"So, you just told her that it would be okay?" Tommy asked as he cradled the telephone between his shoulder and his ear. His tone was serious, but Elizabeth who sat across from him on the floor could see the twinkle in his emerald green eyes.
"Well…yeah," Gina replied, her voice uncertain. "Do you have plans?"
"Maybe." Tommy bit his lip to keep from giving himself away. Gina had agreed to their participation at quite a few outings with Jason and Keesha without Tommy's consent, and he'd decided that now was the time for her to learn a teeny, tiny lesson.
"Maybe?" Gina asked. "What do you mean by that? Do you and Liz have something planned?"
"Possibly," he answered. He masked a chuckle with a cough as Elizabeth shook her head at him in mock disapproval. She also reached for the remote control in an effort to restore the sound, but her cousin was too quick for her and grabbed it.
"Tommy, either you do or you don't. What are you up to?" Gina asked, her voice a mixture of irritation and anxiety.
Tommy responded to both. "Neither, it's just that you're always saying yes for both of us without asking me first."
"And?"
"And, I'd rather you didn't. I don't mind hanging out with them, but I wouldn't mind if we didn't so often," he told her, shifting his body away from Liz as he spoke softly.
"I didn't know. I'm sorry. They're our friends and I didn't think you'd mind… You know, I'll just tell them no."
"Gina, sweetheart, wait," Tommy said. "I'd like to have dinner with them tonight, so the yes still stands. Okay?"
"What about what you just said?" Gina asked, becoming a little irritated again.
"I meant what I said," Tommy said, slightly exasperated. "Gina, please, just tell them that we're coming, okay?"
"Fine."
"Fine!" he said, rolling his eyes at Liz whose forehead had crinkled up into a frown. He shook his head at her to tell her that everything was fine between him and Gina. A mischievous smile played across his lips and his next words were soon out of his mouth without consideration. "So, what time are you picking me up, woman?"
"You are asking for it, Thomas Hardy, Jr.!" Gina warned, but the smile in her voice took the edge off of her warning.
"I know," he replied softly. "So, what time?"
"I'm not giving you a time! Just be ready when I get there!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Tommy said his good-byes to Gina and when he hung up the phone, a huge grin was on his handsome face.
"You are walking a thin line with that 'woman' stuff," Liz told him. She picked up the deck of cards which lay on the floor between them and began to shuffle.
"Not really," he shrugged. He placed the telephone on the end table behind his head and turned around to watch Liz as she dealt the cards. "Gina likes it."
"Oh, you think so?" Liz cocked an eyebrow.
"I know so. She rolls her eyes at me when I say it, but she always smiles, too. I just can't overdo it."
Liz laughed. After their early morning jog where she had surprised both of them by keeping up, they had spent most of the day together. Simone and Audrey, having seen how content they were with one another's company, had left them alone to spend time with their own friends. Now, the two cousins were about to play a friendly game of Uno™.
Tommy smiled as Lizabeth laughed. He hadn't been so certain that he'd hear it today, but so far, he'd heard it several times. She and he had discussed her relationship with Lucky and the aftermath of the kiss. Tommy had been a little surprised when she'd told him about Lucky's theory regarding lies versus omissions. He didn't agree with his friend, nor did he understand his actions. He had been hesitant about voicing his feelings, but as Lizabeth continued to prod him for his opinion, he gave it to her. She then surprised him even more with her decision regarding the status of her and Lucky's relationship.
"I can't believe it, but I think I'm about to beat the pants off of you." Liz smiled as she threw down a Wild Draw Four card. "The color is red, baby."
Looking at his cards, Tommy groaned. He didn't have red. All of his cards were yellow. He grabbed four cards from the deck and was amazed that all of the cards were blue. Had someone tampered with the deck, he wondered. He kept the expression on his face neutral, but if she was cheating, he'd get her back.
Liz cackled with glee as she slammed down another Wild Draw Four card. "The color is green."
Yep. Someone was definitely cheating, Tommy decided. He shrugged and reached for the deck.
"You're pretty quiet over there." Liz smiled at him over her cards. "Maybe-"
"I'll get it," Tommy volunteered as the sound of the doorbell interrupted her. He hopped up from the floor and went to the door. He wasn't the least bit surprised when he saw who stood on the other side. With one backward glance at his cousin, he turned back towards the door and opened it. "Hey, Lucky."
