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  “You can’t prove any of that,” Stephen said. “I wouldn’t shove a woman anywhere.” He looked genuinely insulted that Phin had suggested it, and Phin frowned at him. Then Stephen’s face grew smug again. “And I certainly wouldn’t show pornography to the good people of—”

  “Here we go again,” Wes said. “Stephen, we need the other tapes back. I don’t think the women will prosecute if you give them their tapes back, but—”

  “Nobody’s going to prosecute me for anything,” Stephen said. “You have no proof. And the last time I looked, you needed proof to arrest somebody, so—”

  “Stephen,” Phin said quietly. “Sophie came over one night when you were watching them film on the dock, and somebody pushed her into the river. Right here, at the end of your property.” Stephen shut up and Phin watched him closely. “The river was high and she almost drowned. If she wasn’t such a fighter, she’d have died.”

  “I don’t know anything about that,” Stephen said cautiously. “But I do know that the people you consorted with produced a pornographic movie in clear violation of the Temptation film ordinance—”

  Phin tuned him out, and Wes said, “Okay, Stephen, you practice your speech, and we’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  “I want him arrested,” Stephen said, and Wes said, “No, you don’t, because if I arrest him, he’ll get to explain why he went for you, and then people might get to thinking you’d played porn to their children just to get elected.”

  Stephen scowled. “That’s ridiculous.”

  “No,” Wes said. “That’s the truth, and it’s the lousiest thing I know about you. How many people had their kids in front of that TV set to watch Temptation in the movies? You set it all up. Anything to get elected. You and your family values.”

  “I didn’t do it,” Stephen said stubbornly, but his eyes slid away, and Phin gave up.

  When they were back in car, Wes said, “If you ever attack another citizen in front of me, I will break your fucking arm and then move on to your head.”

  “Fair enough,” Phin said. “I can’t think of anybody else I want to attack, anyway, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “Because you pretty much threw away whatever leverage I had,” Wes went on. “He can file assault charges, you know, and they’ll stick. So I’m not exactly in a position to lean on him for this tape thing.”

  “I’m sorry,” Phin said. “But we did get something out of that.”

  “Yeah,” Wes said. “He didn’t push Sophie.”

  “So who did?” Phin thought about Sophie and the movie, and shoved it aside as too painful to think about. He went back to everything Sophie had told them about the river. Somebody had shoved her really hard, she’d said. “Who else would do that?”

  “You got me,” Wes said, and started the car. “I’ll put it on my list of things to do along with, ‘Find out who shot Zane and tried to electrocute Sophie,’ and ‘Try to nail Stephen for pandering porn.’ Jesus, I’m lousy at this job.”

  “No, you’re not,” Phin said. “You’re just up against it right now.”

  Wes pulled back out onto the road and headed for the station. “I hate to point this out, but so are you.”

  “Yeah, I think that pretty well wraps it up for me as mayor.” Phin settled back, rubbed his shoulder, and thought about how good it had felt to grab Stephen. “Thanks for waiting so long to pull me off.”

  “My pleasure. You know, this wasn’t Sophie’s fault, that was Leo’s cut. She must be upset about all this. She worked pretty hard making that movie.”

  Phin heard his own dialogue coming at him from the screen again. “You have no idea how hard she worked.”

  “Am I missing something here?”

  “Yes.” Phin said.

  “Am I going to continue missing it?”

  “Yes.”

  Wes sighed. “Fine, be that way.” He pulled up in front of the bookstore. “Get out. I got work to do.”

  “What work? It’s after eleven. Go home.”

  “I’m not the only one here missing stuff,” Wes said. “You go mope. I have things to do.”

  “Wait a minute,” Phin said, but Wes pointed to the door, so he got out and let him drive away.

  Fine. Whatever. He wasn’t moping, he’d just had his entire future shot out from under him, and there was nobody to vent his annoyance on. Wes was gone, his mother was somewhere committing hari-kari, the Garveys were no doubt celebrating the coming mayoral victory, and Ed was probably trying to get a copy of Hot Fleshy Thighs for his porn collection even as Phin stood there.

  And then there was Sophie.

  “Fuck it,” he said, and walked around the back of the bookstore to his car. Wes was right. He had things to do. Like demand an explanation. Like ask her what the hell she thought she was doing. Like make her feel guilty for all the hell she was leaving behind her.

  If she thought she was leaving town without a reckoning, she didn’t know him at all.

  Rachel found Leo in his motel room, packing.

  “Thank God,” he said. “My ride to the airport and out of here. That guy in the restaurant was only the beginning. Did you hear those people in the lobby? I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many people angry over soft porn before. Imagine what they’d do if they knew the kind of stuff I do.”

  “They do,” Rachel said. “You missed that part. My dad switched tapes and the town watched Hot Fleshy Thighs.”

  “Oh,” Leo said. “Well. Even so, it was just a movie. They overreacted.”

  “Forget them,” Rachel said. “They’re history. Think about the future.”

  Leo eyed her cautiously. “You seem fairly calm about this.”

  Rachel leaned against the wall and shrugged. “It’ll be okay. Everybody’s mad right now, which is good for them because not much happens in Temptation so this’ll give them some exercise. They’re not bad people and they won’t go after Sophie or anybody, and even if somebody really lost it and tried, Phin and Wes would take care of it.”

  “I doubt Phin’s going to take care of it,” Leo said. “From the way those people downstairs are talking, he just lost the next election.”

  Rachel shrugged. “He’ll get over it. He loves Sophie, and he’ll keep her no matter what. Phin’s determined like that. Love’ll do that to a person.” She met Leo’s eyes and he flinched.

  “Right.” Leo shut his suitcase. “Well, I’m ready. You want I should call a taxi so you don’t have to—”

  “No,” she said, and pulled her dress over her head.

  Leo took a step back. “Rachel, stop it.”

  “I know you mink you’re leaving me.” Rachel lifted her chin so it wouldn’t quiver because that would ruin what she was pretty sure was the magnificent sight of her in Victoria’s Secret red lace. “But you’re not. I’m the best thing that ever happened to you, Leo. And I mean professionally, too. I stopped and talked to Sophie on my way here, and we worked it all out. You can teach me to run that new vanilla-porn section.” She took a deep breath. “I think you should call it Rachel Films and use a cat for the logo that’s like the lion on the Leo stuff. And I can do a lot of the promotion that you can’t do, because I’m a woman. Sophie thinks it’s a great idea.”

  “Rachel—”

  “And I’m smart, Leo,” Rachel said. “And I learn fast. Sophie says so. I’m going to do a lot for you, you’ll see.”

  Leo looked at the ceiling. “Could we talk about this with you dressed?”

  “No,” Rachel said. “Because I’m going to sleep with you, too. I know you don’t want to do this, but even just that one kiss with you was better than having sex with anybody else I’ve had sex with, and I’m coming after the rest of it now. And then we’re going to go to L.A. and live happily ever after.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “If you think I’m settling for anything less, you don’t know me.”

  Leo closed his eyes.

  “And you know me, Leo.” She walked toward him while he kept his eyes closed. “