It had been a hot, dry summer and the Santa Anna winds had everyone on edge including me. It had been months since anyone called on the Elvis Cole Detective Agency. Lucy had been busy with a big case, Pike hadn't shown his face in weeks, and I just wasn't feeling the love. That was Pike, here one minute, gone the next like a spring storm.

I was stretched out in my chair with my feet up drinking a cold beer; it was after 4pm, when someone knocked on the door. I stuck the beer in a drawer and put a mint in my mouth.

"It's open I yelled."

I sat upright. The woman who walked in was a stunner. She reminded of Lucy, long and lean with the shapely legs of a runner. She wore an expensive, tailored light blue suit with the skirt cut just short enough to leave you wanting more. Dark wavy hair framed a face that belonged on the cover of a magazine. For me it's impossible to tell the age of a woman and in L.A. you never know and certainly don't ask. If I had to pick and age…I'd say it was perfect.

She extended her hand. "Mr. Cole? I'm Diana Carter."

I swallowed the mint and was at a loss for words. I'm the king of wit and always had something funny to say but this time my mind was blank. Diana, divine, goddess of the hunt, the name seemed to fit.

I stood up and shook her hand. Her grip was firm but her hands were soft with manicured nails.

"Yes I am. What can I help you with?" Not very witty today. I motioned for her to sit down.

"There's no easy way to put this. I'm afraid I'm being stalked." There was a calmness to her voice that few in her situation could pull off.

"Are you getting threatening letters or messages? Strange cars you see more than once?" California had some tough stalking laws and I was curious as to why she didn't go to the police, but you know what they say about looking a gift horse in the mouth, so I kept mine shut

.

"He is very good. We haven't been able to find out anything about him. I don't even have a photo to give you. I'm not crazy. I know he's out there watching me. I recently moved my business out here."

"Do you mind if I ask what you do?"

"Import, export."

I didn't know what to think about that one. That was a term used to cover so many things and most of them were illegal. I couldn't imagine this woman doing anything illegal. A face and body like that she could have been on the arm of any rich man in the world, but she didn't strike me as the type.

She stood, walked to the door and looked out at the city. I'd been dying to get a look at her eyes and she finally took off the glasses. If I hadn't already swallowed my mint I would have now. She had the most stunning blue eyes. The only other eyes I had ever seen like hers belonged to my partner, Joe Pike. I saw why she picked that color suit, it accentuated her eyes.

"You come highly recommended, Mr. Cole." She sighed.

"I'll do whatever I can, to find out who is behind this." After all they don't call me The World's Greatest Detective for nothing, I wanted to say.

She gave a pained smile and touched my arm. "I hope you can help me. I have a very bad feeling about this." She put the glasses back on.

She pulled a large envelope out of her bag and handed it to me. "Here's some information you will need and a down payment on your services." There was a stack in there that had to be at least five grand, my heart skipped a beat.

"Don't worry. I'll be watching whoever is watching you."

She headed to the door. "I feel so much better Mr. Cole, thank you."

The limo out front belonged to her. I watched as her driver open the door, she hesitated and looked up at me and smiled. I felt strangely at ease and attracted to her at the same time. She did look like Joe, only pretty. I too, had a feeling that this wasn't going to end well.