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I parked Josie on one of the cobblestone streets surrounding Rice Park and went on alone The park was created in 1849, the same year St Paul was named capital of the Minnesota Territory, and was flanked by the Romanesque Revivalist jewel that is the Landmark Center, the luxurious crescent-shaped St Paul Hotel, the Renaissance-style Central Public Library, and the opulent Ordway Center for the Perfor as rich in history as the park itself It was a pri area for the city’s doorker bees, ere drawn there by the period streetlaardens There were ice sculptures and trees laced ebs of light in the winter, and music, mostly jazz and blues, in the summer, and nearly every day of the year there was a vendor on the corner happy to sell you soft drinks, coffee, soft pretzels, hot dogs, and juicy Polish sausages from his ue round fountain I didn’t see Shelby, so I sat on the low brick wall containing the fountain and waited The clock on the Land the face of my watch, or rather the watch I had borrowed froerald near the street vendor and a clutch of statues depicting the Peanuts characters created by Charles M Schulz, both St Paul natives I was debating which author had the greater cultural ih what re the way soht ahead, chin up, chest out, walking with quick steps just this side of a trot I had never seen aa black bag by a strap draped over her shoulder and a manila envelope that she clutched to her chest Her dress was black, low cut, and inexplicably tight and ended half a dozen inches above her knees I had seen the dress before--on Nina Truhler

When she reached the fountain, I said, "What the hell, Shelby?"

"Sorry I’m late"

"I don’t mean about that I mean the dress"

"Do you like it? It’s Nina’s"

"I know it’s Nina’s Why are you wearing it?"

"I’irls I don’t have any femme fatale outfits"

"You’re not supposed to look like a femme fatale You’re supposed to look like you work for the DVS Wearing that dress, every man andyou this very htened like someone impressed by the prize she found in her Cracker Jack box "Are you being watched?"

"Not anymore"

"I should sit down"

"No," I said, only Shelby wasn’t listening She nestled next to hs I avertedto killto happen Right after Nina gets through with you"

"You told hi"