Liz stood as soon as she heard his name. She placed her cards on the coffee table and went to the door. In the back of her mind, she felt Tommy give her shoulder a light squeeze before he faded into the background. Time and space longer mattered as she stared into Lucky’s apologetic, blue eyes. The husky, soft voice which said, "Hi, Lucky," didn’t sound familiar to her.
"Hi, Elizabeth." With all of the conflicting emotions warring inside of him, Lucky wasn't sure if he should reach out to her or even kiss her hello. Did he even still have that right? He drew a long breath and said, "May I come in?"
She nodded in reply and moved to the side. She noticed that as he moved past her, he was very careful not to touch her. It hurt, but in light of her recent eye-opening decision, she was glad of it. It would make things less complicated later.
He could feel her eyes on him as he reached the center of the living room. He saw where she and Tommy had been playing a game of Uno™. Knowing her penchant for cheating at the game, he wouldn't have been surprised if the batch of cards with a good number of Skip, Reverse and Wild cards on the coffee table had belonged to her. After what would be said that afternoon, he wondered if she and he would play again. He certainly hoped so.
"So…how did it go? The taping I mean," Liz said. She sat down in her grandmother's favorite rocking chair as she waited for him to answer her. Her eyes drifted around the room before she allowed herself to look at him again. Why did he have the sexiest eyes and lips on the planet, she wondered. Why was she still so attracted to him? Would it ever fade away?
"You didn't watch?" he asked, choosing to sit on the sofa to the right of her. Her cute button nose, pouty mouth and beautiful brown eyes were like magic to him. She was magical and special, and she always would be to him. But…
"No, um…I meant to, but Tommy and I were out. We lost track of time and we missed it." She wasn't exactly lying. She and Tommy had been out, but the losing track of time… She was almost positive that it had been intentional. On both cousins' parts.
"Well, you didn't miss much," Lucky told her. The memory of sitting so closely next to Dawn and realizing for the first time how good it felt swept over him. He shuddered at the memory.
"You mean, there were no surprise kisses?" Liz asked, her expression serious. "I'm surprised. Those seem to work so well for you…I mean, the band."
Lucky's eyes flew to hers. Had he given himself away? "Liz, I'm sor-"
"What? Sorry? Is that it? Lucky, please don't insult me with another apology." She abruptly rose from the rocking chair and moved to the bay window. The orange, gold and yellow leaves littered the yard and a faint smile turned her lips upward as Tommy trudged across the yard, carrying a rake and trash bags. His words, 'I'll be with you each step of the way' came back to her, producing a lump in her throat which she had to force herself to swallow back down. Thanks, T-bird, she silently said.
Lucky stood up. Confusion consumed him and made him stand still in the middle of the room. Should he go to her or just leave her alone? Could they work things out? Did he even want to any more? He glanced at her over his shoulder and the stiff way she held herself broke his heart. He might not have a clue as to which way was up, but he did know that he never wanted to hurt her. He went to her and rested his hand on the opposite wall. His voice was low and filled with turmoil. "I didn't come here to insult you. I came here so that we could…"
"We can't do anything, Lucky." Liz slowly shook her head. Her eyes were wet with unshed tears as she tore them away from Tommy to look at Lucky.
"What does that mean?" he asked, suddenly feeling very afraid. "What are you saying?"
"You know what I'm saying," she said.
"You don't want to try to work this out? We can, you know. We'd just have to go slowly…take our time…maybe take a little break, but in time, I know…that…"
Liz shook her head at every word he said. "No, Lucky. No."
"So, that's it? Just like that. Just over some stupid little kiss?"
"That's not just it! It's everything and nothing."
"We care about each other. Dammit, Elizabeth! We love each other!"
"Love? Are you sure that's what it is? If it's love, why didn't you tell me? Why did you just 'omit' it?" she asked.
"Liz, I dunno, alright?!" He became flustered and began to pace. "It wasn't being shown so I didn't think you needed to know. If it wasn't mentioned, what was the big deal?"
"The big deal was that you were running away from something…again."
"That's not fair!" he said, coming to halt mid-pace.
