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"I have a reason for asking"

Cilia studied me for a few moments and then smiled as if she could read an coloring it when I turned forty, to hide the gray"

"You wore it long"

"Longer than it is now, yes"

"You had long auburn hair when Becker was killed"

"Yes"

"If I may be so bold"

"Bolder than you’ve already been?"

"Back thena stone babe"

"They still do"

Cilia smiled her empty smile

"Yes," I said "They still do"

Cilia s

Somewhere in the distance I heard the ru at Cilia for a few moments that I realized it was the sound of a vacuum cleaner overhead Caroline had worked her way down the upstairs hall and was now on the staircase

"An attractive woht he died She hasn’t been identified"

"That was me," Cilia said

The fact that she adht me by surprise, and ain, but this time it reached her eyes I had the distinct i herself

She rested her hand on my arm "Do you play chess, Mr McKenzie?"

"Chess? Yes, I playI used to playCilia, do you realize what you’re telling ave it a squeeze "Let’s see what kind of ga rooe I could have parked my Audi inside it We sat in front of the fireplace in ornate wooden chairs carved in the Spanish style, facing each other across atable A chessboard was on the table, the pieces already arranged in neat, orderly ranks

"Would you like so to drink?" Cilia asked

"Drink?"

"Yes"