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"I already warned him once that I won't stand by and let hi around"

"Well, just what the heck do you call it?" Mitchell deenuine interest to hear her answer

Octavia drew herself up with astonishing aploaped "What the devil?"

She bestowed an icy little smile on Nick and then looked at Mitchell with cool deter Upsall AZ and Virgil and I don't feel that Chief Valentine can handle the case on his own"

"Well, shoot and damn" Mitchell looked bemused for a couple of seconds, but in true Madison style, he recovered swiftly "That doesn't explain why he was out at your place until all hours last night"

"Relax," Octavia said s deal"

Nick felt his insides clench No big deal?

"It's true we had dinner together, but so what?" Octavia went on in a breezy manner "The only reason he left as late as he did was because of the stor home until the wind had died down a little I was afraid about stuff like downed power lines and trees falling across the road"

She did not have to sound quite so da Mitchell was starting to appear soain "So you kept hih winds?"

"Violent storht was a tad rough," Mitchell adonna play private eye for you? Just like the guy in his books?"

"Precisely," Octavia said firmly "From nohenever you see Nick withhtful now "If you're sure that's all there is to it--"

"Absolutely certain," Octavia said "Like I said, last night was no big deal Just a friendly dinner that lasted a little longer than we anticipated because of the storm"

"Huh" Mitchell looked hard at Nick "You think you can find that painting?"

"Probably not" Nick shrugged "But Virgil and AZ and Octavia want me to ask around a little so I said I would If you hear anything useful, let me know"

"I'll do that"

Mitchell nodded to both of the SUV

They watched him climb into the front seat and slaear and drove out of the parking lot

There was a short silence Nick folded his arainst the BMW, and looked at Octavia