"Maybe not, but is it a lie?! Is it, Lucky?" Her voice, which had begun to rise, became soft again. "You've got to admit it. If not to me, to yourself. When the going gets rough, you run. It's not a bad thing, but pretending like you don't do it, is worse. I'm not saying that it's all your fault. When I'm backed against the wall or feel threatened, I lash out. You've seen me do it. It's not something I'm proud of, but it's me. You run. Admit it to yourself."
"I-I…" he stammered. "It's not running…is it?"
She hated seeing the lost look in his eyes, but since she'd started down that path, she intended to go the distance. She still had more to say. "I believe it is."
"But what about us? Don't you believe that I love you?"
She nodded as fresh tears came to her eyes. She *could* do it! "I believe that in some ways, you do love me, but you love the idea of saving me even more than that."
"What?! Saving you? That's not what we've been about! How can you say that? I found you, but…"
"But, you saved me, too. After the rape, I leaned on you for everything. You were my savior. I went to you for everything, and you let me. You enjoyed it."
"You're making me sound like some sick psycho! That wasn't how it was. I was there because you needed someone, and I wanted to be there for you."
"Why?" she asked, blinking back a tear, which threatened to fall. "Why after the rape? Why not before? You knew how I felt about you. It wasn't like I tried to hide it. None of it mattered until you helped me that night…why did it take a rape for you to see me?"
"Elizabeth! I-I…" He didn't know what to say and as the tears streamed down her face, the only thing he wanted to do was hold her and make them go away. He went to her and moved to pull her into his arms. She pushed him away and went to the front door.
"I'm not a lost cause for you to save, Lucky. I never was, but I loved you so much that it didn't matter." She wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffled back a sob. "I still love you, but I can't be with you any more. Not the way we were before. You were right about needing time apart. We do need that…desperately." She unlocked the door and opened it.
"So, this is good-bye? Just like this?" he asked again, his eyes glistening with a few tears of his own.
She nodded. She watched as his shoulders slumped slightly and he came toward her. When he reached her, she pulled him into a fierce hug. He wrapped his arms around her. His voice was soft against her ear as he said, "One day I'll find the answers to your questions, Elizabeth. I wish I had them now, but I don't. One day, I will."
Her throat constricted and she nodded against his shoulder. She released her hold on him and as he moved to the open doorway, she said, "I know you will. Good-bye, Lucky."
"That went over better than I thought," Carrie replied as Stefan took her hand and led her down the path to the garden which had the best view from Spoon Island.
"You had misgivings?" he asked softly.
"A few. I didn't know what to expect from any of them. Well, I guessed that Dara would be upset. She remembers when her father and I were good together. Dawn's reaction didn't surprise me at all. She's very fond of you," she said with a smile. "But what about Nikolas? How did he seem to you?"
Stefan cocked his head to the side as he remembered his son's reaction to their announcement at lunch. He was certain that a small glimmer of longing, which had always been there, faded away. Stefan wasn't positive of what that meant exactly, but he knew for certain that the smile, which had later graced the younger man's face, had been genuine. "He's happy about our relationship."
"I thought so," Carrie nodded. They reached the clearing and soon found an old stone bench. As Stefan moved to turn around, Carrie pulled on his hand and led him to the bench. "It's nice out. Let's enjoy the fall for a few minutes. Shall we?"
"If that is your wish," he said with a slight nod of his head. The bench and the clearing reminded him of Greece and his time with Nikolas' mother. He deeply cared for Carlotta, but he wasn't ready to examine that part of his life with her. Not yet. But, even so, he was surprised by the next words he uttered. "This view reminds me of the Island."
"The Island? In Greece?" She rested her head on his shoulder as his arm wrapped around her. "You and Nikolas rarely speak of your other home. I'd like to hear about it, and there is that discussion about mothers that we mentioned last night."
"You wish to know of my mother, the indestructible Helena Cassadine?" Stefan shifted so that he could look into her brown eyes. "Are you certain that you wish to discuss her and all her resplendency now?"
Carrie nodded again. "Resplendency and all, please."
"She's a wicked, wicked woman, and she will go to great lengths to insure that she-"
"No, stop, Stefan." Carrie shook her head. "That's not what I want to know. I know that she's determined to secure the Cassadine fortune for herself, and would even frighten my child to do so. What I would like to know is… You and your mother… I've watched you when you speak of her. I see the pain in your eyes, which you try to mask with coldness and oftentimes humor. You know, in very many ways, you remind me of Dawn." She nodded as his eyes widened in surprise. "Honestly, you do. She's worn a mask most of her life. I never really noticed it until I saw her with Nikolas and with her friends. She trusts them and she's able to let her guard down. Call it women's intuition, but I have the strongest feeling that trust isn't easy for you and letting your guard down isn't something that you do often…if at all."
