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Sam held on to her chuckle until the bartender reached the cooler at the other end of the bar "I love how you Brits make a snappy comeback sound like Shakespeare"

"While I aenerous nature you Alasses of dark red wine, she returned his silly grin with a regal nod "You’re alilling to jump in and save solass--"or a stranger whose insides reselass "God save the Queen"

"And Mr Obaht she ht be able to drink most of hers if she took it slow Fortunately her colass

"So what brings you to South Florida?" Sam asked "Vacation, business, family?"

"Business My employer sent me to acquire some property, but I have a little tih collar of her blouse before she took another sip frolass "What is it like to live here, in this beautiful place?"

"As places go it’s usually hot, crowded, and busy, and that’s just in the off-season" She ran her thulass "But there are some wonderful places to explore The Riverwalk, ballet at the perfor arts center, and all the neat shops at Las Olas There’s a wildlife preserve a little south of here that has nature trails and a walk-through butterfly garden It’s beautiful and peaceful"

"Sounds lovely, but I’ht person" She flinched as two of the lanced sideways and what she saw nearly made her fall on the floor

"Not terribly fond of loud noises, either" The other wo?"

"Tired eyes" Saain Her blond hair gleamed, every strand brushed neatly in place, and her ladylike outfit looked equally i an old potato sack only slightly filthier than the rat’s nest on her head? It couldn’t have been a vision; the wolass, and then wrinkled her nose and set it down again "I think this lovely wine is actually giving me a headache Would yousome bills out of her wallet and tucked thelass for the bartender "I’ll ith you Car or hotel?"

"I’ve a lovely little cottage by the water, about a mile down the road," Werren said as they left the bar "But you needn’t walk et ive you a ride"

Traffic was again flowing through the intersection where the collision had occurred, and as Sam reached her car, she looked for the wrecked vehicles, which were gone The city’s accident-response departht that, soe," she said to Werren as she ed into the southbound lane "That accident caused such a mess, but now it looks like it never even happened"

"I wish it hadn’t" Werren sounded distant, as if her thoughts were elsewhere

Saht te, I’m afraid" She nodded at the street corner they were approaching "It’s right there, at the end of that ay"

Sam found an empty space at the curb, and looked up at the dark s of an exceptionally pretty little beach house "Now this is really strange I’ve driven past this corner a couple thousand times and I’ve never once noticed this property" She saw the way the other woht?"

"It is, but I always leave the light on in the front room and now it’s off" She turned to Sam "Would it be completely wretched of me to ask you to walk up and have a look?"

"Wretched, no S area as she approached the front wraparound porch The wind played with hanging chilass, and the sound of the tide retreating added a soft background rush The front door and s bore noforced open, and when San of a ht have done the same

"I think you’re okay," Sam said as Werren joined her "Just keep your doors and s locked, and if you want to go soht, you shouldcalla cab" There had been no glass on the road at the accident scene, Sale shard While county usually did a decent job cleaning up after a collision, they weren’t that meticulous

"I had no choice, my lady," the other woman murmured

She stared at Werren, whose face had lost all expression "What did you call ht them, you will be made to suffer" The cool eyes closed