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"No, I&039; to answer questions," I said

"Do the police have any leads? Any suspects?"

"No"

"Are you a suspect yourself, Harry?"

Disturbing thought "No," I said, exasperated "Susan - "

"Would you ht?"

"No! I - " I blinked at her "What?"

She smiled at me, leaned over, and kissed me on the cheek Her lips, that I&039;d admired so much, felt very, very nice "Super," she said "I&039;ll pick you up at your place Say around nine?"

"Did I just ?" I asked her

She nodded, dark eyes sparkling with hu to take you to a fantastic dinner Have you ever eaten at the Pump Room? At the Ambassador East?"

I shook my head

"Steaks you wouldn&039;t believe," she assured me "And the most roe?"

"Um Yes?" I said, carefully "This is the answer to the question of whether or not I&039;ll go out with you, right?"

"No," Susan said, with a smile "That was the answer I tricked out of you, so you&039;re stuck, there I just want tobesides jeans and button-down Western shirts"

"Oh Yes," I said

"Super," she repeated, and kissed athered her purse "Saturday, then" She drew back and quirked her smirky little s "I&039;ll be there With bells on"

She turned and walked out I sort of turned to stare after her My jaw slid off the bar as I did and landed on the floor

Had I just agreed to a date? Or an interrogation session?

"Probably both," I muttered

Mac slapped my steak sandwich and fries down in front of e

"She&039;s going to do nothing but try to trick infor her, Mac," I said

"Ungh," Mac agreed

"Why did I say yes?"

Mac shrugged

"She&039;s pretty," I said "Sh"

"Any red-blooded h," Mac snorted

"Well Maybe not you"

Mac s to o for sohed

"Dumb," Mac said

"I just said she was smart, Mac"

Mac&039;s face flickered into that ser, almost boyish "Not her," he said "You"

I ate ht

This threrench intoaround the Sells lake house and getting inforht And I already had toht slated for a talk with Bianca, since I had a feeling Murphy and Carmichael would fail to turn up any cooperation from the vampiress That ht, since Saturday night was now occupied by the date with Susan - or at least the pre-ht portion was

My mouth went dry when I considered that ht be occupied, too One never knew She had dizziedto try every trick she knew to dragrelease of the Arcane On the other hand, she was sexy, intelligent, and at least a little attracted to ht happen than just talk and dinner Didn&039;t it?

The question was, did I really want that to happen?

I had been a miserable failure in relationships, ever since uys fail in their first relationships

Not irl involved

I shied away fro up too many old memories

I left McAnally&039;s, after Mac had handed runt of "Mister," by way of explanation The chess ga up a sweet-sure out how to deal with Susan, while I walked out to my car Did I need to clean up redients for the spell I would cast at the lake house later tonight? Would Murphy go through the roof when I talked to Bianca?

I could still feel Susan&039;s kiss lingering on ot in the car

I shook my head, bewildered They say izards are subtle But believe youat all, on women