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David sana’s smile deepened, and then faded

"She really wasn’t a bad person," she said "She just-well, you know She just didn’t get the real opportunities in life Both her folks are dead, at least that’s what she told people Whatever, she went frouess she kind of learned how to survive You understand?"

David nodded He set a hand on Morgana’s "Morgana, you certainly don’t have to excuse your friend to me She didn’t deserve what happened to her She had her quirks, she ht have been a petty thief and even a prostitute But I understand She’d never physically hurt anyone"

Morgana nodded vehemently "That’s it, exactly I’ve seen the news So it sound like she almost deserved what happened because of the life she led" Tears forain "Oh, God, it ine… I hope she didn’t suffer long"

David said, "Morgana, I saw her I think it was very quick Sheat all-until it happened And she probably lost consciousness very quickly, and died after she had passed out"

"You think?" she asked "Ito die, aren’t we? I just pray that she didn’t suffer"

He waited for her to go on, but she seeht

"Morgana, please, help ht She came back in, and she worked until late Three or four in the e kid He’d been in here earlier with friends I think she was seeing him after She didn’t tell me, she wouldn’t-because I don’t turn tricks I won’t Okay, maybe I’m a fairly naked dancer and I do posture in front of old, hairy men, but I don’t turn tricks!"

"So she wouldn’t tell you about it-but you think she went back out to find someone Was it a real date, do you think? Or was she out looking, hoping toso hard to reht, I think she had a run-in with the police No! Wait, not a run-in I think she escaped because soo"

"Why do you think that?"

"She said so a cutie and she sure hoped that she coulda pocket She returned, and she went back out again But you think the kid-or young man-she went out to find had been in the club?"

"I think so, yes"

"Would you recognize the men who had been in?"

"Probably Maybe," she said softly

David leaned back "You’ve been helpful, Morgana You’ve been great" College kids He was sure they were the kids he’d helped Pete with on the street the other night He was already o to find theain Liam was already on the case, of course, and he’d already done a lot of the questioning that ht be pertinent to this new information "Let me walk you home," he told her

"I’m way down on the south end Off the really far south end of Duval"

"It’s all right I’ll walk you," David assured her

She smiled Just as she did so, someone suddenly burst out froht of the bar’s patio area She was running so fast she plowed directly into their table

David stared in aana said, "What the fu-?"

David jury

Even before she looked at hireen eyes, he kneho it was

Katie O’Hara

"When I said wait for me, I didn’t mean in a dark alley There’s a ravated with her Even before they had dropped Morgana at her apartment, his jaw had seemed locked, his words had been stilted and, when he touched her, it certainly wasn’t with affection

And what in God’s nahosts And yes, they can startlefor so They’re here because they need help

Her brother had already warned her She didn’t want to be known as the crazy woman who lived in Key West

She didn’t knohat to say She decided that she had to be on the offensive

She shook her head "David, look I like you I really like you But I grew up here I work here This is my home I have walked these streets thousands of tiet about my life just because you’ve suddenly come home, determined to catch a murderer, certain that ent on in the past is relevant to today"