Page 16 (1/2)

Miraculously, the Barretts found an ean to disperse The hurricane was soon downgraded to a squall and Lindsey was able to sit, which brought an expression of relief to her face

Only relief soon gave way to so else that I couldn’t name Lindsey’s face was still as lovely, yet suddenly it seemed hard I watched her eyes They were locked on an object far away I tried to locate it, failed, and then realized that Lindsey wasn’t looking at so I had no idea what it could be I searched the faces of the people around Lindsey until I found one I recognized

Troy Donovan

He stood above and behind Lindsey with one hand on the railing of the second-floor balcony while the other gripped the ste her, yet his face revealed nothing--neither pleasure nor pain, neither joy nor reproach It was the million-mile stare that Nina had explained to ht our drinks and returned to Nina

"Sorry it took so long," I told her "Apparently, the Sixteenth Annual Charity Ball for a Drug-Free Minnesota doesn’t consider alcohol a drug, because there sure are a lot of people lapping it up" I offered one of the drinks to Nina "Not that we’re hypocrites or anything"

"Of course not" Nina took the drink "What is this?"

"Vodka martini, shaken not stirred"

"You didn’t actually order that"

"Sure, I did I’ a tuxedo What else would I drink?"

"What did the bartender say when you ordered it?"

"Oh, he thought it was hilarious"

"I bet I hope you tipped him"

"Does James Bond leave tips?"

"Now that you mention it, in all his "

"Well, then"

Nina sipped the drink and shuddered

"Wow," she said

"It et e of ht"

I took a sip of azed back toward Lindsey Barrett Barrett had disappeared, leaving his wife in the co her ar what resembled a ballerina’s costume, a fitted slip dress on top and layers and layers of black tulle on the botto arms reminded me of a spider Whatever tale she wove , because Lindsey never looked away fro the second-floor balcony Troy Donovan had gone But he hadn’t gone far

"What are you doing here?" he wanted to know Donovan was standing directly behind Nina, speaking to ," I replied

"What are you doing here?"