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I WANTED THE YOUNGBLOODS to go to their apartet about the mad ax-man and the bones on the roof I wanted to watch an oldbowl of popcorn and maybe a beer I wanted Martin upstairs after the enda was different, I realized with a sigh

He gathered us around the table in the kitchen

"Nohat happened yesterday?" he asked

I told hian her part, her battered face more testimony than her words

I sluht short on sleep and two days of violent e their toll, I was very tired and very sick of crises I wanted this all to go away, just for a little while, so I couldagain of the man who had run at htabout security to the Youngbloods, so about the bushes, I realized that there had been so faintly familiar about theThe phone rang I went to the counter to answer it Sally Allison wanted to know all about the skeletons on the roof; she was not in her "friend" mode, but in her "reporter" mode I told her

"You know," she said, "the police will call in the forensic anthropologist on this one Did you know Georgia is the only state with a forensic anthropologist on the payroll? He&039;s never been called to a case in Spalding County before! He&039;ll be here tomorrow"

"Wouldn&039;t it be funny," I said, "if it wasn&039;t the Juliuses?" Dead silence Then Sally laughed uncertainly "Who else could it be, Roe?" she asked, as carefully as though she were speaking to a lunatic I thought, If I were rested I could figure this out, so i up, and the phone rang again I dealt with that call Then another Finally, I switched off the sound and turned on the answering machine

I sat down at the table with the others, who had been conferring in low voices all this tian, and I kneas about to tell el and I will take a few days off and fly to New Orleans"

They all gaped at o to Guate back to work before the other people at the plant start to ask questions, so the best thing, with the phone ringing off the wall and all, would be for o soo to New Orleans It&039;s been years since I was there" Martin looked suspicious But he said, "That sounds good, Roe Angel, how does that sound to you?"

"Suits o in thirtysome security installed here," Shelby said

"I don&039;t want to find an armed fortress when I coive hi until I talk to you both," he said

I nodded and stood up in a very pronounced way The Youngbloods rose instantly and left for their aparth the crack in the drapes

"They&039;re leaving," he said, not turning around "All the police The hearse has gone"

I waited

He finally facedhas turned out as we planned I wanted a good life for us, I wanted to provide for you and take care of you and I never wanted any harun thing separate I thought I would go to work at the plant and come home and you would tell me about whatever you were interested in and I would enjoy it and ould ht" Maybe I had sort of planned on all that, too

"Well, Martin It looks like we&039;re not going to have that, exactly" I walked over and put ainst his chest He squeezed ht I would squeak "We&039;ll have sole yourself fro" we have a chance, I finished silently "But," I resuo for part of your expectations"

"Ho upstairs"

"Good idea"

Readers, he carried el&039;s battered face attracted little attention Angel followed eous new Aquariuel sulkily refused iced coffee and beignets at the Cafe du Monde Angel accepted the rooency with calrabbed estion so bizarre and indecent that el stepped up froht above his elbow, and glanced back with grim satisfaction while he rubbed his useless arm and cursed "Why are we really here?" she asked after I&039;d bought s at a little shop in the French Quarter "Let&039;s go on the walking tour of the ceuide at a little cafe close to the police station The cafe was loaded with charuide was also loaded with charm, if an offbeat brand, and I found myself as curious about his sex life as I was about the tour, which was very interesting - though I can&039;t say Angel seemed too i with the group since there&039;d been soaze and alert stance that she was aching for someone to try to attack us "Why are we really here?" she asked, as we ate in a Cajun restaurant across froo to the zoo toot back to the Hyatt, I found Martin had left a voicehard, and it looks possible but difficult," he said "I miss you more than I can say" I had a sudden blur of tears ina Kleenex It wasn&039;t thea good ti to have to try Plan B I should have called Sally Allison It would have helped a lot But frankly, it never occurred toto work"

"About damn time"