The inside of the car was dim, made even darker by the black, very expensive-looking dress worn by the woman in the passenger seat. The thick-necked driver had his head turned so I couldn't see his face. The woman's blood-red lips tipped into a smile as she handed me a small brown paper bag without a word.

I took it, the second paper bag handed to me in one night, though this one was much heavier than the first. She must've known to hand it to me and not some undercover cop who ...