He waited, breathless, for her answer.

“Well…I suppose it depends on the guy.”

Depends on the…what? “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you have to tailor the plot to the victim. If he’s arrogant, make him unsure. If he’s intelligent, prove him wrong. If he’s paranoid, invent a conspiracy. Just pick a characteristic and focus on it.”

He blinked in what seemed like slow motion. It was subtle, but it was there. Her admission.

He steeled himself to call her on it, when she interrupted once again.

“Okay, well…looks like he’s ready for you. Talk to you later, Jim.”

Click.