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"Now, girl, you cannot let the et you down!" Cissy protested

"It’s not the ood piie adet his little blood droplets leading right toaround the doors and hallways told ," Marie assured her

"And," Angie, who had stayed behind as well, assured her dra with a handsoie arched a brow "A cop? You were flirting with one of the cops?"

"You have soainst cops?" Cissy drawled

"Only upon occasion"

Cissy grinned "Well, honey, this felloas an Adonis Built like a brick And he was tall Being six-even for a woood six three I could date him, and wear heels"

"Marry hiie quipped

"Was this Adonis black or white?" Maggie asked

"Black, honey, the only kind," Cissy assured her, and laughed "It wasn’t your lieutenant"

"My lieutenant"

"Best-looking white boy I’ve ever seen," Cissy assured her

"A hoood-looking white boy--he’s a pain" But Maggie s--at least it seeie snorted in an unladylike fashion "Did he ask her out? She’d asked hiie arched a brow to Cissy

"Ifor clues which didn’t exist,of jazz So if you want to see this Adonis, you’d best coie still hesitated She’d been surrounded by people all day, and the visit fro, to say the least That blood drops led directly to her door was incredibly disturbing, and that she knew she’d be hounded by the police in the days to coather her thoughts

"We’re not going to give you a chance to back out," Angie said deterht froht at a jazz club--"

"It’s su around in silly T-shirts and cut-off shorts, and you’re worrying about what to wear?" Cissy demanded

"Especially when you only have to take your pick of clothing froie said

"Heck, in soo naked with just a belly chain and be coie said

"Maggie, naked, unnoticed? I don’t think so," Cissy protested

"Well, you know darn well that I’ie said with exasperation

"Hey, hey! Okay, I’ll go!" Maggie protested "It will be good to hear Dean play"

"I’ht--I’d like to use your shower, Maggie, if I ie said She had a private bath off her office--a rather extravagant luxury, she had told herself, but she loved it She had a big, white marble bath with a whirlpool, a separate shower stall encircled with etched glass, and a ainst the white marble, the floor and walls were in brilliant red, black, and gold She reflected that it was just barely saved froh-class whorehouse by the delicate Venetian lace curtains that overlay the heavier gold draperies covering the s that looked over the building’s courtyard garden

"Cissy, if you want, and you were planning on going straight froie--"

"No way I’o last, you’ll find so us" She swung around, looking at the simple black sleeveless dress on the mannequin beside theie asked, laughing

"Honey, I’m already perfectly beautiful in basic black This is you, and you know it"

"I try not to design clothing I don’t like," Maggie said Cissy rewarded her with an exasperated glare

"Black is your color Your skin is so pure, just like ainst black and white"

Angie giggled "What an adht"

"Men just forget to compliment women," Cissy said serenely "Sometimes we have to adie said, "let’s get dinner reservations"

"I’ll take care of it You two get going," Cissy insisted

Dinner