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I considered ignoring the bell, but at this hour the sued on my robe as I hurried downstairs

Oprah wound her body around the newel post, purring so loudly I swear the floor vibrated She hadn&039;t been so happy to see h the peephole, and the reason for Oprah&039;s joy became apparent Grace stood on the porch

"Claire?" she called "I know you&039;re there"

I frowned How could she know?

"Your stairs creak," she said, "and I can see your shadow at the peephole You lass next to the door, which was covered with a thin white drape - "frosted"

I opened the door

She looked me up and down "I woke you?"

"What the hell time is it?"

"Six am"

I rubbed my forehead "What do you think?"

"Sorry" She bent to pick up Oprah, as snaking through Grace&039;s ankles and yowling for attention The cat put her nose right up to Grace&039;s and rubbed

"What is it with you and that cat?" I asked

"Souling odly hour?"

"Balthazar&039;s still "

"Hopefully forever"

Grace set Oprah on the floor "You need to watch what you say"

"I was joking You said al yesterday"

"I know But - "

"But what? You&039;re queen of the ha-ha sarcasm, so I can&039;t be?"

"People on your shit list are disappearing, Claire First Josh, then Balthazar"

"You think I disappeared theht?"

I fought not to betray the truth by glancing upward "Why?"

Grace ravated sound deep in her throat "Why do you think? He had altercations with both ht before they disappeared I have to talk to him But I went to the lake, and he wasn&039;t there" She scowled "Though with the for hiood reason to be"

"I didn&039;t say they didn&039;t, but they&039;remy life hard Just makes me want to return the favor"

The steps creaked Malachi stood at the top, fully dressed But since his hair was a mess, his clothes were crumpled, and he&039;d obviously just coave ed I wasn&039;t sure what I&039;d been going to do

"What did you hear?" Grace asked as Malachi descended the stairs

"All of it"

"I need to take you to the station"

"Grace - ," I began

She held up her hand "I knohat I&039;ive hia to do with this"

"We established that I didn&039;t think you had anything to do with it But that was before I understood that you&039;d been playing hide the salami with the chief suspect"

"So?"

"Men who&039;ve hurt you, physically and professionally, have disappeared"

She said it slowly, so I&039;d understand, but I didn&039;t

"Did you hire hiuys"

"What? No! Why would I do that?"

"You didn&039;t want Josh to disappear?"

I opened ain Had I said as much to Grace at one time? I couldn&039;t recall

"I wanted hi things I didn&039;t need anyone to help me, and I especially didn&039;t need anyone to kill forabout killing?"

A half an hour later, all three of us walked into the sheriff&039;s depart, and Grace hadn&039;t argued I had a feeling I was going to get a turn in the interrogation roolanced at my watch If she was ever done with Malachi

I&039;d left aI was at the sheriff&039;s departency So far, none had arisen, though I didn&039;t hold out ation room opened at last, and Grace stepped out She aze went straight to

"What is it?" I asked

"A body&039;s been found"

I&039;d expected her to say Malachi had confessed And why had I expected that? I didn&039;t believe he&039;d killed anyone

Though while I&039;d been waiting I had gone over and over the expression on his face right before he&039;d popped Josh in the nose Malachi had looked murderous Then he&039;d followed Josh, and no one had seen the other man since

As for Balthazar, he&039;d disappeared after their altercation, too Sure, Balthazar had gone into the woods looking for Grace, or so his minion had said, but she had an alibi in theparty If Balthazar had annoyed her and she&039;d whacked his Mal had said to both ht I also recalled Mal pro, or had he known?

I shook o away

"Who did they find?" I asked