"Give me the photo."

Nick's voice was as cold as the moonlight reflected by his gun. He stood in the night and the bright lamp of the lighthouse lit his figure regularly. Lola could barely look at the man and it wasn't because of the light.

"Never. Maximino deserves to know," she replied quietly, but with determination.

"Don't make this too difficult, Lola. You will have to give me what I want anyway," the lawyer said.

Lola chuckled and looked far away at the sea. Nick knew the woman could see nothing there and the movement just reflected her acceptance. Acceptance and bitterness.

"Or what? You'll shoot me? Is Nick Virago really going to get his hands dirty?" Lola asked.

"If I have to. I want that photograph."

"Nah, you need it. How funny, one small picture the size of a postcard is enough to make you nervous."

Now Nick wanted to glance at the sea too, but he kept his eye sockets locked to the woman who stood in front of him at the top of the lighthouse.

"The longer we talk the greater is the chance that I am going to have to shoot you," he stated.

"I know."

"You'll just have to give it to me."

Lola leaned back and tried to look relaxed.

"I don't have it with me. I hid it," she said. Nick snorted softly.

"You shouldn't have told me that. Now all I need is to shoot you and the photo will never be found," he said. His tone was dangerous, but Lola knew that the man wouldn't shoot her.

At least not yet.

She lifted her face and looked at him with defiance.

"What if I told about it to someone? What if someone else has seen it?" she asked.

"That would have been very stupid of you. Just like this whole little story. Do you honestly think Maximino would be interested in you if you showed him the photo?" Nick asked.

"I... How can I know if I don't try?" Lola asked losing her cool for a moment. Nick knew why the woman had done this and endangered herself, and though he despised her because of it he couldn't help but respect her a bit too.

"You can't be too sure of anything in this world, so it's the best if you don't try your luck," he said. Lola shrugged. That wasn't actually a line she would have expected to hear from Nick.

"She is not good for you," she said after a short silence.

"Who? Olivia?"

"You know who I am talking about. She doesn't really love you. Everything in this world -- Maximino, you, Rubacava, -- is just a game to her," Lola said quietly, almost whispering.

Nick made sure his hold on the gun was good.

"We agreed that love would never be part of our relationship," he said almost not noticing it. Why was he even talking to this photographer girl? He should have concentrated in the picture!

Lola looked at him and Nick could have sworn that an impish, almost malicious smile was playing on her bony face.

"And yet you fell in love with her. You fool," the woman said.

"Give me the picture. I don't have time for this," Nick said.

"Neither of us has time. You might not have understood it yet, but we are both fools. You say Maximino will never love me. I say Olivia is never going to feel anything towards you."

"The picture..."

"And yet we both are just as stupid and keep dreaming of something we can't have."

"Are you going to give me that photo or do I have to make you do it?" Nick asked finally losing his self-control. He always acted calm and rational, but now it was clear that he was nervous and in a hurry.

Lola shook her head.

"Neither of us is going to stop fooling around, as ridiculous as it is," she said and looked at Nick carefully. The man answered to her gaze and for a short moment they understood each other.

And then a shot echoed at the dock. If someone had been there he might have seen how a fool ran away from the lighthouse.

The End