Elmore's Corner...Round Four.

Sweating and still a little out of breath from her run, Beth came
through the front door.  She continued to stare back toward the
driveway as she wiped at her face with the small hand towel and
slipped out of her shoes.  She heard Sam's voice from the patio so she
deposited her empty water bottle on the coffee table and trotted out
the back door.

Beth:  What's up with the stretch limo in our driveway?

Sam gestured over Beth's shoulder.  She turned abruptly and found
herself staring into an imported Italian silk tie.

Sam:  Beth, meet Roy Foltrigg, United States District Attorney for
the State of Louisiana.

Beth looked up into Roy's dazzling smile.  He extended his arm for a
handshake, and she raised hers in zombie-like fashion.  He gripped her
hand loosely, rubbing his thumb along the back it.

Roy:  It's a pleasure to meet you, cher'.

Beth could only nod helplessly.  His cologne was making her
delirious.  Or was that just the way *he* smelled?

Roy:  Samuel, I oughta slap you with contempt.  Your description of
this lovely lady doesn't even begin to do her justice.

Sam folded his arms across his chest.

Sam:  She's quiet, Roy, but she's practically comatose now for some
reason.  Hon, you still out of breath from . . . your run?

Beth:  . . . huh?

Sam:  Running?  You do a lap around the property?

Beth:  . . . uh . . . yeah . . .

Roy:  Well now, cher', you sit down here and rest a moment.

Roy placed a hand on the small of her back and led her to the nearest
chair.  She felt shivers zing up her spine.

Beth:  Th . . . thanks.

Roy:  You need anything?  Glass of iced tea?  Bottle of water?

Sam:  Lessons on how to speak English?

Beth hit Sam with a sidelong glance.

Beth:  Thank you, ROY, no.  I just chugged a bottled water coming up
to the house.

Sam limped over behind Beth's chair.

Sam:  I thought I told you I didn't want you taking those long runs by
yourself.

Beth:  That's what the security system is for.

Sam:  Won't do me a helluva lot of good if it's going off and you're
half a mile from the house.

Roy:   He's right, cher'.  Purty lil' thing like you, no tellin' what
could happen with all these seedy types you got hangin' 'round here.

Beth smiled at Roy, eyes glazed over.

Sam:  I want you to stay close to the house.

Beth:  Ok . . . uh . . . uh . . .

Sam tipped her chair back with a jerk.

Sam:  SAM!!

Beth:  Right, yeah, I was gonna say that.

Roy:  Or maybe you could go out with an exercise partner.  Someone who
might offer some protection against any stray goons.

Beth:  Hey, that's an idea.  I could ask Elmore.  He works out all
the time.  He wouldn't mind keeping me company.

Sam:  *Thanks* Roy.

"Beth Franklin" - 1998

Leaving the two Feds alone to plot strategy, Beth hurried into the
shared office.  She dialed Bill's number, hoping that Bill would be down at
the bar and she could talk to Deb.  She doubted she would be so lucky.  
After Deb came in the night before, bruised and battered and nervous as a
long-tailed cat in a room full of rockingchairs, Beth suspected she would
be at the bar if she wasn't at home.  She was surprised when Deb picked up
the phone.

Deb:  Yeah?

Beth:  Can you come over here?

Deb:  Don't think so.  Why, do you need me for something?

Beth:  Roy Foltrigg is here and I'm getting the Foghorn Leghorn charm
full blast and unadulterated.

I remembered my few minutes in the reflected light of Planet Roy.  I 
didn't envy Beth the strain of resisting the smoothie.

Deb:  I don't think Billy will...

Billy:  Don't think Billy'll what, baby?

Deb:  Hi.  You won't let me go to Beth's, will you?

Billy:  Not unless I go with and I got too much to do here.  Whatcha need
her for, Shrimp?

Beth:  I need her to take some of Foltrigg's heat off me.

Billy:  Foltrigg?  Hell!

Beth:  Sam's got his teeth in this, Bill.  But I don't want you to bring
her if she ought to be asleep.  Roy's enough for somebody who's a hundred
percent.  He might just finish her off.

