My first impulse was to tell Alec Steel that I was a big girl and could order my own food. My second impulse was to turn on my heel and get out while the getting was good. I had accepted a coffee invitation from Alec against my better judgment, but I wanted him for information. He was rapidly becoming my Number One Suspect, and the fact that I didn’t like him had everything to do with that. Alec had ordered some sort of green liquid salad for me and that did not help at all. I studied the drink in front of me. Was it congealing, or was that just my imagination? I preferred my vegetables on a plate. I preferred to eat them with a fork, not drink them through a straw. Still, this was a special circumstance. I had made it clear to him that the meeting was simply to ask him questions, but he still seemed to have the wrong idea. Perhaps he thought that all women were attracted to him. The thought made me shudder. “You know,”
