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Silk casually tossed the towel over her shoulder and reached for the pitcher, perforrace and sensuality that I usually associate with lass with orange juice and drank it down slowly, but I had stopped watching her long before then, turningtheir second shots toward an elevated green beyond St Ana’s backyard I knehen I was being played, and while I usually didn’t , She’s only a child

A few h the French doors onto the patio Priscilla St Ana was handso and attractive as her air-brushed photo would suggest, I thought, but pretty enough that she could pass for younger The fact that she had changed her hairstyle helped Piled high in the photo I had downloaded, it was now cut short She was dressed in a crisp white shirt, tailored to accentuate her generous boso, thin black skirt with a silver buckle--tith necks intertwined The skirt’s front slit revealed a graceful leg

Silk took her towel and her orange juice and uest," she said as she passed

"So I see," Priscilla said "Mr McKenzie" She extended her hand Her eyes were neither warive much away--a poker player’s eyes I shook her hand

"Can I offer you so?" The maid seemed to materialize out of thin air behind Priscilla’s shoulder "Carolineiced tea"

"Tea will be fine"

"Thank you, Caroline," Priscilla said

Thethe time to see me," I said

"Not at all Please, sit"

I sat "You have a lovely home, Ms St Ana"

"Thank you Please, call me Cilia I was christened Priscilla by my parents, but I prefer Cilia, the name of my favorite character in Johnny Tremain No one would call me that while my father was alive Now everyone does"

Aa silver tray with both hands The tray supported a glass pitcher filled with tea, a bowl of ice, a dish of sliced lear bowl, and two crystal tumblers

"Thank you, Caroline," Cilia said

The lasses herself, offering me one The umbrella protected us from the hard afternoon sun but not fro the tea much too fast

"Please, help yourself," Cilia said in a voice that was lass

Cilia tossed her head a little so that her blond hair swung and I could see the auburn under the chemicals, close to the scalp She smiled easily The heat didn’t seem to bother her at all

"I was pleased before to notice you not noticing ling Most le women who haven’t voted in at least three presidential elections"

"Then you are an exception to arded lass "How h schoolI refused to be intimated, as I had been by the math teacher

"I want to talk about Merodie Davies"

"So you said over the phone I knew, of course, that Merodie was in trouble I assumed she would seek my help I alass with iced tea "What would you like to know?"

I gestured toward the pool