"What am I to say to that?" He took a deep breath and directed his eyes to the view before him. He continued to hold her to him as the realization that she'd seen more deeply inside of him than anyone ever had. He felt stripped bare by just a few words. The feeling of vulnerability was foreign to him, and he didn't know how to remove it. Or even if he wanted to.
"Anything or nothing at all. The choice to comment on what I've said is yours, of course. Perhaps, I've spoken too soon or out of turn, but in light of how we spent last night, I don't believe I have."
"You have not," he reassured her. He looked down at her, and said, "Everything you said is correct. My mother and I have had a tenuous relationship at best. At worst, we've hated the sight of the other."
"Tell me about the best of times, first," she prodded.
"Stavros was her favorite. I was an afterthought…a mistake…and she's never allowed me to forget that."
"She told you that you were a mistake?"
"Constantly," Stefan nodded. "My earliest memory of her…I was about five years of age… She entered my nursery, patted my head and stressed the importance of contraceptives."
Carrie bit her tongue from laughing, but when she saw the twinkle in Stefan's eyes, she released her small laugh. "Stefan! Tell me the truth. Please, no more masks. Please?"
"Very well, Carlotta, the truth is…" He paused to draw a long breath. The encouragement to continue was given to him by the caring he saw in her sparkling brown eyes. "The truth is my mother is a very complicated creature. She relishes in her complications. When I was a child, she thrived on making my life as miserable and torturous as possible. And, being a child, I thrived on being in her presence, confident that I would perform some rare miracle that would make her eyes look upon me with the same love she bestowed upon my brother. As I matured, my childish notions dissipated and I saw the woman for what she was."
"And, that would be?" Carrie asked as Stefan stopped speaking.
"A woman who was incapable of loving me. Who told me by word and by deed that I was unworthy and would never be much more than that."
"You didn't believe her. You couldn't have… I could look at Nikolas and see that you didn't."
"I did believe her, Carlotta," he confessed softly. "I know recourse, but to take her words for fact. If my own mother…the woman who gave me life…found me unworthy, who on earth would? No one was always the answer I found…"
"So, you've never been in love?" Carrie asked softly.
Stefan stiffened softly at her innocently asked questioned. He would like nothing more than to confess all to her, but he could not. He was not ready. He chose to answer on his own terms instead. "I've loved."
"But, there's a difference."
"Is there?" he asked with a tight smile. The shrill of his cell phone prevented him from commenting further. "Excuse me," he said, releasing her to reach for his cell phone. "Yes?" he said into the phone.
"Stefan?"
"Laura?" he asked at the sound of the familiar voice. "How may I help you?"
"I need to speak with you about Nikolas…and Dawn?" she told him.
"What about them?" he asked, conscious of Carrie beside him.
"We need to tell him the truth."
He smiled at Carrie and patted her hand as he rose from the bench. With his back to Carrie, he whispered furiously into the phone. "What do you mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean! We have to tell him the truth…that you're his father and not Stavros. He has a right to know!"
"Why this sudden change, Lasha?" he whispered softly as he moved farther away from Carrie. "You were quite content to never make this revelation."
"I want my son back in my life, Stefan, and I'm sick of the lies. I might have lost one son to lies, and I refuse to lose another. And, there is his wife," Laura said.
"What about her? Neither you nor I could have chosen a more suitable mate for him."
"Well, I see that you are as enamoured of her as Nikolas is," Laura muttered. "Even so, she could drive my son away from me and I won't allow it. I'm back now and I'm here to stay. I have a grandchild on the way and whether or not she wants it, I intend to play a role in that child's life. Now, when do we tell him?"
"So, now it's a matter of when?" Stefan bit out. "Unacceptable. Too much is at risk if we tell him. The grandchild, his life, Dawn's life…we can't risk any of that just because you've discovered a newfound aversion to lies."
"Fine. I'll tell him myself," Laura replied.
"Laura!" he whispered. "We can not take this risk."
