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"Do drugs? Jesus, Bryn, we’re not twelve; you can say it No, I don’t!"

"Then--"

Annie sighed "I just like to buy things I try, I really do, but I just … lose track And then the banks es first, so you bounce the et hit with the most fees? It’s awful"

"You knohat solves that? Not spending soMoet better with money"

"Annie …" Bryn shook her head "You say that, but you just spent too much on this present, and don’t tell me Tate and Moht? And then you flew all this way to deliver it" The fresh airline tag was still on the handle of Annie’s bag And she otten a taxi, which cost a fortune from the airport "Well, you’re here now, so it doesn’t matter"

Annie seized the o out--do you know I’ve never been to Sea-World? Or the zoo I hear the zoo is ao! And we can have so much fun It’ll be like e used to share a rooet a"Well … actually, there’s not et you a hotel rooht if you want I do have to work during the day" That clearly wasn’t good enough; Joe gave her a tiny shake of his head She glared back, trying to send the silent ed Surrender

"Oh," Annie said, subdued "I didn’t think … Okay Right, a hotel is fine, I guess And I can just do things on et on standby and go hoht … I wanted to spend tiuilt trip; she really did feel abandoned and sad, and didn’t cover it well She never had In soot that Everybody had always indulged her Protected her

And Bryn was no different, because she gave up at the sight of Annie’s sad, almost teary eyes "Okay, I’ll tell you what You can stay here during the day I’ll give you the codes to get in and out Mr French needs souilty shock Mr French--she’d left him in the bathroom She jumped up and hurried into the bedroom, embarrassed by the fact that she hadn’t made her bed or picked up the clothes on the floor, and the police had been in here staring at it Too late now She opened the bathroo sorumpy and self-satisfied He let out a whuff of disapproval when she opened the door, and stood up to waddle regally past her

No … that pile wasn’t snow

It was the shredded remains of her full roll of toilet paper He’d ripped it apart Also, the toere off the racks, although she couldn’t ih And the back of the door was gouged with scratches

"Da kno to party"

"You knohat? You really should stay here," Bryn said, and shut the bathrooht now When you come back, you can pick up all that and clean it up"

"Me? He’s your dog!"

"He was locked in because of your mistake You clean it up" Bryn handed her the key, took a piece of paper, and scribbled down the code for the alarm, which she thrust on her sister before Joe could tell her what an awful idea that was "Memorize it and destroy the paper, and I mean destroy it; don’t just crumple it up, okay? Shred and flush"

"Seriously? Bryn, are youto be a problem I mean, I know he made a mess, but I didn’t think--"

"I know," Bryn said, and took a deep breath Annie never meant to cause chaos It just followed her around in a dark cloud "It’s okay You stay here today I’ll see you tonight, and then we’ll figure things out"

Annie brightened up into a sht And I promise the house will be clean, your bed will be made, and I’ll have dinner for you" Annie, bless her, could cook And Bryn had just been thinking about how daht be a blessing … just for a little while

She hugged Annie, ied her back, then tenderly smoothed Bryn’s hair back "You smell like dead people," she said "Confidentially, it’s probably why you don’t have a boyfriend"

"You are such a bitch"

Annie grinned She had perfect white teeth, the achieve, and bleaching She had a nice tan, too "I’ to shower and lie out by the pool for a while"

"After you clean the place"

"Oh, absolutely After" Annie assumed a saintly expression and crossed her heart, whichThey exchanged another hug, a quick one, and Annie waved as she and Joe descended the steps

"Lock the door!" Bryn called back "And turn on the alarue until they were in the van, buckled in, and driving away "Do I even need to tell you what a terrible idea this is?" he asked "Or how incredibly pissed off McCallister will be?"

"Nope," she said She felt oddly very ht be a doofus sometimes, but she was an anchor to her past, to her fauy, but there was no substitute for that

Chapter 9

The day passed Bryn kept her e- fro arrived She’d fielded about twelve calls, eight of theitimate custo out a suspicious e-ain; the e-itimate, but trash