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She nodded "Of course," she whispered

He wanted so badly to take her into his arms He wanted to punch the world, beat it to a pulp, do sohtmare end

He stood instead "Kelsey, randfather left that you’ve already read?"

"Of course"

In a businesslikefinely folded papers, opening theood care of theently on the forehead and left her

Reading Cutter’s notes, Liam felt a sharp pain in his heart…or perhaps it was his conscience All those years, Cutter Merlin had lived just waiting for the murderer to return

He hadn’t tried to get police help--it would have been in the records, or even in the memory of an older officer ould have talked about the "kook" out on the peninsula

"Cutter, e you," he told himself softly

He went back to another of the earlier notes

"Lieutenant!" the copter pilot called to hi any minute"

"Thanks!" he shouted in return

Back at the airport, Lialanced at his watch while he walked to his car It was nearly 5:00 aet a few hours of sleep

He started to head for his own hoed his mind He drove to the Merlin house

He ca the brush and bracken along the way through the glow of his headlights

Nothing

At the house, he entered with the key he’d kept when the place had been rekeyed He stepped in quietly and waited, but he heard nothing He sheepishly admitted to himself that he wished Bartholomeith him, but Bartholomew had chosen to stay behind and watch over Kelsey

Bartholo ry

But after athere, he believed that he was alone in the house

Still, with his police-issue revolver in his hand, he walked around It sees were different Just subtly different

He went fro had been opened It had to be his iin Mary on the voodoo altar seemed just a bit out of whack The suit of ar seeus seemed to have shifted

But there was no one in the house, and it was locked tight

As he walked, Liam decided that he’d have an alarm cootten an alaro Maybe Cutter had wanted the perp who he believed had killed his daughter to co

At last, he went upstairs He opted for a hot shower

He missed Kelsey He could smell the scents of her soap and shaht want for an overnight stay in a chair at the hospital, but she was still there, everywhere, in his senses and in his mind

When he came out, skin still hot and damp from the shower, he started to hit the bed

But Kelsey seerinned and locked the bedroo he was so exhausted that he would sleep quickly But he didn’t Her sweet, clean, erotic scent was in the bed, and he stretched his arm out where she should have lain, and he missed her It hurt Deeply

What the hell would he do with himself if she left him for another life?

He couldn’t dwell on it; he needed sleep He tried to will himself to rest

He finally drifted off

He woke, eyes flying open, and not knohy

He had heard soot up quietly and slipped into his chinos and pulled a polo shirt over his head He didn’t put shoes on, but quietly opened the door and started down the hall

He tiptoed down the stairs

Morning’s light was pouring in; it was later than he thought A glance at his watch told hi

He looked across the living roo when he stubbed his toe on the giant gargoyle

He went back upstairs, and through every roo There were just the usual sounds of a winter’s day in Key West Birds A distant sound of laughter andhis head, he went back to Kelsey’s bedroo

"Boss?" It was Art Saunders