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The new question took a moment to comprehend She was surprised that he re

"I’m a cartoonist I have a colu on the web," she said "I have an ani"

"That sounds great Well…"

His voice trailed off He was a cop He was busy

"Thank you again, Lialad the news cauess it’s been a while since you’d seen Cutter"

"We had talked," she told him Ah, yes, there were defensive tones to her words!

"Take care," he told her

"Of course, thank you--you, too"

The phone went dead in her hands She still didn’t move for several ht above her drafting table gave illumination to her apartht of the LA area as rather a hellhole of plastic people and traffic

But Hollywood had neighborhoods She didn’t have to travel reat theater around her, and wonderful music venues A decent, busy life in a place where there were actually local bars and coffee shops, where she knew the owners of the ss were pleasant, good

She didn’t need to go back She could call Joe Richter, and he could ht be necessary

No, she couldn’t She owed Cutter the decency of arranging a funeral herself

A beep notified her that Liam Beckett had sent her the text with Joe’s infor She swiveled in her chair fro board to her computer And she keyed up the airlines, andhome

Once the reservation wasabout her father He’d been a good man He’d loved her mother so much, and her, too And he’d even loved Cutter Merlin, she thought But when they had moved away, she had asked him why, and he had told her, "Because it isn’t safe, kitten Because it just isn’t safe to be around Cutter, or that house, or…all that he has done That man will never be safe, in life…or in death"

The call ca dinner--the special for the night, fish and chips

His cousin David was frequently there, since David was about to marry Katie, Jamie O’Hara’s niece, and the karaoke hostess at her uncle’s bar They’d all grown up together Liaone, until he’d returned recently Sean, Katie’s brother, had also spentaround the world Like David, he’d gone into photography and then files, sexes, colors, shapes and sizes, ere local, and the locals cah the place also catered to tourists--in Key West, tourisht that afternoon--and delicious, but he’d barely begun hiswith David about the proble when Jack Nissan called hi on over at the Merlin house I know you cared about the old fellow and contacted his granddaughter I thought that maybe you wanted to be the one to check it out," Jack told him "If not, I’m sorry to have called"

"Who called, and what is the so on?" Liam asked

"Mrs Shriver She could see the place across the water frohts, and knew that we’d found the old fellow dead Should I just send soo on over," Liahts over at the Merlin house," Liam said

"Want ht I’ll be back I’ll see you later"

When he headed out to his car, Lia around