III - Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

'You're not bringing that, are you?' Marie asked incredulously.

'Why not?'

'It's a saxophone.'

'It's my saxophone.' Charlie put the case into the trunk of the car and gave Marie a defiant look.

'I can't believe you play the saxophone. Did your daddy teach you?'

'No, Daddy didn't play any musical instruments. He said he'd always regretted never learning. So I had piano lessons and saxophone. I started out on trumpet but I liked sax better, and Daddy said there's no point wasting your time playing an instrument you don't like. It's like kissing someone you don't love.'

'You know, people do that all the time,' Marie said wryly, quirking an eyebrow.

'And there's what's wrong with the world,' Charlie said, slamming down the trunk lid. 'You didn't want to go out into it without a gun, and I don't want to go without my saxophone. It's important to me. Besides, it's my ship. I can bring what I want on board.'

'Which reminds me, do you know how to fly the thing?'

'Pretty much,' said Charlie, sounding a little dubious. 'I mean, one year we took a summer vacation on a rented fishing vessel - restored and made nice for holidaymakers, I mean - and Daddy taught me to pilot that. He said it brought back memories of the Bebop and the basic controls were just the same.'

'Why didn't he just take you on a trip in Bebop?' Marie wondered. 'That was his own ship, after all.'

'I don't know I don't think all his memories were happy ones. And like I said, this was a nice ship we went on. Bebop's pretty grungy.'

A police cruiser slid to a stop at the kerb and an officer got out. 'Scuse me, Miss Black?' he called out.

'Yeah?' said Charlie, brushing her hair back from her face as she turned to face him.

'Are you planning to go out?'

'Well, I don't really want to stay in the house alone tonight. I'm going to stay with my girlfriend,' she replied, jerking her thumb towards Marie, who was leaning against the bumper of the car, lighting a cigarette and looking like trouble.

'I'd like to have the address you're going to, please.' Charlie looked hard at him; he seemed both earnest and honest. But how do I know? Daddy always thought Fad was honest, too.

'Marie?' she said, turning to look over her shoulder. 'What's your mother's address?'

'Apartment 48, Marlowe Towers,' Marie said through smoke. 'If you want to visit us.' She flashed the officer a brilliant smile and Charlie saw his Adam's apple bob.

'Well, okay,' he said. 'You girls take care, eh? I'm sorry for your loss, Miss Black.'

Huh. Guess he thinks Mama died too. 'Thank you,' she said. 'You guys have been a big help.' She watched him walk away, wondering whether she could ever take what someone in uniform said to her at face value again. Come on you can't suspect everyone a lot of them are good guys. Bob. Daddy. She turned back to the house. 'I just want to go through one more time and see if I've forgotten anything important,' she told Marie.

'Kay,' Marie said. 'Ed'n I'll be in the car.'

'Crack a window if you're going to smoke, okay?' Charlie climbed the front steps and walked into the house she'd grown up in. I might never get to come back here. Who knows what's going to happen? She hugged herself, drawing the oversized teeshirt close around her, as she made a final walking tour of each room. She was pretty sure she'd packed well, and she'd thought to bring food, remembering Jet's stories of how they were always running short. In her parents' room, she lay down on the bed for a minute. I love you. Please send your love with me. As she got up, she shivered, and went to the wardrobe to take out a sweater that had belonged to her father too. It hadn't been washed since the last time he wore it; it smelled of him.

'We'll be a father and daughter team, eh?' she said to his memory. 'Daddy help me to be as brave as you'

When she got into the car Marie wrinkled her nose at the sweater. 'Charlie girl, you have pretty shlumpy taste in clothes.'

'Shlumpy, skanky, takes all kinds to make a world,' Charlie said brightly, turning the keys in the ignition. 'Ed, are you buckled up back there?'

'Yepyep,' Ed said, waving a foot at her from the back seat. 'You don't need to check on me like I'm a kid, you know. I'm old enough to be your mother!'

'Let's go, then.'

Bebop gently orbited Mars; Charlie looked down at the dried-blood terrain of the unterraformed portion of the planet as it slipped by beneath them. It had been an awkward takeoff and the ship had complained loudly about having to go somewhere for the first time in a quarter century, but they were finally up. Let them try to find me here. Any of them.

Marie was taking a bath, saying that since she broke a nail cleaning the bathroom she was damn' well going to enjoy it, and Ed was running searches to get a clearer idea of Rainier Bandaa's present location. Ein was sleeping on the sofa and pedalling his stumpy legs as he dreamed.

What'm I gonna do? Charlie gave herself an assignment; she went down to the launch bay and had a good hard look at Jet's Hammerhead. Of the three small ships that once flew out of Bebop, this was the only one left, and it wasn't even built for combat; basically, she realised as she went over it, it was a dinghy with a grappling hook. She thought she could pilot it, although she would want some practice runs before she tried to do anything fancy or fast-paced.

The intercom spoke with Ed's voice. 'Charlie, come see! I got yer Rainier right here!'

Charlie hurried to what she thought of as the living room, where Ed was doing a little victory dance on her hands.

'He'll be at the Pot Black Pool Hall tonight,' she said. 'There's a tournament and he's one of the top contenders. Pool fool drool'

'Chicks rule, guys drool,' Marie said, coming in wrapped in a towel. 'What's the commotion?'

'We have a location for Rainier Bandaa tonight,' Charlie said, hearing a little tremor in her own voice. 'Apparently he's an ace pool player.'

