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"We’re going to be rich, baby," the h her da rich We’ll never have to work another day of our lives"
Max Grodan was already rich, Jessa knew Beyond rich He could leave Ellen and never have to work another day for ten lifetimes--and he had worked very hard to keep Ellen froht? This tio to prison, Max"
"Ellen Farley will go to prison, if they bother to dig her up out of the ground" Max nuzzled her neck "Judy Tulliver is going to Rio with e in Max’s rave, but it was ee
Sunlight
Jessa released the other woman’s hand, smiled, and watched her leave the office As soon as the door closed, she dropped down into her chair and buried her face in her hands She sat like that until the worst of the shakes fro other than running after Ellen and pleading with her not to go anywhere near Max
She couldn’t do this Not here, not now
With a treit extension "Angela, check the US inter for an Ellen Ann Farley, date of birth February nineteenth"
"What year, Ms Bellaazed at Ellen’s date of birth To use identity records belonging to another person, Ellen would have had to choose soan issuing Social Security nuit I could be easily changed to a 4--or a 7 "Try 1914"
"Searching" After a few ela took in a quick breath "One hit Holy Moses Ellen Ann Farley, born 1914, died 1916 Interred in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Albany County, New York"
"Good" Jessa put the phone on speaker so she could walk around the office and work out the last of the treht "Call the Office of Vital Statistics in New York, and have them fax a copy of Ellen Ann Farley’s actual birth certificate to us If the certificate numbers ela hesitated before adding, "See what Iabout people, Ms Bellamy"
"No" Jessa looked down at the vase of white roses on the coffee table, and touched one of the there and breathing on it ain’t gonna get thatclean," Maribeth Boden said as she finished rubbing the last streak frolass in front of her
Adele Watkins didn’t reply, but swatted the air with her hand
"Come on now" Maribeth walked over to help her friend, and studied the dusty inside of the pane "We got three ulped "Sweet baby Jesus"
"Uh-huh," Adele murmured
The man on the other side of thestood in the shade the recessed arch over it provided While Maribeth saw a lot of s she cleaned every day, she couldn’t recall ever noticing one put together like this one
He was too dark to be white, and too light to be black She would have pegged him as Hispanic or Indian, if not for his dark blond hair and light eyes, but that wasn’t right either If someone had asked her, she would have said his skin reminded her of her mama’s homemade pralines, all hot and smooth as they cooled on waxed paper in the kitchen
His pretty skin covered broad, heavy muscles, the kind she’d never seen on a white ym around the corner When he shifted position, they didn’t ripple; they flowed
"You think he’s gonna put that jacket back on?" Adeleto his chest and torso like body paint, andit covered was just as fine as what it exposed "God wouldn’t be that hateful to me"
Adele sucked in a sharp breath as the man turned his head to look at the"He knoe’re watching hilass; the outside’s like aat himself" But he didn’t dothe street "You think he works here?"
"If he does, we’re blind" Adele pressed her dark hand to the dirty"Damn, Mari, but if he ain’t the finest man I’ve seen in ht of her ht on the road "Think I’h "I was thinking I’d take , ladies" Carter Burleigh, one of the young attorneys orked on the floor, walked up behind the, but his jaw relanced back at hih?"
"God wouldn’t be that kind to ed himself between the tomen to have a better look "Dah
On the other side of the , the man who had taken the nah to dispel casual suspicion, and moved out of the shade to cross the street As he did, he heard the groans of the to hi over his arm