“Honest about everything?” She asked.Markus turned around and looked at her. “We do not tolerate liars in this organization. Trust is one of our... founding principles in this group.” He said to Ludmilla.Ishmael spoke up. “Helena once spent 18 hours in a room with a man that continuously and intentionally lied to her. When she was finished, there was little left of his sanity.”“If you do not believe anything that you have been told, please believe this. Helena will get the truth out of you. She is. Cynthia stands stock still, staring at me. I take a sip of the single malt scotch, and set the glass down with a clink. I reach up, and tilt the table lamp down on its side, the light bulb aiming through the top of the shade. I flick the light switch, and the effect is to illuminate Cynthia in a baby spotlight. Ah, Cynthia. Sweet, smart, and oh so sexy, Cynthia. Her auburn hair is pulled up on her head. Her pale skin gleams in the soft light of the bulb. Her little black dress clings to her. ”“Do you love my sister?”“Yes. I had a shitty marriage...”I held up my hand and cut him off, “Spare me, please. That’s between you and Liz. I love her, too, and I know this is what she wants. My options are to destroy my relationship with her, or figure out how to make it work, keep her safe, and keep you alive.”“Your dad is that volatile?”“You tell me. You were twenty-four and married, and slept with his fourteen-year-old daughter. Don’t you think that might have put him a bit on edge?”“Yeah.. We’re pretty laid-back people.”“Well, thank you for making her life better, that’s all I can say. Will your party need reservations or anything for dinner, Francie?”“No, Marcie, thanks, but it’s just Cheryl and me. We’ll grab a bite in the Grill. We left Charlie in Washington and flew out really quick to sell and close on Cheryl’s house. We have to go back first thing in the morning to keep him company and make sure the military industrial machine doesn’t swallow him.” I giggled, but she was.