“I told you not to hook up with her,” says Simon Yu (#0).

“I didn’t,” says Stephanie Long, in a protest so weak that buzzards immediately begin circling above her in the instinctive belief that something is about to die.

“Just don’t let Imani Rhodes (#17) find out,” says Simon.

“Nobody got stabbed, Simon,” says Stephanie Long, carefully examining a watch with a radium dial. (This is her job, by the way: she buys antiques.)

“That’s the third one you’ve looked at,” he says. “Do you specialize in phosphorescent kitsch?”

“I specialize,” says Stephanie Long, “in things that can kill you.”