'Coolness,' said Marie. 'So I'm thinking, he doesn't know me, right? I'll flirt with him and get him off somewhere lonely, and you can jump him with gun and handcuffs at the ready.'

'Sounds like a plan.'

'Are you trying to dress badass?' Marie asked, sounding amused.

'I'm trying to dress practical,' Charlie said, irritated. 'And unobtrusive.'

'You're wearing a bomber jacket and a fedora, for crying out loud. You look like Indiana Jones.'

'Yes, but I can pull the hat down over my eyes see? And don't mock the fedora, it's Daddy's.'

'Well, how do I look?'

Charlie stood back and looked Marie up and down. 'Easy,' she said truthfully.

'I'm not insulted, 'cause that's what I was going for.'

'I hope Ed and Ein will be all right.'

'Of course they'll be all right. They've lived on this ship alone for years.'

'Yeah, but I can't help feeling like I'm putting them in danger. Leaving them parked here. I mean moored.'

'Well, we had to come down and park to get off the ship,' Marie pointed out, opening the outer door. 'I'm not squishing in that smelly old Hammerhead with you.' She skipped down to the jetty and stretched. 'Gotcha gun?'

'Got it.' Charlie patted the weight in her jacket pocket unhappily. She was so afraid that she didn't know how to think about it; she was gliding along on a sort of slick surface of disbelief, the sensible voice of her mind saying, Of course we are not really about to go to a pool hall and try to capture a dangerous criminal.

The Pot Black was a big, medium classy sort of place, not the kind where cue fights would often break out. They had to pay a cover charge to get in; Marie had to pay for both of them since Charlie could no longer access her bank account.

'You owe me,' she grumbled, tucking her change into her purse.

'I've got some emergency money that Mama kept in the safe at home,' Charlie said, 'but I want to save that till I need it.' She looked around at the room, full of people wanting to play in or watch the championship, chatting and laughing and throwing back drinks while they waited for the first games to begin. There was music, delta blues badly played by a trio jammed into a corner. All the light came from the canopies hanging over the tables; the rafters were high and shadowy, exposed metal beams in a once-fashionable industrial style.

'I guess I'll go and sit at the bar, and you look for him,' she said. 'Talk to me.' She touched the earpiece concealed by her hair.

'M-hm,' said Marie, patting her communicator.

'Oh, and gimme some money.'

'What for? You leech.'

'I have to buy a drink to sit at the bar. It'll look funny otherwise.'

'I bet you'll order lemonade,' Marie said, grudgingly opening her purse.

To prove her wrong, Charlie ordered gin and tonic. She felt conspicuous as all hell sitting there. She couldn't decide whether she should be looking at her drink or around at the room. Marie's voice crackled in her ear.

'He just came in. Oh, shit - he's with a girl. No - wait, she's with his friend. Hey Charlie, are you sure he's straight?'

'He was checking me out,' Charlie mumbled. 'Sure I'm sure.'

'Just suddenly wondered. It'd screw up our plans if he wasn't!'

'Just go and charm him, okay?'

'Gonna have to wait. First game's beginning and he's playing.'

With her heart hammering, Charlie eased herself round on her bar stool and took a look. There were players racking up at every table; a chart showing on a projection screen suggested that winners were going to play winners until it came down to two players at the table in the centre of the room. To her slight relief, Rainier was at a table on the far side of the room; she could see Marie lounging nearby, smoking and watching him sidelong.

I'm not doing this, I can't be doing this, I'm not a bounty hunter, I'm a BA! I'm going to get killed! Her shirt and bra were soaking wet under her arms. Mechanically, she took a sip of her drink and watched the games.

It quickly became clear that there were only three real contenders for the prize; they were Rainier, a plump Italian-looking woman in a mumsy flower-print dress, and a lanky young man with close-cropped hair who moved as if he were half asleep. Charlie was impressed in spite of herself at the way they played; she could never have figured out angles like that. Every move was so neat, so precise, exactly as much force as was needed and no more. As the games went on, the conversation died down and you could hear the click of balls more clearly. The three aces cut their way through the lesser players; Charlie could see Luke Sleepwalker (as she had mentally named him) glancing at Mamma Mia and Rainier as he played, sparing the time to size up the opposition he must be pretty sure he would ultimately face. Although she mainly kept her eye on Rainier, her attention was often drawn to the other guy; she was guiltily aware that she found him attractive, even in the midst of her fear. Your priorities stink, young woman. Get your eyes off his ass! Wrenching her eyes back to Rainier's table, she could see Marie making her first approach; he had just won a game and was waiting for the next table to become available. She was making a ridiculously suggestive show of re-chalking his cue for him. He seemed to take the attention for granted. He said something that made Marie laugh, throwing back her head and shaking her wavy hair. Oh, for crying out loud, Charlie thought, embarrassed by association.

'Freshen that up for you?' the bartender asked, startling her.

'Oh! Oh, um, yes please.' She blushed and hated herself for it. He refilled her glass, whistling softly.

'You waiting for someone?'

'No just watching the game'

'Good. No-one should keep a girl like you waiting.' He slid the drink towards her with a smile and a wink. The blush grew and Charlie hastily turned away to sip her G&T and hold the cool glass against her cheek. To her alarm, she saw that it was down to two tables now, Luke Sleepwalker versus Mamma Mia and Rainier versus an outstandingly nondescript man who appeared to have come straight from the office. Marie was hanging round Rainier like his lucky piece, watching him admiringly. As he stood watching Nobody make a shot, she tried to drape her arm across his shoulders; he shrugged her off crossly and said something to her that made her step back, looking rattled. After a moment's indecision she left his side and threaded her way through the crowd, stopping in a shadowy corner.

