then why are you still living in the other building?”

      Myra actually giggled. “Because I’m working on that forgiveness thing. I’m not quite there yet. In other words, Charles has to sweat a little more. I earned the right to see him squirm.”

      Both women laughed as they made their way to the dining hall to set the table for dinner.

      Maggie Spritzer rubbed the grit from her eyes. Even though she’d slept the last hundred miles into the District, she was tired and cranky, and she couldn’t see any food anywhere in the office. That only made her more irritated. “I need some food,” she bellowed to Ted, who was standing in the doorway waiting for his marching orders.

      “Maggie, it’s four o’clock in the morning. Where do you think I’m going to get food at this hour? No one is in yet, so there are no donuts. Nothing in this area opens till six o’clock. You know no one replaces the fruit and snacks over the weekend. Plus, I have to go home to check on Mickey and Minnie. I can bring you some stuff from home if you can wait. You do know that you are obsessed with food, right?”

      Maggie bristled. Ted was right, she did obsess about food, but she also obsessed about sex. She said so, to Ted’s chagrin.

      Ted hopped from one foot to the other. “So what you’re saying is if I don’t get you some food, then there won’t be any sex.”

      “Right!” Maggie said, pulling up her e-mails. “It was your idea to drive through the night. We could be in bed right now back on Nantucket, possibly having sex, possibly eating strawberries dipped in chocolate. Strawberries dipped in sweet cream. Instead, I’m sitting here looking at e-mails while I’m starving, and you aren’t helping matters.”

      “Okay, I’m gone. I’ll be back. I want to make sure I understand something. If I fetch food back, we can have sex, maybe tonight?”

      Maggie looked up from the computer. She loved to devil Ted. “Depends on what you bring back, Teddie.”

      Ted groaned as he hotfooted it to the elevator.

      Maggie mumbled something to herself that sounded like, “Maggie, you are shameless,” as she scanned her e-mails, which were hardly earth-shattering. She reached over for her Rolodex and punched in the number for Abner Tookus.

      Maggie sighed and nibbled on her thumbnail while she waited for her old friend to pick up the phone. She was so hungry. Seven rings, eight rings. “C’mon, Abner, pick up. I know you’re there.” When the hacker’s voice mail came on, Maggie disconnected and dialed the number again.

      Finally, the phone was picked up, dropped, then picked up again. “The answer is no. It’s four o’clock in the morning. People only call other people at this hour when there is an emergency. No. Take my name out of your Rolodex and forget you know me.”

      “Abner, sweetie, I’m just as cranky as you are. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be calling you. Do you think for one minute that I like waking people up at four o’clock in the morning?” When there was no response, Maggie tried wheedling. “I hate to wake people up at this hour, but I am up, so you need to get up, too. The early bird gets the worm. C’mon, Abner, I need some help.”

      Maggie heard her old friend sigh. She almost had him.

      “I don’t do that kind of stuff anymore. I’m on the straight and narrow. I even have a full-time if slightly unusual job working for Big Blue, and I’m getting married. So, hang up and let me go back to sleep.”

      “What do you mean you’re getting married? You said you would wait for me forever. Well, that sucks, Abner. When did you get a job with IBM? If you’re lying to me, I’m going to sic the vigilantes on you. Who are you marrying?” Maggie asked, suspicion ringing in her voice.

      “Just you never mind who I’m marrying. Big Blue recruited me. I didn’t go looking for a job, and they pay a hell of a lot better than you do.”

      “Yeah, but are they going to give you a smashing wedding present like I’m going to give you? No, they are not. I’m willing to quadruple your usual fee. Furthermore, you and I both know you could retire on what you charge me. All IBM will do is drain your blood, make you work around-the-clock, then what’s-her-name will get sick and tired of sitting home alone and divorce you. I rest my case, Abner.”

      “Jesus, Maggie, it’s too early in the morning for this kind of discussion. I have to be in the office at six, and you’re eating into my sleep time. Quadruple my fee? What kind of smashing wedding present?”

      “How about I pay for your honeymoon to Hawaii, or maybe Paris?”

      “Plus quadrupling my fee?”

      Maggie sighed, and she was getting hungrier by the moment. She sighed again. “Yeah. That’s how special you are to me.”

      “That’s