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"Aiven that so few people around here are inclined to read them"

"Hey, you're our only local author and besides, you're a Harte" Eugene's voice hardened "Everyone thinks that gives you special status in Eclipse Bay"

Nick was saved froalasses of beer down onto the top of the bar

"Co back to his soap "No table service until four-thirty when Nellie shows up for the evening You know that"

"Allow ot to his feet and went to the bar to collect the beers He set theene grabbed his beer and hauled it closer "Never thought the day would coulped solass "How about that, Dwayne? One of the honchos of Eclipse Bay just bought us a beer and served it, too What d'ya think of that?"

"Weird," Dwayne said He snickered and downed a hefty s fros rationally with these two, Nick re in a conversation concerning the origins andof the universe with a pair of particularly dimwitted bulls The best you could hope to do was prod them in the direction you wanted the, yourself, Eugene," Nick said "Sandy over at the station says you've got a theory about just who "

Eugene blinked a couple of tied toof the sentence

"Yep, that's ene Woods" He grinned at Dwayne "Got a ring to it, don't it?"

Dwayne snorted "A real ring"

Eugene turned back to Nick "I knoho took that painting, but you ain't gonna like it" He put the glass doith a decisive clang and wiped his ht stupid, Harte"

"I've looked that way before," Nick said "I'll get past it"

Eugene cackled so hard he choked It took hiht of a stupid-looking Harte"

"I can't help feeling that this conversation is losing its focus," Nick said gently "Could we return to the subject at hand?"

Eugene stopped grinning His heavy features twisted into an expression of deep suspicion Probably worried that he had just been insulted and not quite certain how to react, Nick thought

Eugene, being Eugene and therefore extremely predictable in some ways, did what he always did in such circumstances He went on the offensive

"You wanna knohat I think, Harte? I'll tell you Only solid suspect far as I can see is your new girlfriend, the gallery lady And you're screwing her Ain't that a kick in the head? The big-ti the prime suspect" He looked at Dwayne "Ain't that a kick in the head, Dwayne?"

"Yeah," Dwayne said obediently "A real kick in the head"

Eugene leaned across the table to h-and-Mighty Harte? Looks like the lady has you by the short hairs How's it feel to be led around by your balls?"