'Rude sonofabitch,' she muttered into the communicator.

'What happened?' Charlie asked urgently.

'He saw through me, except he thought one of the other players had asked me to schmooze him to distract him from his game. Told me to piss off, or words to that effect.'

'Marie! What are we going to do now?'

'I dunno. He won't talk to me again, I don't think. You'll have to try.'

'I can't! He knows me!'

'So there's your in. He's not gonna be suspicious.'

'Marie, he shot my mother!'

'You're like a broken record about that. And he fancies you. So go make use of it. Tell him tell him you'll be willing to persuade your mother for some kind of reward. Or she's taught you everything she knows and you could do Feng Shui for him. Then the plan goes as before, get him off somewhere and close the deal. I'll cover you. Got the Glock.'

'I can't. I - I don't know how to talk to boys.'

A pregnant silence.

'How old are you?' Marie asked severely. 'Get your ass over there. And take off your damn' hat. Flip your hair round. Shoulders back, tits out, laugh at his jokes, touch his arms. It's not that hard.'

I can't. I can't. I've got to. Oh God Daddy, come with me. She swallowed the last of her drink, slid down from her bar stool and started to walk towards Rainier's table. Far too soon she was standing among the spectators on the side opposite him. She stepped into the light and took off her hat; the movement caught Rainier's eye. She saw his eyebrows go up; he wore those red sunglasses even indoors at night. To their mutual surprise, he missed his shot; she put her hand to her mouth guiltily, feeling stupidly flustered. As Nobody gladly took his turn, Rainier strode swiftly round the table till they were face to face. He leaned close and looked into her eyes.

'Charlie Black, what is a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?'

'I wanted to talk to you,' she said. He was so close she could smell his cologne and it was making her heart hum with terror. Her voice was weirdly level for someone so frightened, she thought. Daddy's helping me.

'It's not a good time. Bad girl, you put me off my game.' He smiled at her and she was shocked to realise he was flirting. What kind of sociopath tries to flirt with the daughter of a woman he shot? Her surprise made her blush again; she looked away.

'Well - well, could I talk to you afterwards?'

'I'd like that.' He glanced over his shoulder; Nobody had just missed the right corner pocket by a centimetre and stepped back, groaning. 'Let me just clean this guy up and play my last game.' He walked away and swiftly disposed of his remaining balls.

'I'd like that'!? Jesus Christ! Everyone around her was applauding him; to fit in, she did so too. He looked up, saw her and smiled again.

Applause went up from the other table. Mamma Mia bit her thumb at Luke Sleepwalker and slammed her cue down on the table before stomping away. He blew over the tip of his cue like a gunslinger blowing away smoke and turned to look at Rainier, giving him a crooked, sleepy-eyed smile.

I hope he wins, Charlie thought fiercely.

The two finalists and the crowd moved to the central table. Rainier found her again.

'Kiss for luck?' he asked.

'I - I hardly know you,' she stammered.

'I feel I know you very well. After all, I'm hoping we'll become family friends.'

I've got to go along with it. Forgive me, Mama. She dotted a kiss against his cheekbone, feeling sick.

'How's my Feng Shui for this match?' he asked, smiling.

'W-well, this venue is pretty bad tiger's eyes coming straight in through the front door from the road it's going to have to be your skill that wins. Not luck.'

'Ah - but I've got this.' He tapped his cheek and walked away.

Charlie looked around, embarrassed, and found Luke Sleepwalker gazing at her with mild curiosity. Aargh. I wish I had he's-not-really-my-boyfriend telepathy. She hugged the fedora to her chest and watched the game.

It was a very, very close match; both players moved around the table like tigers, she thought, laziness thinly veiling menace, letting you see the shape through the veil. Except Luke Sleepwalker thought it was funny that they were trying to psyche each other out like this, and Rainier was serious. Charlie could see him getting annoyed by the boy's habitual smirk.

Click; click; thump-thump. The crowd breathed in sharply as Rainier pulled off an outstandingly difficult shot, then pattered with applause. No, no, no, Charlie thought, I don't want him to win! She stared at him, willing him to miss a shot. Miss you creepy bastard miss miss miss miss - hoo-ah! She bit her lower lip, delighted, and shifted her gaze to Luke Sleepwalker. Kick his ass, boy. I'll be your best friend if you do! Come on, come on, come onyes! It began to feel as if she really had some control over the game; abruptly she noticed Rainier watching her as he waited for another turn and realised she might be looking a little too delighted with his rival's success. Miss one - just one, not badly, she told Luke Sleepwalker, and to her astonishment he did. She flashed Rainier a bright smile as he lined up his next shot. As the cueball rolled, she realised that it was going to pass far too close to the black. She didn't even need to will it. It ran along the baize with the inevitability of fate, and she saw Rainier realise it too, his face falling, and Luke Sleepwalker's smirk spreading to a grin. The white ball struck the black, a glancing impact, and dribbled off at a useless tangent, while the black promptly and implacably rolled into the side pocket. Per-lunk, you're sunk, Charlie thought, raising her hat to cover her face and grinning. Under cover of fedora she sent an air-kiss Luke Sleepwalker's way.

