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"Thanks" She hesitated "Brad…at the site, when you found me, unconscious…"

"Yeah?" he asked

"You and Laymon arrived at the exact same time?"

"Yeah, why?"

She shook her head "No reason"

Brad suddenly frowned deeply "Are you going to ask where I was today?" he demanded

She stared back at him, stunned

"Nowhere near the subway," he said curtly

"Oh, Brad! I’ you’d seen someone," she murmured

"No There was no other way in, no other way out No one suspicious, and guards all over the site, Leslie You know that"

"I’m sorry"

"I’d die before I’d hurt you, Leslie," he said "And I’ his cheek "Thank you"

"Well, I’d better get going I’?"

"Anthony’s, just down the street He doesn’t like to leave the area You know Laymon He’s always convinced someone is after his discovery"

"And he can catch theuess he figures he can get back to the site quickly if he has to"

"Think I should go with you?"

"If you want Or I can tell hi"

"No…I’ll run up and take a shower And call and invite Joe"

"Joe Yeah Sure"

"Hey, he’s helping"

Brad took a deep breath "Helping? Or rele second?"

"They’re two very different people, and I know that, Brad"

"Are you sure of that?" Brad persisted gently

"Joe is helping"

"Joe’s convinced the explosion here was intentional," Brad said wearily

"Maybe it was"

"Who the hell would gain from it?" Brad said

She wondered if she should be dead honest when she was alone with hiround room, then told herself not to be ridiculous Melissa knehere they were, not to mention she had worked with Brad for years

"Maybe so to kill Matt"

"And didn’t care about hurting a houseful of other people?"

"A lot of people couldn’t care less about who gets in the hen they have a goal in mind"

"Why kill Matt?"

"Because his voice mattered"

Brad looked down for a minute, then took a step toward her To her amazement, he almost lost his balance and nearly fell face forward on top of her She jumped, and he swore "Where the hell did that box come froave hio on up" She hurried toward the stairs, suddenly afraid that he was going to drag her back

He didn’t He followed her up, asking, "So you’re coe my mind, I’ll call your cell"

"Not fro back down the stairs "I doubt you’ll get a signal down in your base back to the base up to take a shower and not to worry about me, just to lock up when she leaves, okay?"

"Sure," he said, studying her "You need a vacation, you know"

"We’ve just started"