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period.”
    â€œI guess you know what you’re doing. It’s just that you don’t know her well, and she seems to be a bit distant at times as if she’s not on the same planet, if you know what I mean. Still, it’s your decision. Say, why don’t you both come over for dinner one night and we can get to know her better. What do you say?”
    â€œThat would be nice, Stan. Let me know when and I’ll leave that night free.”
    â€œI’ll check with my social director. I know
you
will eat anything, but just let us know if there is anything that Sara doesn’t like, and Helen will put on one of her gourmet meals,” said Stan.
    Rick went to his office and completed some of his outstanding paperwork. Then he checked the office safe. ‘Not that there was anything worth protecting,’ he thought. He did a final sweep, turned the lights out and locked the office door. As he made his way to his car, he was thinking about Stan’s attitude toward Sara’s moving in with him.
    As he drove up to the house, he noticed all of the lights were on. He reached up and activated the garage door opener. After he driven into the garage, he got out of his car and entered the house through a door that led to a small passageway adjoining the guest sleeping quarters. Then he walked into the kitchen.
    Sara had made herself at home. All the lights were on in the kitchen, family room, study, sitting room and dining room. She was busy in the kitchen preparing a meal.
    â€œJust thought I’d brighten the place up a bit and cook something for dinner. How do you feel about some pasta andmeatballs?” she said over the sound of pots boiling, bubbling and hissing on the stove.
    â€œNice surprise coming home to a meal already prepared. The place looks bright and cozy. I didn’t know I had so many lamps. When you’re a bachelor, there are many things that you don’t notice,” he said.
    This was a change for Rick. It was either eating out or frozen TV dinners. Home-cooked meals were a luxury. He’d always envied Stan with his family, pretty wife and comfortable home life.
    The meal was enjoyable to Rick, and he complimented Sara on her culinary competence. He loaded the dishwasher, and they settled down to a quiet evening rarely speaking to one another, allowing the television to take over the entertainment. At eleven o’clock Rick got up and announced he was going to bed.
    I’m off to bed,” he said. “You don’t have to shut the television off. I can’t hear it from my room. Don’t forget to turn the lights out.”
    â€œI’m not an early riser, and I don’t have any appointments tomorrow. I think I’ll have a lazy day. Good night, Rick. See you in the morning,” Sara said quietly.

CHAPTER
6
    S ara started to acquaint herself with the house, moving from room to room including the office and bedroom. ‘Rick’s office is a mess,’ she thought, sifting through some of his paperwork.
    She sat down in his big recliner and reflected on her immediate position. Carl had told her to vacate the apartment quickly under puzzling circumstances, and told her to wait for his call in the next few days.
    Here she was, in a stranger’s house waiting for the call. Sara liked Carl but was weary of his promises of the big times to come. On the other hand, he might come through with something in the near future. He always gave her enough money to live on, but that was about it.
    Her real ambition was to be independent, having enough money of her own without having to rely on anyone else. This was her primary goal.
    Now Phil Speed was a different entity altogether. He worked from time to time with Carl, laundering money for the narcotics dealers. The first time she saw Phil Speed she thought he was the type of person she really wanted to spendthe rest of her life with. The only problem with him was a degree of uncertainty as to his