He turned and made a sweeping bow to the audience; Rainier snatched up his jacket with an ill grace and walked towards her, his steps angry and impetuous. He grabbed her upper arm and propelled her away through the crowd; Charlie's heart was beating in her throat, sprung up there by the thought that he knew she had been willing him to lose. From the corner of her eye she saw Marie and prayed for help. She was imagining being dragged out into an alley behind the building, or something equally alarming, but he only took her over to a small round table near the band and pulled out a chair for her. She sat down, nervously. He took the other chair and put his elbows on the table, pushing his hands through his hair. After a moment he looked up and smiled brightly.

'Can't let it get me down, eh?' he said. 'Those tiger's eyes must've got me. What are they, by the way?'

'C-car headlights,' Charlie explained. 'When a building's at the end of a street like this, and all the car headlights shine straight in the front door, that's, well, that's pretty bad Feng Shui.'

'You're your mother's daughter,' he said, and took a dark red enamel cigarette case from his jacket pocket, offering her one. Terrified to give offence in any way, she accepted and put it in her mouth, wondering whether she was doing it right. He leaned over with his lighter; as the first whiff of smoke came into her mouth she had to smother a cough.

'What a neat lighter,' she said, hastily taking the cigarette from her mouth and sucking air. 'Ace of Hearts.'

Rainier glanced at the enamelled Zippo. 'It's my lucky card,' he said, putting it away. 'I'm a romantic.'

A romantic who shot my mother.

'So what can I do for you, Charlie Girl?' he asked, smoke issuing from his nostrils. She thought it made him look demonic.

'I came to talk to try to sort things out we don't want to be enemies.' She gave him a faltering smile.

'Does your mother know you're out?'

'No I came by myself I'll talk to her for you, um - what should I call you?'

'Rain.'

'Rain.' She smiled again, trying to look like she meant it.

'I'd appreciate that, Charlie. You must know I didn't want to hurt your mother. I have orders, though. Our head man is not a nice person. Me, I'm a nice person. I just do what I have to do, with a minimum of unpleasantness.' He leaned forward, confidentially. 'I only shot her in the arm. Winged her. I wouldn't endanger her life.'

'I'm glad.'

'The police are saying I killed her, which I know is both untrue and unfair.'

'They didn't fool you, eh?'

'Of course not.' He blew a smoke ring. 'Charlie Girl, you're going to be happy with us. For one thing you'll walk into an excellent job, any time you want to. Your mother will never want for anything. New car, new house you can ask for anything and it'll be yours. As long as we have your full co-operation.'

'Of course.' How the hell am I going to get him somewhere where Marie can ambush him?

'I'm glad I'm going to get to know you better,' he said.

'I think it'll be interesting. Um what kind of things do you like, besides pool? You're really good at that'

'Roses - you know I love roses.'

'Gardening? Daddy loved his garden.'

'M-hm'

'Gee, we must have heaps in common!' I hate you I hate you I hate you. Don't you dare like something I like.

'I hope so, Charlie Girl.'

'Do you want to go outside?' she blurted. He raised his eyebrows slightly. 'I'd like to get some fresh air, I mean.'

'Hey, sore loser!' A glass of beer was plunked down on the table; they both looked up the arm of the hand holding it and saw Luke Sleepwalker smiling broadly. 'Here's a drink on me to show there's no hard feelings.'

'If you don't mind, the lady and I are talking.'

'Hi lady.'

'Um - hi.'

'I'm Edge, what're you?'

'Don't waste your time talking to him, Charlie Girl.' Rainier got up, pushing back his chair. 'We were just going out for some air.'

'What about your drink?' Edge put his hands in his pockets and rocked from heel to toe.

'The drink will be on you if you don't step aside,' Rainier said calmly, reaching out as if to pick up the glass.

'He's no fun, is he Charlie Girl?' Edge asked.

'Let's go, Rain,' Charlie said hastily. She got to her feet and tipped her head towards the exit. Rain. Yuk, yuk, yuk.

'Rain and Charlie sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g?' Edge enquired. Charlie felt a red-hot blush hit her cheeks and suddenly didn't like him any more, even if he had beaten Rainier for her. Rainier just gave a superior smile and offered her his arm; she took it and let him guide her out, not the way she had come in, but to a back doorway that let out into - yep, an alley. A light drizzle was falling; she put on her hat.

'This isn't very pretty,' Rainier said, 'but if we walk round to the back of the building we'll have a wonderful view of the city lights.'

'Really?'

'We're up on a cliff.'

'Ah.' I am so goddamn' scared of you and now I'm alone with you and we're going out on a cliff. I might just jump off to escape.

'Come on.' He led her by the hand; out of the lee of the buildings the wind was pushing the drizzle around; it moved reluctantly, unhappily. The city spread out before them, lights of all colours.

'I see tiger's eyes moving out there,' Rainier said softly. 'Burning bright, in the forests of the night.'

How dare you quote poetry at me. She breathed in deeply to calm herself.

'Good fresh air?' he asked, sounding amused.

'Very good. Nice and cool and damp.' She glanced around the area of waste ground they were standing in. 'You can smell the earth and the grass.'

'What I like is the smell of hot concrete when a sudden shower falls on it - you know, a summer sunshower?'

'Yes, that's good' You're a freaking lunatic! Have you got no idea of - of - you don't sweet-talk someone whose mother you shot!

'I know it's a lame old song, but raindrops on roses actually are one of my favourite things.'

'Are you for real?'

'Pardon?'

'I just mean - um - this made guy from a syndicate, talking about raindrops on roses and his favourite smells and things?'

