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I COULDN’T believe Debbie was in league with the va o to Mahler’s I told Harkat how stunned she’d been to see"If she went to all the trouble of getting you there, she’d hardly not act surprised," he noted

I shooklike this"

"I don’t know her, so I can’t voice an opinion But you don’t really know her either She was a child when you last saw her People change as they grow"

"You don’t think I should trust her?"

"I’enuine Maybe she had nothing to do with faking the fore coincidence But caution is required Go see her, but keep an eye on her Be careful what you say Put so questions to her And take a weapon"

"I couldn’t hurt her," I said quietly "Even if she has plotted against us, there’s no way I could kill her"

"Take one anyway," Harkat insisted "If she’s working with the vampaneze, it may not be her you have to use it on"

"You reckon the va in wait there?"

"Maybe We couldn’t understand why the vampaneze - if they’re behind the fake for with Debbie - or using her - this et me at Debbie’s alone, so they can pick htfully I didn’t believe Debbie orking with our foes, but it was possible that they were et to reen eyes betrayed his uncertainty "I’m not sure It would be foolish to walk into a trap But sometimes risks must be taken Perhaps this is our way to flush out those ould ensnare us"

Chewing my lower lip, I brooded upon it a while, then followed the most sensible course of action - I went and woke Mr Crepsley

I rang the bell for 3c and waited A moment later, Debbie’s voice came over the intercom "Darren?"

"The one and only"

"You’re late" It enty past seven The sun was setting

"Got stuck doing hoon"

"Ha-fla noise and the door opened I paused before entering and looked across the street at the opposite block of apart shadow on the roof - Mr Crepsley Harkat was behind Debbie’s building Both would rush to n of trouble That was the plan we’d hatched Mr Crepsley had suggested beating a hasty retreat - things were getting too coreed to make the most of the situation and attempt to turn the tables on our opponents - if they showed

"If a fight develops," he warned ets You are not prepared to raise a hand against your friend, but I aet in rimly I wasn’t sure I could stand by and let hi against us - but I’d try

Trotting up the stairs, I was painfully aware of the two knives I was carrying, strapped to my calves so as not to show I hoped I wouldn’t have to use theood to know they were there if needed

The door to 3c was open, but I knocked before entering "Come in," Debbie called "I’m in the kitchen"

I closed the door but didn’t lock it Quickly scanned the apart with books A CD player and stand; lots of CDs A portable TV set A cover poster of The Lord of the Rings on one wall, a picture of Debbie with her parents on another

Debbie stepped in fro red apron and there was flour in her hair "I got bored waiting for you," she said, "so I started to make scones Do you like yours with currants or without?"

"Without," I said and smiled as she ducked back into the kitchen - killers and their cohorts don’t greet you with flour in their hair! Any half-doubts I had about Debbie quickly vanished and I knew I’d nothing to fear frouard - Debbie didn’t pose a threat, but thereon the fire escape

"How did you enjoy your first day at school?" Debbie asked, as I wandered round the living rooe I haven’t been inside a school since Well, it’s been a long tied When I was" I stopped The cover of a book had caughtyou read this?"

Debbie poked her head through the doorway and looked at the book "Oh," she laughed "I was reading that e first met, wasn’t I?"

"Yep You hated it"

"Really? That’s odd - I love it now It’s one of my favourites I reco my head wryly, I laid the book down and went to view the kitchen It was sanized There was a lovely sht you well," I remarked Debbie’s mum used to be a chef

"She wouldn’t let ood kitchen," Debbie s the tests she set"

"You’ve been to university?" I asked

"I’d hardly be teaching if I hadn’t"

Laying a tray of unbaked scones into a petite oven, she switched off the light androom As I flopped into one of the soft chairs she went to the CD stand and looked for so to play "Any preferences?"

"Not really"

"I don’t have much in the way of pop or rock Jazz or classical?"

"I don’ta CD, she took it out of its case, inserted it in the player and turned it on She stood by the player a couple ofmusic filled the air "Like it?" she asked

"Not bad What is it?"

"The Titan Do you knoho it’s by?"

"Mahler?" I guessed

"Right I thought I’d play it for you, so you’re faets very upset if his students don’t recognize Mahler" Taking the chair next to mine, Debbie studied my face in silence I felt uncohed "Want to tell me about it?"

I’d discussed what I should tell her with Mr Crepsley and Harkat, and quickly launched into the story we’d settled upon I said I was the victied slower than normal people I reminded her of the snake-boy, Evra Von, whom she’d met, and said the two of us were patients at a special clinic

"You aren’t brothers?" she asked

"No And the man ith wasn’t our father - he was a nurse at the hospital That’s why I never let youyou think I was an ordinary person, and I didn’t want hiame away"

"So how old are you?" she enquired

"Not much older than you," I said "The disease didn’t set in until I elve I wasn’t very different to other children until then"