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The streets of North Oaks all had soft names that made the place sound like a nature preserve--Wildflower Way, Birch Lake Road, Red Forest Heights, Long Marsh Lane, Catbird Circle, Mallard Road--and I doubted I had been the only visitor who questioned the sobriety of the men who had mapped them The few times I had driven the streets I had become hopelessly lost Meivethat I explain exactly what I was doing in North Oaks in the first place since I wasn’t sporting the tiny black reflector on ed to the exclusive cootiated the troubleso for Troy Donovan’s address at nearly one in the , which made me wonder: They paid extra for this kind of security? Given the late hour, my appearance, and the condition of the Audi, the cops should have been onout free Krispy Kremes

I tooktwo-story, white, with black trim and shutters I parked on the street and walked to his front door It was late, yet there were plenty of lights burning inside

"One last pro on the bell

Donovan exah the spy hole before he opened the door, the safety chain in place

"Mr McKenzie? What is it? Do you knohat ti important I need to discuss with you, sir"

"With me? I suppose"

Donovan closed the door, removed the chain, and reopened it I stepped across the threshold

"Are you alone?" I asked

"Yes, I a hi the door behind me

At soht because he didn’t act surprised and indignant the way some people do when confronted with unexpected violence, de to defend the this?" while their opponent pu his balance, Donovan actually threw a punch at me It didn’t amount to much, but I admired the effort

I blocked the punch with ht ar out and up, and threw him over my hip and down solidly on the hardwood floor The h for

I hauled hihed I propped his heel on the edge of a chair and braced it againstso he couldn’t pull it off I removed my Beretta fro a round, and pressed the ood-bye," I said

"No, no, please, no," he screaround the ainst his kneecap

"No! McKenzie, please"

"Do I have your attention?"

"What? My attention? McKenzie, don’t shoot me Please Why are you, why are you?"

I tried to keep all emotion out of my voice