Border, KS

Walter didn’t actually catch up to Morgan until she got to the sidewalk outside of the Police headquarters. He had to jog the last little bit in order to do it, as she was putting on a lot of speed as she got out of the building.

“Where are you going?” He finally managed to ask as he caught up to her, before he finally noticed that they were walking toward her BMW, which she had creatively parked in front of the building in a handicapped spot. “I would have gotten fourteen tickets by now, incidentally, and I am a police officer.”

“Tania. Ryan. People who I can talk to in short, clipped sentences and they’ll just know what I mean.” Morgan said as she opened the door to the BMW and slid in. “Coming?” She asked then, looking over to him.

“I’m surprised you didn’t just Dukes of Hazzard in through the window.” Walter offered as he slid in to the passenger seat. “And I will require, as part of my ditching work to come along as you explain what the hell is going on, a translator for your short and terse sentences.”

Morgan didn’t answer him so much as she put the car into gear and then proceeded to violate several speeding laws. Walter would also swear that she violated several laws of physics as she swerved around cars and fit in spaces that she shouldn’t have been able to, but he decided he would only investigate that if they actually ever parked safely.

“Where the hell do you actually live?” Walter asked after some long moments of driving that didn’t seem to be going any one direction in particular. “Arkansas?”

“Spenser Gardens.” Morgan explained as she whipped across a double yellow line, going fifty in a thirty and around two passing cargo vans and a tractor, and then back in to her lane—while passing a cop car. No lights, no sirens, no movement from the Crown Vic.

“You know what? Now, I’m beginning to believe in magic, because there is no way you did that without Satan’s help.” Walter said as he surreptitiously reached up to grab the handlebar above the door that he had long ago learned was the ‘Oh Jesus’ bar.

“Now you believe.” Morgan said with a smirk as she came around a hill, toward an expensive looking condominium that Walter had never seen before in his life. “Spenser Gardens is the condominium counterpart to the Spenser Hills. It’s rich people homes for people who like views instead of backyards.” She explained as she pulled up to a very ornate but obviously back gate, and rolled down the window to enter a code at the keypad. “Now I just want you to breathe deeply, because the people here are ridiculously rich—and like the ridiculously wealthy they live a very different life.”

The gate swung open, and Morgan showed that she had as little disregard for the lives of her neighbors as she did for the passing citizenry by roaring in. “Very different, and very stupid.” She said as she pulled in to the complex. It was made up of two tall buildings that he had only seen in the distance—or at least tall for Border, pushing six stories each. As they drove along they passed a woman who had a large dog on a leash, which had a smaller dog on a leash attached to it.

“Did that woman’s dog have a dog?” Walter said, a little bit stunned by the sight that had just whizzed by his window. “Why would…” He trailed off.

“Does your dog not have a dog?” Morgan asked, her voice a little bit shocked. “Then what does your dog walk?” She said curiously. When he just gaped she grinned, reaching out to squeeze his cheek. “You’re so cute!”

“Both hands on the wheel, Nascar.” Walter said suddenly as they took a turn very quickly and she pulled her car into a covered, numbered parking spot. The car stopped with a smoothness he wouldn’t have assumed possible with its’ velocity, and he pulled himself out. “I think my kidneys are liquefied, so we might need to look at that. I don’t need those, right?”

“Entirely optional.” Morgan said as she slid out of the car gracefully, and locked it with her remote. They started walking quickly toward the building. “If you are a hagfish or a lamprey. They have fairly simple ones, you might be able to get by if you’re just an exceptionally well dressed slime eel.” She offered as they walked through the door.

“Well, I’ve been called worse.” Walter offered as they went through a very well appointed entry way. It almost looked like a lounge, and he actually did see what looked like a small restaurant off to one side.

“It’s the country club restaurant.” Morgan explained. “We’re on the other side of the golf course from Spenser Hills, and we have the restaurant. Makes it easier to wander down and have a couple of drinks when I’m out of things in the refrigerator.”

“Is now when you tell me about the powers of compound interest, and how it is in fact the most powerful force in the universe?” He asked as they made their way over to the elevators, and Morgan depressed the up button.

“You know it’s undetermined whether or not Einstein actually said that?” Morgan asked. “And before you ask no, I did not meet him. Not every immortal has known everyone impressive or fought in every war.” She said. The doors swung open to reveal an elevator with dark wood and a stainless steel bar running around the inside.

“Did you fight in any wars?” Walter asked as he leaned in against the door, and Morgan pulled out a key-card. Swiping it, she hit the button for the penthouse.

“Kind of. You know I actually am a doctor, right?” She asked. “I’ve been healing people for longer than this country has been…well, a country.” There were another few moments of silence as the elevator went through a stately rise to the penthouse.

“So Tania…” Walter said after a beat.

Morgan smirked. “Has the penthouse in the other tower. I’ve been investing in high quality, illegally modified Nerf guns to try to peg her when she is on her balcony.” Morgan revealed with a wiggle of her eyebrows and a smirk. The door opened and the two of them walked into a large sitting room decorated in a sleek and modern fashion, in which two people were having vigorous and enthusiastically loud sex.

END OF CHAPTER 10