'Well, I wouldn't talk this way to just anyone, Charlie Girl,' he said, smiling down at her and touching her face. She blinked and forced herself to maintain eye contact. He leaned in and brushed her cheek with his lips; in the same moment she pulled the gun from her pocket and pressed the barrel firmly into his ribs. He froze, and stood still for a long moment, breathing into her ear.

'Charlie Girl, please don't do this. I told you I didn't want to hurt your mother. Hurting me won't make her better.'

'I don't want to hurt you,' she said coldly.

'Then put down the gun be sensible I know you're upset, it's a very hard time for you but I will do everything, everything I can to make it easier for you. I'll take care of you. I lost my father not long ago. I know how it feels.'

'Don't you dare be sympathetic, you - you greasy plate of bacon and eggs.'

'What she said,' said Marie, stepping up behind Rainier and putting her gun to the back of his head. 'This is a citizens' arrest, Mr Bandaa. Do you like to be handcuffed by pretty girls? If you do you're in luck.'

'Oh dear,' Rainier said, sighing. Charlie didn't even see what he did but the next moment she was on her back in the wet grass, he had her gun, and he was holding it to Marie's chest, the barrel nuzzling into her cleavage. Her gun touched his forehead.

'Leave me alone, girls,' he said. 'I don't like unnecessary killing but I do kill when necessary.'

'I could shoot you before you could shoot me,' Marie said bravely.

'But I would shoot you. I'm surprised Charlie is involved with a little tart like you.'

'We're great pals,' Marie said, still not lowering her gun.

'Marie, don't be stupid!' Charlie cried. 'Don't give him a reason to hurt you!'

'Listen to your pal, Marie,' Rainier said, tipping his head Charlie's way.

Slowly and reluctantly, Marie lowered her arm.

'Good girl,' said Rainier. He took it from her hand and put it in his pocket. 'What will I do with you two?' he said with a sigh, half-turning and offering Charlie a hand up. She took it and got to her feet, wishing she could die right now. 'Two little girls playing with guns. I guess you're trying to follow in your father's footsteps, Charlie Girl, and that's a noble ambition, but you should have done some easier jobs first to learn your trade.'

'Please!' she said desperately. 'Don't kill me!' Rushing forward, she threw her arms round his neck; he stepped back a little, surprised, but seemed to accept it as an embrace. 'Please, I'm so confused,' she blubbered, desperately willing Marie to think of something, anything. 'I just want someone to take care of me, someone to tell me what to do! I'm so lost!'

'Oh, Charlie,' he murmured, putting his arms around her and stroking her back; one hand sneaked down and grazed over her bottom, slyly. 'Don't worry. I'll take care of you like you were my own.'

Her head over his shoulder, Charlie gave Marie a do SOMETHING! Look; Marie shrugged helplessly, holding up her empty hands.

'Oh Rain!' Refusing to give herself time to think about it, she put her hands on either side of his face and kissed him on the mouth. She felt him relax just a little and slammed her knee up between his legs. His gun fired at the ground; he fell, taking her with him; she had a moment of sheer terror and then saw Marie's high-heeled shoe come firmly down, pinning the wrist of his gun hand; she wrenched the gun away while Charlie scrambled to get the other from his pocket, as he shuddered and gasped, curled up on himself. Half-leaping, half-stumbling to her feet, she pointed the gun at him and screamed.

'Charlie, calm down!' Marie said.

'We can both shoot you before you can even get your gun out!' Charlie snapped at Rainier. 'And don't tell me to calm down, Marie, I needed to do that!'

'Wow,' said a voice in the dark. 'You girls are cool.'

Charlie glanced over her shoulder and found Edge walking up behind them, lowering the pool cue he had been holding ready as a club.

'What are you doing out here?' she demanded.

'I got a feeling something wasn't right with you and the groaning guy there,' he said, pointing the cue at Rainier, 'so I came out to see if you needed me to be a gentleman.'

'Thank you, we've got the situation under control,' Charlie told him.

'And how. These girls kicked your ayass, Rainy!' he said, poking Rainier with the cue and leaving a smudge of blue chalk on his creamy linen suit.

'Don't poke him!' Marie snapped.

Rainier looked up; his face was sweaty and his red sunglasses were crooked. 'You're making an enemy of me, Charlie,' he said.

'No,' she said, getting out the handcuffs from his other pocket, 'I'm making a prisoner of you. Put your hands behind your back or Marie will shoot your head off.' Moving fast, she snapped the cuffs onto his wrists and gave them a tug to make sure they were secure, then stepped back. 'Get up slowly.'

'I mean, badass,' said Edge, leaning on his cue and grinning. 'You have grass stains on your suit by the way.'

'This is a mistake, Charlie,' Rainier said levelly, ignoring him. 'Just let me go and I'll forget it. For you, I'll do that.'

'No,' Charlie said. 'I want ten million woolongs and I want you to go to jail.'

'Your father lost an arm because he crossed the syndicates. Did you know that's how it happened?'

'Well, actually it was because a friend betrayed him. I know all Daddy's stories. Come on. We're taking you to the police.'

'You girls want a lift?' Edge asked. 'Cause my car's right out front.'

Marie and Charlie exchanged looks; Marie shrugged.

'Sure,' said Charlie. 'It'll make things easier. Thank you, um'

'Edge,' he reminded her. 'Pot Black Pool Champeen Edge.'

'I was hoping you would win,' she said, smiling at him. It was what she wanted to do, damn it.

