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He was standing by a stack of boxes One suddenly teetered and fell, right by his side

He jumped like a jack rabbit A wrench bounced froht him on the knee He hoith surprise and pain

"It’s not safe down here!" he exploded

"Right We should go up"

As she spoke, the hatch above the open "Leslie?"

It was Joe, and he sounded deeply irritated

"Joe!" she called in relief

"You little liar! You said you were going to stay at the hospital" He alking down the stairs as he spoke, then came to a dead stop when he saw Hank Sy," he said, his tone skeptical

"I ca--same as you, I suppose," Hank said

Joe ignored that He looked as if he wanted to throw Hank across the room She set an arm on his shoulder "I did stay for a few hours, and I’ht ahen I left I felt fine, and I wanted to get back I’d made an appointuess you were going to show Brad the discovery the two of you ht?" Hank inquired politely

"No, I had to make some plans with him," she said

"Do you have a proble reallyup Oh, and Joe, we’re going to rab a shower?" She was up the stairs as she spoke Joe followed on her heels, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully As soon as Hank reached the top, she quickly closed the hatch, throwing the rug back over it "Hank, it was very nice of you to co in the next few days, I iine"

"Sure Take care of yourself"

"I’ll see you out," Joe told hiot to key in the alarm," Joe said

They left the pantry, and Leslie followed them Joe looked at her after he’d closed the door "That was a lie, you know I don’t know the alarm code"

She smiled, walked over to him and set the alarm Then she reached into her pocket for a pen, pushed up his sleeve and wrote down the numbers "Now you do"

He was silent for a minute "I wonder who else has these nu ine, plus Melissa, Jeff and Tandy," she said

"That’s a lot of people"

"Yes, but--"

"A friend tells a friend, who tells a friend…"

"Joe, stop I’ht her shoulders and looked earnestly into her eyes "Come and stay with me in Brooklyn I won’t touch you--not unless you want hing "You’re walking testosterone You’re also courteous, corateful to have you onthat has to be solved"

"Right So that explains why I tell you not to leave a hospital and you leave it anyway You don’t callfor you--and you’re in a dark basement with an asshole who should never be trusted"

"I’m sorry I didn’t invite him down"

"My point exactly"

"I need a shower And, u, but would youdinner with Brad and Laymon?"

"No, at the moment I only mind when I don’t know exactly where you are"

"Joe, you don’t have to be so responsible for me just because…because of Matt"

"Matt is in my mind constantly," he told her quietly "But, honestly, I’to happen"

"Either that," she murmured, "or…"

"Or," he said bluntly, "someone did uring out the truth"

She was startled by the wickedly stabbing trickle of pure ice that snaked down her spine She prayed she wouldn’t betray herself

She hesitated "Joe, are you really seeing a connection between Hastings House, Matt, the prostitutes…and Genevieve O’Brien?"

"Well, I did learn today that Genevieve wanted an invitation to the gala Does that ? Maybe not Half the city probably wanted an invitation, if not for the history, for theabout the prostitutes Genevieve was trying to help the prostitutes That’s what I know So…is a connection a long shot? Probably But I haven’t got a hell of a lot o on, other than a black sedan And," he added very softly, his gaze probing as he met her eyes, "your belief that Genevieve is still alive"

She was teo to him To feel the real, live, flesh-and-blood assurance of his arood man True, he wasn’t Matt, but if she’d met him on the street, at lunch, at a friend’s house…she would have been attracted to hioing to shower I’ll be right down"