Page 55 (1/2)

Available in July 2007 from Berkley Books!

Whump, whump, whump, whump

"Please remain calm The fire is out The fire is out Fire the s on concrete My baby dolls were tangled aroundinto my ear

"Fire?" I took a breath Sed you up here" Valdez bumped ht?"

"Fire!" I sed and sat up A helicopter sporting the logo of a local TV station hovered overhead Nice My chubby thighs would be on the evening news

"You dragged me up here? Flo! Diana!" I jumped up and looked around I oes down, I’ on all cylinders I saw the other resident vauy I knew lived on the third floor--laid out on the roof They were all wet and all in various stages of stirring The sun had obviously just slipped below the horizon

" Yep I’d say our old buddy Brent Westwood decided to take a parting shot" Valdez growled and leaned against

" Somebody threw a firebomb into your shop and the fire spread fro that in broad daylight Of course it’s Monday and the shop was closed Mugs and Muffins was probably open though I wonder--"

"Shut up, Valdez I… My God!" My legs folded and I sat hard on the concrete again Just about anything, from a wooden skewer to a chopstick, could take a va And a fire… No a a crispy critter I rubbed ’s ears He’d saved hting off the big gaame of all ever since I’d arrived in Austin After a recent shoe all figured he’dshot

" Who else? People love your shop Only an asshole like Westwood--"

Whump Whump Whump Whump "Medical assistance is on its way Please wave if you’re all right"

"Yeah, right Smile for the camera, you mean" I picked up my sodden sheet and threw it over ain and wobbled over to Flo like Casper the not-so-friendly ghost, Valdez at my heels Of course my roommate would sleep in the raw Valdez had draped a wet sheet over her but the rotors were blowing everything on the roof all to hell Flo sat up, giving the camera a nice shot of her boobs

"We’re on cahter"

"What’s happened?" She pushed back her dark hair and looked around, then up "They’d better not be taking my picture I need my hair dryer, my makeup"

Hopefully, they didn’t have audio I could hear the lead-in now "Fire victim runs for blow dryer as rescuers battle blaze" I looked at Valdez "My shop?" My voice cracked I’d built Vintage Va business that actually supported utted" Valdez sat down and scratched his ear " Of course I was pretty busy When the suys out And the stairas solid shed, sneezed, then looked at me for sympathy

"My hero!" I dropped to my knees and threwand sain and I looked at hiht?"

"Yeah, I’ it I sat back Maybe he deserved a little slack "How did you et all of us out?"

"It wasn’t easy It was still daylight, so I had to pile you guys up inside the stairith the door open for ventilation until the sun went down I had a hell of a ti Oh my God"

"We are alive, no?" Flo sat down and put her arm around me Her Italian accent coain our puppy has saved the day" She patted the dog’s head "We are dead without you, signor" Valdez puffed out his chest and looked up " You think I’ll be on the evening news? You know they’re going to want an interview"

"Sure Right Talking dog saves sleeping va of Cheetos"

"Now you’re talking"

I gave him a final ear rub, then walked over to check on Diana She ran the coffee shop downstairs If my shop was toast, so was hers

"Di, are you okay?"

She coughed and sat up "What happened?" She wore cute red plaid flannel jammies and her sheet, wet of course, coordinated in navy blue

"Fire Someone firebombed my shop, probably yours too if Westwood did it" I reached out and pulled her to her feet

"What?" She glanced up, then shot the finger at the helicopter "Buzz off, vultures" She headed for the door to the stairs "I’ve got to check on the shop" Mugs and Muffins Like me, Diana has to support herself If her shop had been hit too… Well, this was really, really bad For both of us