'Well, thank you space cowgirl!' he said, and loped around behind Rainier to jab at his buttocks with the cue again. 'Move it, mister,' he said. 'You've got two pistols and a big stick trained on you.' They manoeuvred Rainier up the alley and out into the carpark, where Edge unlocked a large blue sportscar, a rich boy's toy.

'Dew get in,' he invited them, hopping into the driver's seat and dumping the cue in the back.

'Don't you have to give back that cue?' Charlie asked, getting into the passenger seat and twisting to keep her gun aimed at Rainier in the back.

'No, for it is mine and mine alone.' He started the engine and backed out carelessly fast; Marie was thrown into Rainier's lap and cursed.

'Nearest police station, please,' Charlie said. Rainier was staring at her sadly. 'Oh, stop it,' she told him. 'Like you ever had a chance with me anyway.'

'I'm a romantic,' he said. 'Romantics believe there's always a chance.'

'Did you do it?' she asked.

'Do what?'

'Wipe my records. My identity.'

'No.'

'You must know who, though.'

'I truly can't tell you.'

'Because of you I have to be a bounty hunter,' she said. 'Because of you I can't have a normal life at all.'

'You don't have to be a bounty hunter at all,' he replied. 'You're extremely obstinate and close-minded. If you'd just accept what I'm offering you, you could be happy.'

'Wow, this is intense,' said Edge happily, taking a corner at reckless speed. Marie was thrown against the car door and cursed louder.

'You're going to jail,' Charlie said, feeling oddly peaceful.

'That won't make you safe, or change the syndicate's mind about your mother.'

'But you will be in jail. That's the important thing. One thing at a time.'

'Poliss!' Edge announced, pulling up at the kerb.

'Get out,' Charlie directed.

Everything went smoothly, incredibly smoothly. She turned him in to the desk sergeant, ignored his attempt to catch her eye as he was led away, slipped the licence into a machine, and entered the account number into which the bounty would be paid - one which Ed had created for her that afternoon, very secret and heavily protected. The bounty went through. She stood on the police station steps, gazing at the little screen showing the new balance and felt tears come into her eyes.

'Oh, don't mush up on me now,' Marie muttered. 'And remember that's half mine.'

'One third,' Charlie protested. 'Remember Ed.'

'Ed didn't take any risks. And ten million doesn't divide by three.'

'You could split it four ways,' said Edge, who was hanging around in the hope that something else interesting would happen.

'With you? I think not,' Marie said.

'He did help us, Marie.'

'He didn't help us to the tune of two point five million woolongs!'

'So just give me one million, and have three million each,' Edge suggested. 'Who's Ed?'

'Look, we appreciate the lift,' Marie said, 'but you're not our partner.'

'It makes the maths work better,' Charlie pointed out.

'Whose side are you on?' Marie demanded.

'Have you ever heard of karma, Marie? What goes around comes around?'

'That's not Feng Shui!'

'It's common sense! Not to mention common decency.'

'Hey. Charlie Black.'

She looked up. A gun fired. Something hit her shoulder incredibly hard and she fell back, distantly conscious of Marie returning fire. Her head struck the wet concrete step and everything went black.

Charlie woke up with a pain in her shoulder and her head, which felt tight and big. There was a light above her and a humming around her. She groaned and opened her eyes slowly; it was the Bebop's living room. Ed was sitting on the floor rattling away at the Tomato. Ein was lying across her legs protectively, an inert warm weight. Marie was sitting across from her in the armchair, buffing her nails.

'What happened?' Charlie asked hoarsely.

'Someone shot you,' Marie replied, not looking up from her nails, 'and I shot him back. He got into a big car and zoomed off, we got you into Edge's car and took you to a doctor. Then we brought you back here. You're all right. You just need to rest for a couple of days and let your shoulder heal. It's a flesh wound. Guy was a crappy shot.'

'Wh-where's Edge now?'

'Toilet,' Marie said succinctly.

'How long have I been out?'

'Couple of hours. Well, you woke up at the doctor's and raved about your mother and father and rain on concrete and he gave you a shot, hence the sleeping for a couple of hours. He was a weird old guy. I called Ed from Edge's car to tell her what had happened and she gave me his address.' Marie subjected her pinky fingernail to careful examination and smoothed off its edge. 'The doctor had an interesting reaction to Edge, and I think you're gonna have it too when you see him in clear light.'

'Hnh?' Charlie sat up, protecting her injured shoulder with her other hand.

'Here.' Marie produced a Polaroid and put it in her hand. Charlie looked at it muzzily; it was one of Jet's photos, captioned simply 'Spike.' It showed a face she already knew, under a preposterous white man's Afro. He was smiling around a cigarette.

'Yeah Spike Spiegel. So?'

'Have another look at Edge when he comes back,' Marie said. 'Here he is. Edge, walk round and let Charlie look at you.'

'Why?' asked Edge, wiping his wet hands on the seat of his jeans. He strode out in front of Charlie and struck a pose.

'Oh my God,' said Charlie.

'Quite,' said Marie. 'Ed hasn't looked up from the Tomato since we got in, but I'm betting when she does we'll get a reaction.'

'What?' said Edge. 'Am I, like, really hot? Are you both going to jump me together? Be gentle with me.'

'Edge, look at this photo,' Charlie said, holding it out.

'Who's the guy?' he asked. 'Wow, that's a haircut time forgot.'

'That's my father's partner, Spike.'