"Stefan, we have no choice." Her voice became softer and he could hear the love she had for her firstborn as she said, "He has a right to know that his father is very much alive and loves him very much. We can't keep denying him that. We just can't."
"Very well then," Stefan agreed with a sigh. "But not now. We'll discuss it later. I'll call you to arrange a time and a place."
"I'll be waiting."
"Laura."
She turned at the sound of the hollow voice. Her husband stood just behind her in the doorway. How long had he been there? What had he heard? But, better still, where the hell had he been?! "Luke," she said, hanging up the telephone. "I didn't hear you."
"I didn't know I needed to knock to enter my own house."
"So, it's still yours? I wondered," she said, glancing around. "When I arrived, it looked abandoned."
"Like owner, like home, Angel," he replied, stepping down into the living room. He looked up the staircase and listened closely at the stillness of the house. The only sound he heard was the rapid beating their hearts and not the pitter patter of their youngest child's feet. "Where's Lu?"
"She's with Mother. They're coming up tomorrow." Luke moved around the house. He stopped as he reached the mantle. An old photo of him and Laura had been pushed back to make room for a new one of Lucky, her bastard and their respective women. Laura saw what held his attention and she spoke. "Nikolas gave it to me. He's married now, you know."
"Yeah, I heard. So, the bastard is having a bastard. Big deal," he shrugged.
"Stop it," she said, her voice deadly quiet.
"What?" he asked, feigning ignorance. "Did I say something out of turn? Please, Lasha, fill me in."
"Don't, Luke. I've been away for too long to come back to this."
"You're right. You have been gone for far too long. So, what brings you back now. The prospect of being a grandmaw to the Cassadine kid's bas-…spawn?"
She shook her head in a mixture of disgust and dismay. "I came back because I missed my family, and I thought they'd missed me. And, from what I've found out recently, it seems I should have returned long ago. Tell me, Luke, why didn't you tell me that Lucky…knows? How did he find out?!"
"You might what to ask the Prince of Darkness about that one. Your little bastard told him, Laura. That's what happened!"
"What?! Nikolas?" she asked. Overwhelmed, she sat down on the sofa. "But he doesn’t know. I've never mentioned…"
"Maybe you mentioned it to Count Vlad. I mean, you two were close back on the Island, right? You've told me that he wasn't like the *other* Cassadines. Maybe late one night beneath an orange sunset, you played a game of true confession and you revealed all to your…friend."
"Luke, I-I…no," she shook her head, unwilling to admit the truth. Instead, she shifted the focus of the conversation. "We have to fix things with Lucky. He doesn't even live here! Did you know that? We have to bring our son back home, put our family back together, and be a family again."
"No, Laura," he shook his head. "The kid's right. Living in a house of lies, the roof is bound to cave in on you sooner or later." Luke glanced at photo again before he headed back to the door. "Let me know when my little girl arrives."
"You'll know whether or not I tell you," she said to his retreating back.
"Truer words were never spoken…especially in this house. Later, Lasha." He turned and left her.
Laura felt a chill course through her veins as she wondered if there were more to his words than met the eye. Then she remembered. She'd been on the telephone when he came.
Oh, my God! Had he heard? Does he know that Stefan was Nikolas' father and not Stavros? And, if he did, what would he do? Oh, God. Laura lowered her hands to her face. This was not the homecoming she had expected. Please, God, don't let the house cave in, she prayed. Please, not yet.
"She said 'yes', I take it?" Sonny asked with a grin as his best friend glided across the boardwalk to reach him at their agreed meeting place on the dock.
"Yeah," Jason smiled. "On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Keesha will become my wife. You're invited, of course."
"Oh, thank you," Sonny said with a dimpled smile. "So, tell me how did you convince her to act so fast. That's about three weeks, right?"
"Two and a half weeks exactly," Jason told him. "She loves me and wants to be my wife. She wanted to wait, but I convinced her otherwise."
"Oh," Sonny slowly nodded. "I see. So, she took the news about Michael okay then?"
"I didn't tell her."
For a change, Sonny kept his thoughts about the situation to himself. He shrugged and looked out at the water.
"What?" Jason asked as Sonny remained silent.
"Nothing," Sonny shrugged. "Nice fall day, don't you think."
"I think you have something to say. That's what I think."
