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"What?" He looked at her, green eyes like gehed "You and Massey"

"Just a rehash," he said briefly "Strange, though, huh? Everybody out tonight"

"Well, we’re out," she reminded him

"And Mitch And Julian And that woman who runs the café"

"And Detective Massey," she said i," he said His eyes were on the street More people were beginning to stir, but it was still dark and fairly quiet "It’s just a strange night Soabout, and other than that… "

She frowned, looking at hihosts all the time?" The question see

"No Not all the time" He hesitated She knew that he didn’t like to sound absurd himself "New Orleans… it’s one of those places," he said siht The living seem to be in an uproar"

"Hardly an uproar," she et to my bed-and-breakfast And my clothes," he said

She knew the house off Conte where he had chosen to stay It dated back to the mid-Victorian period He fitted his key quietly in the front door, and they made their way even more quietly to his bedroo, while she sat on the bed, waiting Then they slipped back out, Brent testing the door to make sure it was locked when they left

The very first streaks of daere beginning to appear in the sky as they headed for her apartment

"Curious," Brent said, al up and about"

A knot of tension forht ahead Instead of answering her, he said, "There was no sign of forced entry at Andrea Ciello’s apartet it So she was murdered by soetting suspicious of any of ry," he said "Whenever you’re looking for anything, you get rid of the impossible Then you look at what you’re left with No matter how improbable, your answers have to be there"

She pulled away fro at hirily, then walked on quickly

She suddenly had a feeling, like a premonition

Her world was about to split wide open

Treacherous tier… mistrust

She suddenly, desperately, wanted the future never to come

When they entered her apart the duffel froht later" She realized that her voice grew thin as she spoke "But this hosts Let’s not think or talk about anything that’s terrible or frightening or… deadly Please"

She touched his cheek with the palers, keeping theainst his face

A split second later, she was in his ar was strewn even as they moved up the stairs She felt his touch on the naked flesh of her back, and then they were in her room, in her bed

The sun rose over New Orleans, and the new day began in earnest

In the draped shadows of her bedroom, Nikki chose not to notice

Chapter 13

Nikki and Brent made it to Madaular table, Patricia and Nathan arrived a few ht, huh?" Mitch teased Julian

"What?" Julian said, startled as he took a seat

"We heard you had a tête-à-tête last night at Maxie’s," Mitch informed him

Julian stared at Mitch, then the others "Wow I didn’t think the city was that small," he said

"Brent and I went out to Maxie’s, too," Nikki said

"And Mitch… ?" Julian asked, puzzled

"Showed up separately," Brent offered

"Give," Patricia teased "Who were you with?"

Julian grinned He didn’t seem disturbed that everyone knew he’d had a date Brent wondered if Nikki really had heard soiven that everyone he had recentlyaround at all hours of the night

"Was it that girl you