Beth was referring to the fact that I hadn't arrived at her house
until 2:30 in the morning.  I'd had to make a run for my car, and
demonstrate my skill at evasive driving before finding my refuge in
Bill's arms and it had taken a lot out of me.  Beth thought back to that
moment in the early morning...the headlights had come round the trees and
Bill had shot through the door before anybody else could react.  When Beth
got there, she found me with handfuls of his shirt and Bill, gently
kissing my face and murmuring threats into my hair of what he would do to
the people who had had hold of me, and of what he would do to me if I
didn't start minding.  He had carried me into the house, using as an
excuse that my ankle was weak.  Nobody had been fooled...and everybody had
respected him that much more.

Deb:  I'll be okay.

Billy:  Hang it up, baby.

Deb:  But...

Billy:  You hear what I said?

Deb:  Okay, Billy, whatever...

I hung up, went to gather up a few things for the trip to Beth's.

Billy:  She's tougher than that, baby.  What's up?

Beth:  They're talkin' prosecution but every time I stick my nose in that
room I get Foltrigg and it does me in.  I was hoping if you brought Deb he
would see what kind of an animal Cole is and fuss over her and keep Sam
from blowing his stack.

Billy:  Then I'll need to kick Foltrigg's ass.

Beth:  But you won't...because she's too tired and too caught up in you to
react.

Beth knew the first was probably true...she hoped the second was.  For
her own sake, if nothing else.

Billy:  Let me think about it.  I don't know if I'm up to that
shyster weasel.

I found Billy in the basement, doing some lifting and waiting for
something to come across the fax machine.

Deb:  Are we going?

The dumb-bell never stopped rising and falling steadily, and I was
mesmerized by his bicep.

Billy:  Sure you want to?

Deb:  I feel like I should.  If Roy's in the house, he's bound to be gettin'
to her.

Billy:  She just wants him gettin' to you.

Deb:  You know Beth, she believes in share the wealth.  Right now, you're
getting to me, big boy.

I grabbed his towel and went to where he sat on the bench, to dry off
the vast expanse of his back.

Billy:  Remember once...I told you I thought you gettin' mixed up with me
might be a big mistake?

Deb:  Yeah.  And remember what I said?  I figured I could handle it?

Billy leaned backwards, propping his head between my breasts, and looked
up at me.  I rubbed the towel gently underneath his chin, across his
shoulders.

Billy:  I remember.

Deb:  I can still handle it.  I don't always like it all the time, but I can
handle it.

I reached around him, began drying his chest.

Deb:  Come on...let's go visit the kids.

It had been a long night.  Foltrigg hadn't left until after midnight,
and Deb and Bill had stayed for another half hour after that.  Now Sam and
Beth were stretched out in their big bed, trying to wind down from the
combined events of the last couple of days.  Beth was on her face and Sam
was on his back, with his big hand cupping her round buttock.

Sam:  If I didn't need that...

Beth:  Need what, Hon?

Sam:  Foltrigg.  God damn, I hate watching him hit on you.

Beth:  It doesn't mean anything, sweetie.  He hits on everybody.  Deb
looked like the wrath of God and he was hitting on her.

Sam grinned up into the dark.  That reminded him of Strannix' impotent
rage as he watched his woman liquify under Foltrigg's smooth onslaught and
he realized there wasn't a thing he could say about it.

Sam:  Now that you mention it...I have a question for you, baby.

Beth:  What's that?

Sam:  What did you and Deb mean when you were in the kitchen and one of you
said...it just makes you want to take him someplace and rip off that tie and
see where the hot air stops and the man starts.

Beth:  What do you think it means?  He's an awfully attractive man...but
he's full of hot air.  Normally I don't have any trouble figuring out where
the man is.

She pushed her hip up, into his hand, then rolled over onto his chest.

Sam:  That's good...cause I've got an armful of woman right now and I'd 
hate to think she might be looking for a man.

Beth:  I've found the one I want.  Roy Foltrigg can posture in front of me
all he wants...I know where my guy is.

Beth nuzzled Sam's stubbled cheek with her nose, kissed it softly, then
slipped the top of her head under his chin.  Deb had told her the names of
some of the big guns Bill was calling in...she hoped Sam would remember
what she had just said when Sam Quint and Billy McCain were around and
distracting her.  Little did Sam know, but Foltrigg was nothing compared to
these two.

TO BE CONTINUED...