Page 18 (1/2)
I used the phone’s cas,lots I walked along the curb until a sodiunpost
"Delilah Street," Lilith breathed behind me "So this is Corona, California Home of raves andus?"
"No ho this section of the street S co from foot to foot, hands down her jean pockets, stuck in rebellious teenback to the rave for so, she’ll show up there"
"Lilith" I sighed "That’s an unrented building, I’d bet The current occupants are there illegally"
"Illegal is part of the thrill, but ould you know about that? The first ot it on with is the Law"
"Ex-law enforcement Ric’s a private consultant now"
"Still has the soul of a federale, if he still has a soul"
"You have any other setting but ‘taunt’?"
"Nohen you tellout" She pouted and turned her profile to flash the tiny blue topaz nose stud I used to also callto want to slap yourself in the face
"Why bother?" I told Lilith "You draggedto check out the scene farther down the street I’ll pick you up at the rave on the way back, if o that way"
In this deserted area, le clap of hands After a couple yards, I could hear her e in the opposite direction
Without Lilith to worry about,out Loretta Cicereau wasn’t the only one who’d walked fey paths I’d put as, in the blink of a smartphone screen
A faint tinny sound was all that rens that hawked y food and drink lines Did ht hours? Was she an assembly worker? A receptionist? Or a sales rep, maybe?
No Not a sales rep I wanted to find her in humble circu of impulsive mistakes, like me and Lilith I wanted her to be solad I’d never known her I was getting over what the social services in Wichita had done to me, but Mama was the First Cause The Root of All Evil I stopped Looked at the phone I was clutching as if to crush it
Unsettled anger issues, e and stow the sot rid of the doppelganger Three’s a crowd
"Lilith was getting tiresoreed, "but you are too"
Me? I’ated steel sides?
I looked, and nodded "There are cars parked around it"
Cars? That ht
I pushed my almost seventy-year-old shoes into a trot I sounded like a hansom cab horse in a Sherlock Holmes movie, but in less than a minute I’d passed the sixty or so parked s for the absence of Dolly’s immense and protective Cadillac bulk
The familiar chimed faintly on e drea’s corner hitplaid of colored neon you couldn’t see froain, but this beat made my hips and skirt sway to the rhythue, sexy saht me back to "Terra Infir I want is hi around in mirror-world"
Or with your Mamma Mia
Irma’s words lass doors with a cursive neon sign above thestep at a time This was the place that had paid for roup hoh school where I’d been a charity student until I graduated, hit state college, and made it to a BA in journalism on my own
Ma come from? Oh, my I hoped to God I didn’t have a supernatural fatheruh, besides Hi the door open, I saw my flushed cheeks elossed lips pale by coh, perky What I do to keep Hector Nightwine fro all over my druthers
I yanked the door open and entered
Chapter Nineteen
A BORED GIRL at the reception desk yawned and slah counter and h butterfly tattoos to sponsor a Costa Rican tour, and her hair was striped enta and blue
I’d had toomy recent traumatic sentimental journey back to Wichita, so I slapped it back down on her desk
"Just visiting," I said "I don’t read any pern any papers or pay any adht up "Uh, sure Here’s a visitor’s pass, but it’s only good until e?"
"Uh, no Only, the open house is alot less than an hour to try us out"
"And what has La Vida Loca got I ht want to try out?"
"Look behind you Wall-to-wall classes An awesome lap pool, and a totally kew-ool juice and wine bar" She narrowed her tar-pit eyeliner at me "I see you shop last century La Vida Loca will have you out of those nineteen-forties fat farm dresses and into sixties anorexic Alice-in-Wonderland white tights and French nape-bows in no time"
"Is this a chain?"
"Shut your ery had turned very creepy
"This is a one-and-only totally spa-experience health club," the receptionist said "We specialize in after-hours workouts for the working girl"
"Who’s the boss?"