'Was your dad gay?'

'Business partner,' Charlie said. 'We we think you look like him. An awful lot like him.'

Edge's cheerful expression stilled and seemed to congeal. He looked at the picture for another long moment and then flipped it at Charlie.

'Nah,' he said. 'You get these chance resemblances all the time. Just some random guy.'

'I - I'm sorry,' Charlie said. 'Of course, it's rude to imply that you could be related. I don't know anything about your parents.'

'Neither do I, but that doesn't prove anything,' he said. 'I don't know what you guys are playing at but mocking up a photo is pretty classless. It's CG, isn't it? That kid plugged into the wall did it.' He jerked his thumb at Ed.

'No,' Marie said gently. 'This photo is at least twenty-five years old.'

'I'm twenty-six.'

'So?'

'Listen,' he said, suddenly sounding angry, 'you want to hear the story of my life? Here we go. Once upon a time there was a woman who got pregnant and didn't want to have a baby. For whatever reason, possibly a very good reason, but we don't know. So she went for a termination. But the doctor was crooked and running a black-market fertility clinic on the side. Instead of destroying the foetus he extracted it safely and put it in cryogenic storage until someone wanted it. When an order came in for a little boy he'd either implant it in the uterus of the lucky lady with the money, or bring it to term in an artificial womb so she wouldn't have to lose her figure. A rich barren couple wanted a son and heir. They bought me and brought me up. They got pretty fed up with me in the end. I was weird and got into trouble at school and never really seemed grateful enough for being adopted. I took my car and I left. I make a living playing pool. I see a lot of hustlers and grifters every day and this isn't a particularly good trick.'

'Oh, use your brain,' Marie said, stretching in her seat. 'What would we trick you for? Like you're such a dream mark.'

'Truly, Edge, this picture is real,' Charlie said earnestly. 'We have others. Maybe this is your father.'

'Yeah? You gonna introduce us?'

'Well well, we can't. I'm sorry he died in 2071.'

'Okay,' said Edge. 'I guess you're not trying to dupe me after all, because where the hell would this be going.' He leaned against the back of the couch. 'Sorry. I'm touchy about this stuff. I don't know where I came from.'

'Hey, I don't know who my dad is either,' said Marie cheerfully. 'This is the Ship of People Who Have Issues With Their Fathers.'

'I don't have issues with my father,' Charlie said indignantly.

'Yes you do. A girl's relationship with her father determines how she'll relate to men when she grows up, right? Well, he was so perfect, according to you, that there's no way any other guy is going to be able to live up to the standard he set. Thus you are doomed to go through life alone, 'cause your heart belongs to Daddy.'

'That is simply not true,' Charlie snapped back.

'It's true,' Marie told Edge. 'Want to join up with us? We're a brand-new bounty-hunting team. Charlie's the muscle of the outfit.'

'And Ed's the brains. Marie's just the boobs,' Charlie said, nastily, which was how she felt.

'Meow,' said Marie, with a hint of respect in her voice.

'And I would do what? Why do you want me to come on board now? Because you think I'm related to this Spike person? What does that mean?'

'Well it seems like fate,' Charlie said. 'Because then all of us would be either an original Bebop crew member or the child of one. Marie's mother flew with Spike and Jet too. And Ed and Ein were here in those days.'

'Bullshit,' he said, without any particular rancour. 'Ed's what, fourteen?'

'Thirty-eight, I think,' Ed said, without looking up from her online exploration.

'Uh, be that as it may,' he said, after a moment, 'you're pursuing a very sentimental notion on practically no evidence. Like I said, this could be a chance resemblance. Lots of guys have brown hair and brown eyes.'

'You have the same nose, same mouth, same shaped face,' Marie pointed out. 'And I bet if you let your hair grow out it'd do that too.'

'God forbid,' Edge muttered. 'So who's my mother supposed to be in your fantasy world?'

'Dunno,' said Marie, shrugging.

'Probably' said Charlie, and trailed off.

'Probably who?'

'Well, you know. Julia.'

'Oh Julia' Marie frowned. 'I guess since he was frozen for a while that could work a few years could've gone by in between'

'Who's Julia?'

'The only woman we know about that Spike loved,' Charlie said.

'Got pictures of her too?'

'No no pictures.'

'And I bet she's dead, too, right?'

'Um yes'

'Why are you even bothering to tell me these things, ladies?' He smiled at them wearily. 'It seems pretty pointless.'

'Because because we think it might be true,' Charlie said weakly.

'If Julia found out she was pregnant after Spike left'

'She might not have wanted to have his baby without him around'

'So'

'Yeah.'

'That's pretty sad.'

'Poor Julia.'

'Poor me!' Edge said. 'My head's going round and round. Guys, this is like coming in after twenty-five years of a soap opera and trying to work out who's whose ex-wife.'

'What sort of name is Edge anyway?' Marie said abruptly, as though she'd been wanting to ask for some time.

'It is short,' he replied with some dignity, 'for Edgeworth Morgan McKenna Featherstonehaugh.'

'That's pronounced Fanshaw,' Marie said dryly.

'I wanted you to know how to spell it. Anyway, could you stand being called Edgeworth Morgan McKenna Ffffffffffanshaw? So I call myself Edge.'

'Edge, Spike, that speaks to me of a similar mentality,' Marie said. 'You guys pick your nicknames the same way.'

