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"Hello, officer So I can do for you?"

Three pairs of eyes swung my way, and Eva leaped to her feet "Ay, Dios, what happened? Are you all right?"

Chuch tilted his head to peer out as I closed the door "Where’s Chance?"

My sht "He had business in San Antonio He’ll make his way back when he’s ready"

I could tell Chuch wanted to ask about the Mustang, but under the circumstances he restrained himself Officer Moon lookedhis lip "You look some worse for the wear, Miss Solomon Maybe you’d like to clean up before I ask you a few questions"

He knew ood Still, I pretended to accept his faux politeness as the real thing I inclined my head "Thank you That would be lovely"

I held my purse to me as I went down the hall to Chance’s room "You stay," I whispered to Butch "I’ll be back later" He gave azed pointedly toward the bed "Okay, fine"

Hoping I wouldn’t get caught with the victi, I went on down the hall and took the world’s fastest shower Then I realized I didn’t have any clean clothes Oh, ugh I hate when I have to do this

With a sigh, I went throughand smelled my laundry, found the least offensive outfit, and put it on Of course,wadded up at the botto purple Peering into the mirror I counted two other scrapes on my face and several ave up

Well, I was as ready as I ever would be

I tried to s roo coffee in uneasy silence Eva had set out a plate of butter cookies too, but nobody touched the myself on the end of the couch, as far from Nathan Moon as possible, I tried to look harmless

With a forced smile, I asked, "What would you like to discuss?"

"Well," he said with deceptive mildness, "for starterswhy don’t you tell hbor described you as one of his recent visitors?"

Daht’ve told him I decided I better stick close to the truth

"I’ate his mother’s disappearance We discovered that Lenny Marlowe found her purse at the warehouse where he worked and went over to ask him some questions about what he saw He’s in the book"

All true, as far as it went Don’t letroiled in my stoated, usually in a bile green rooe you with anything, they can hold you for a day, and I wouldn’t wish those twenty-four hours on anybody

"Discovered how? Did you eator?"

It’d serve Saldana right if I rat him out after he sicced his asshole partner on me

If he did

Maybe Moon was here for his own reasons and had his own agenda

Soet Jesse in trouble He was ifted world, and I didn’t want to burn es

"I wasn’t aware I needed a license to ask a few questions, officer If I was charging for my services, it would be different" After I said that, I sensed Eva’s glare, but I didn’t htrope any minute and without help I hoped she wouldn’t lose her te you wouldto your record, you did, in fact, run a racket, charging for your ‘services’ In our database you show up in four states under three different na citizen?"

That set Chuch off "Look, unless you’re going to charge her with so enough"

I held up a hand, not wanting to provoke the guy into hauling me don "No, I’m happy to answer his questions I’m just sorry I can’t be of more help"

The cop smiled, but it wasn’t pretty, the way it flattened his pale mouth "Is that what you told the Arnett family in Madison when you took their money and couldn’t find their son?"

I sed hard, trying to staunch the tears that stung the back of my throat That failure still haunted ed to say

"I don’t knohat the hell you’re doing in ing around Saldana, but I do know this Trouble follows you like stink on shit, and I’ll be there when you step in it"

"If you say so" I didn’t have the energy for anything clever "I’ into Lenny Marlowe’s death He seeot to my feet to see the officer out--courtesy always confused theh the front s I didn’t think it could be Chance The lousy bastard was probably still twined around Twila