Preston saw me hesitate and shoved down on my shoulder again. I gripped the edge of the table, ready to throw a plate at him, but then he bent low beside my ear. "Relax," he whispered. "Maxwell can't get it up. He can't do anything. Just sit still and look pretty." I stared at him. He stepped back. I turned slowly and looked at Maxwell again. His lips were parted in a sticky grin. His skin looked waxy. His eyelids drooped. He blinked slowly. The man probably couldn't climb a flight of stairs without collapsing. I sat. Preston's hand lifted from my shoulder. He moved around the table, filled a glass for Maxwell, poured a second for himself, then said, "This is Mr. Gary Maxwell, Senior VP of Corporate Procurement. This is my cousin, Mirabelle Vance." Fra

