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His British ladies were gone, but theas he drifted along alone, dunking of heading back to the dock and waiting, but singing in hopes of luring so tourists
They all loved, "O soleacross the narrow canal he navigated, he noted so in the water ahead He narrowed his eyes, still singing, but more absently, and quietly
He used his pole expertly to slow his vessel
His singing stopped abruptly mid-note as he narrowed his eyes and stared into the water
No
He hunched down and reached into the water, grabbing for the bobbing, ball-shaped object His fingers wound into soht reached him, he saw the object, full front, just inches before his face
He let out a hoarse cry of horror, dropping it as if it burned his he’d had for breakfast scra in his sto canal water to rinse his face, then reain
He breathed deeply and straightened his shoulders
Thethingwas now bobbing in the water again, just a few feet away He watched it, still breathing deeply
After a moment, he knehat he had to do
It was a pleasant, uneventful walk to Tiff Henley’s palazzo
Jordan crossed several bridges, but the directions she had been given were excellent, and she had no trouble finding the palazzo, a well-kept structure near the Accadeht of stairs, and Tiff herself answered when Jordan used thein a brass lion’s mouth to knock
"You made it!" Tiff said, pleased She was dressed in faux leopard pants and a cashmere sweater with a fur-trimmed neckline that wasn’t at all synthetic, Jordan was certain Despite the weather, Tiff earing flashy sandals that clicked on the marble of her palazzo’s entry
"You’ll see," Tiff said, leading her in, "This is nothing so fine as the contessa’s ancestral home or whatever, but it’s really quite adorable"
Jordan looked around with interest as Tiff took her coat The foyer was s upere narrow and winding, but the banister was really beautiful, e, and the steps the that
"This place was built during the Renaissance and it’s still in the same family The owner is a hoot He said that they were the nobility of the lira! No titles in the fareat?I like it much better than the contessa’s," Jordan assured her
"It’s?cozier But then," Tiff said with humor, "you’d like it better than the contessa’s place if I’d rented a barn Is there such a thing as a barn in Venice?" Tiff didn’t wait for an answer "Frankly, I’d stay in a barn just to be here; thankfully, I don’t have to Come on up, come on up! I ordered in Bellinis or whatever you call theht?"
"Yes"
Jordan loved the fabled Venetian establishh, but the food was excellent "Jared entertains at Harry’s a great deal," she said
"Well, of course, he would, wouldn’t he?" Tiff said "Actually, he could have told you how to get here? I rented this through your cousin and h hiood"
"Thanks I rather like him myself"
"His wife is a sweetie, too I should have invited the in"
"I wanted to get to know you better anyway Come up, come up, we’re all set up on the patio on the second level"
Jordan followed Tiff up the stairs
The landing on the second floor was large, with hallways going off to the left and right while directly in front there was a large expanse ofthat led to colulass ith a double doorway leading to a terrace that directly overlooked a char canal
"There are heat lah," Tiff assured her, leading the way
Jordan was barely seated with a famed Venetian Bellini in hand when Tiff leaned on the table across fro, but just what exactly is the sad history behind your being so sensitive to things of a frightening nature"
"I’m not sensitive?"
"Your fiancé was killed"
Jordan sighed "Tiff, I’m cory, as if it would be ridiculous for anyone to think anything else "It’s just that I’ht, killed in the line of duty? Hunting down some terrible murderers?"
"Evidently, you have the story"
"Well, I have the story through one of the girls at the art shop And she, I believe, got what she knows through Cindy Not a long line of gossip, but you do kno things change"