"No, Jason, I don't have anything to say. Not one more word. It's your life as you've told me. You want her in it no matter how you've got to lie to her to keep her there. Lies have a way of biting you in the ass when you least expect it, but I'm sure you don't want to hear that from me. So, no, Jason. I don't have a damn thing to say."
"Sonny, I know you mean well, but…I have to do it this way. I don't have a choice."
"We all have choices, Jason. Sometimes, we don't make the right one, but we always have a choice. Now, tell me what it is you need me to do? Size up a pair of cement shoes for Blondie?" Sonny laughed softly at the thought.
Jason released a small chuckle, but he answered in the negative. "No, but it does involve her. I want you to take care of her release."
Sonny raised an eyebrow in response. "When?"
"I'll get back to you on that. I promised her I'd have her out, and I'm keeping good on it."
"Even though she could jeopardize everything for you? Wow, you're some friend," Sonny replied.
"I'm not her friend. I never was. Not really," Jason denied. "She gave birth to Michael. One day he'll ask about her, I don't want to tell him about her stay at Ferncliff."
"So, you're releasing her for Michael? Is that it?"
"No…yeah…" He breathed a heavy sigh. "I'm doing it cause I told her I would."
"She's gonna mess things up for you, man. I've told you before. She wants you, and we all know that a little thing like a wedding ring or marriage vows don’t mean squat to her. She'll use Michael to get you, too."
"She won't. Not ever," Jason promised.
"How about this scenario? Suppose she tells you that unless you abide by her rules, you'll lose Michael forever? What then?"
"Nothing," Jason shrugged. "I thought about it last night. Keesha and I love each other. Our marriage will reaffirm that. Michael adores Keesha. The three of us are perfect together. Carly can't threaten that."
"What if she tells everyone that you knew all along about AJ-"
"It doesn't matter," Jason said, cutting him off. "I'll deny it."
"You'll lie?" Sonny asked softly.
"I'll do whatever it takes to keep Keesha and Michael in my life. I love them, Sonny, and it's the greatest love I've ever known. I won't lose them. I can't."
"The greatest love I've ever known." Robin repeated Jason's words softly to herself as she stood in the shadows next to Mac and Mac's Tackle and Bait Shop on the dock. She held herself still as Jason and Sonny ended their conversation and went their separate ways.
His words hurt her deeply, she realized as she moved into the early evening's waning sunlight. She had thought she was his greatest love. He had told her she was. So many nights, they had held each other on that bridge and poured out their hearts and souls to each other. But none of that mattered to him any more. He was engaged to Keesha. He planned to marry Keesha. Well, damn him and damn Keesha, she thought. She didn't need him. There was someone else who loved her. He might not realize it now, but he would in time. She just had to be a little more patient and be a little less aggressive. But, in time, he would leave the foolish tramp and come to her.
"Beautiful night for a stroll, no?"
Robin's dark eyes widened at the intrusion. She immediately recognized the woman as the man of her dreams grandmother. Helena Cassadine. She didn't know whether to run or to ask her for help in her endeavor. She chose not to speak and wait instead.
"You're quiet. Just like a little mouse. The trait can be rather endearing, don’t you think?" Helena asked, circling around Robin to stand beside her near the dock's edge. "Contrary to popular belief, I rather enjoy the quiet. It's peaceful, isn't it? Gives one time to collect her thoughts and formulate a course of action, correct?"
Robin narrowed her eyes and considered the older woman's words. What was she asking of her, she wondered. Aloud, she said, "Correct."
Helena's vibrant green eyes sparkled as she smiled. "And, have you done so?"
"Excuse me?" Robin asked.
"A course of action, have you acquired one? Time waits for no one, Miss Scorpio. You will attain success should you remember that."
"You know who I am?" Robin questioned.
"I make it a point to familiarize myself with my grandson's friends. I am a doting grandmother, Miss Scorpio. I love my grandson from the bottom of my heart, and my only wish is to see him happy."
"Isn't he?" Robin asked, holding her breath as she waited for Helena's response.
"At the present time, he believes he is, but we know better, don't we?" Helena smiled at Robin again before she took her leave.
Robin stood on the docks for another moment, contemplating Helena's words before she too left. Neither woman was aware that their conversation hadn't been a private one. A tall figure in the shadows laughed softly to himself as he lit his cigar and turned away.