Page 41 (1/2)

"I… I don’t know Because I was near Mada to her… and I was curious And then you caed"

"I don’t think that’s why you were here," she said "You’re not a real tour guide, either I don’t knohat you are… " She flashed hilance "And I’m not sure I want to know"

"So you followed me"

She looked upset "I shouldn’t have"

"Patricia, I can tell so you I don’t kno to convince you of this, but anything you tell, I’ll consider a total confidence"

She still looked upset "Want some coffee?" she asked

"I’ll have an iced tea Let’s grab sooing to back off, refuse to talk to him But she was obviouslyhad to be better than what she was feeling

"All right"

A few e coffee and he had iced tea, and they were seated in a shady corner of a slers

Patricia played with her stirrer, and then her napkin, looking down at it as she folded it and refolded it

"I shouldn’t be here," she said

"But you’re worried about Nathan"

Her eyes shot to his ide surprise; then she flushed "Well, I guess it didn’t take a palm reader to know that"

He shook his head

"I’m really in love with hiht that Andy died… I woke up, and he wasn’t with me"

"Oh?"

She shook her head "But mere would be no reason for Nathan… Iviolent in Nathan He liked Andy Nathan is a good person He walked out of a store once with a pack of guo back to pay for it I guess I just had to talk to soure out the truth about Andy, aren’t you? That’s really why you’re here"

He smiled, touched her hand "No, I’m here for anotherto do with it"

"If I love hiht?"

"Blind faith isn’t always a good thing"

"Oh, God! I can’t iine what he’d think if he kneas here with you, talking like this," she murmured

"Patricia, lethim How’s that?"

She smiled "You won’t--"

"I swear, he’ll never knoe talked," Brent assured her

Patricia rose "I’ently "You really are soood, I mean"

"Thanks"

She started to walk away, then turned back, frowning

"She does have you, doesn’t she? I mean, this isn’t just a… "

The question took him by surprise, and it took hi as she wants ether, she studied him "I hope that… well, I just hope that whatever you are… you don’t hurt her"

"I would never hurt her"

Patricia looked away, then back at hihtness around his heart Could he cause her to be hurt?

No He wouldn’t allow it to happen

"I would dieher to be hurt" Patricia smiled, then asked wistfully, "I wonder if Nathan feels that way about nore me Go find Nikki" He nodded and left her

Marc Joulette sat at his desk, not working He shook his head Massey looked up at hi"

Joulette pretended interest to the file in front of hi to try to call Haggerty?" he asked Massey

Massey lifted his hands "We don’t knohat the hell we’re in for tonight"

"Right"

"So ould be the point?" He got up and walked away Marc looked back at the file, but the words si more coffee couldn’t hurt

As he crossed to the Mr Coffee, he saw his partner