'That's stupid,' Edge pointed out. Abruptly, he walked away, and equally abruptly turned on his heel and came back. He sat down on the sofa next to Charlie, dislodging Ein, who grumbled and toddled away. 'So what was my dad like? Didja know him?'

'No he died before I was born, but Daddy knew him and told me about him.' Charlie blinked. 'Wait a minute! Why did someone shoot me!?'

'For turning in Rainier, natch.' Marie said, shrugging.

'This is not a good night,' Edge said, leaning back wearily.

'Of course it is,' Charlie said, getting up with a soft grunt of discomfort. 'You won a contest. And got to have an adventure. I want milk. Who else wants milk?' She made her way to the kitchen and opened the fridge. 'There is no milk,' she said.

'I'm going to bed,' Edge said.

'Where are you going to bed?' Marie asked.

'Where I can find a bed. Or a pile of something soft and not stinky to lie down on.'

'There's no milk,' Charlie said forlornly, coming out of the kitchen. 'The milk is all gone,' she elaborated.

'Well, we can buy some milk with our ten million woolongs,' Edge pointed out.

'So are you deciding to stay or what?' Marie demanded.

'I don't like to be pressured for decisions,' he replied.

'Ugh. You're annoying. I'm going to watch TV.' She switched it on and sat back, glowering.

'They have a late-night edition of Big Shot!?' Charlie said wonderingly.

'Roundup of the day's events,' Edge suggested. 'What is this show?'

'Bounty hunters watch it,' said Marie. 'Shh!'

'Into every life a little Rainier must fall, or something,' Bill cheerfully yipped. 'One lucky bounty hunter collected on Rainier Bandaa this evening, but I bet they'll be peeved to learn that he's been released already! Apparently a mishandling of procedure by the ISSP meant they just couldn't hold onto him. Out on a technicality - still, I bet the bounty's in the bank by now!'

'Oh, no,' said Charlie, sitting down on the floor.

'After all that effort!' Marie exploded. She pulled off her right shoe and threw it at the set.

'What's the big? You've got the money,' Edge said, lying back on the couch and stretching out. 'Hey, I could sleep here!'

'Now he'll come after Mama again,' Charlie quavered.

'Don't think so,' Ed said.

'Are you listening to our conversation or what?' Marie enquired.

'Your mother's been taken into a witness protection programme, just like the doctor said,' Ed announced. 'So she oughtta be fine.'

'Why did no-one tell me!?'

'Prob'ly because they couldn't find you - which was what you wanted.'

'But - but I mean, how am I ever going to let Mama know I'm okay?'

'Well, sooner or later we'll probably track her down. Finding people is what we do.' Ed took off her goggles and turned to blink at them. Their rubber seals had left red rings around her eyes. 'Isn't there any milk at all? I want cereal.'

'Someone's got mail,' Edge said, pointing to an illuminated icon at the bottom of the TV screen.

'Let me see?' Charlie said. A text message appeared.

Charlie Girl,

I forgive you for tonight and hope you'll learn from the experience. I will still do my best to see that your mother is well treated. I have to respect you for your courage. I will remember that kiss.

Rain

'I really hate that guy,' she said, shaking her head.

'Does he know about the witness protection thingy?' Edge asked.

'I don't know. I don't want to ask him.'

'The way he talks, it sounds like his people have your mother,' Marie said thoughtfully.

'Don't even suggest that, Marie.' Charlie wiped her hands over her face and pushed back her hair. 'It's not like Mama can just be pushed around. She's smart and tough. Did I ever tell you the story of how she and Daddy met? Of how she rescued him from gangsters, found them an escape route? She's not a passive person.'

'So you're not worried?' Edge asked.

'As long as I don't know what's going on, of course I'm worried. I just - I'm just too tired and sore to think about it sensibly.'

Marie was re-reading the mail pensively, her chin in her hand. 'Are you and Rainier going to have one of those love-hate romance things?' she asked. 'I would like to be warned.'

'God, I hope not. Apart from being stereotypical, like Ed hates, I think I'd end up dead before my time.' Charlie shuddered. 'I don't understand him. Nothing works the way it should.'

'I found some little UHT thingies of coffee creamer,' Ed called from the kitchen. 'I think I swiped them somewhere. There might be enough for cereal.'

'When did life turn into chaos?' Charlie asked rhetorically.

'Feels like home to me,' Edge said, curled up with his sweater under his head, and went to sleep.

Author's Note: Well, there's another guy in the story now, which oughtta please those who want men and enrage those who don't. Rainier's gonna be a fixture, the big creep. As for the suggestion of yuri... it's not that I'm opposed to doing this type of story, but I don't see that kind of vibe between Marie and Charlie. Maybe I can introduce another character with whom that's a possibility. I have no idea if this chapter is any good. I don't feel at all confident writing in the Bebopverse; if this were an Escaflowne story it'd be different. I do tend to think of them as sister series somehow. (Odd mental picture of Folken and Jet comparing the design features of their cyber arms.)

Oh, and the formatting thing should be fixed. '' is something that pops up from time to time because I forget to check for it - I write these stories in MS Word and then copy and paste them into HTML pages (I know ff.net now lets you upload Word .doc files, but it doesn't seem to preserve italics in the text, which I love to use), and for some reason the Word ' - ' character comes out as '' in Claris Homepage 3.0, my HTML editor. When I've pasted the text I have to do a Find/Change search for all the endashes. Word is capable of saving documents as HTML files, but they come out so freakin' huge that I can't be bothered to do it that way. The occasional '' slipping through the net is just the price I have to pay.