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There was no time to flee beneath the bed, or into the bathroom, and I didn&039;t want to be limited in mobility in any case I leapt forward and stood behind the door as it opened, keeping very still

AHis hair, a listless shade of broas drawn back into a ponytail He wore dark cotton pants, a dark jacket, and carried a pouch on a strap at his side He shut the door, itation But, likeclearly, he was seeing less than he should have been, and though his head swept over where I would have been in his peripheral vision, he didn&039;t noticelines to his jaw and cheekbones

He crossed the room and stopped short when he saw the bloodstained bed I saw hi little sound, then hurried forward, to throw hi underneath it After a few seconds, his pawing grew more frantic, and I heard hiers over the smooth surface of the filrapher lurking outside of Victor Sells&039;s lake house was here looking for the filet when I finish a particularly difficult jigsaw puzzle - a peculiar satisfaction ness

I settled my staff and rod silently into the corner by the door and nipped e, coraph on it, out of ainst the black canvas I covered my ratty old T-shirt with the coat and hoped that the man would be too rattled and nervous to notice that I earing sweatpants and cowboy boots beneath the duster

I kept my hands in e ofto the scene of the crime I knee&039;d catch you if I just waited"

The hter on any other day He jerked, slaainst the bottom of the bed, yelped, drew himself back from the bed, turned to look at me, and all but leapt back over the bed in surprise when he saw me I revised my opinion of his looks - his ether, giving him the intent, predatory look of a ferret

I narrowed my eyes and stalked toward him one slow pace at a time "Just couldn&039;t stay away, could you?"

"No!" he said, "Oh, God! You don&039;t understand I&039;rapher See? See?" He fumbled with the case at his side and produced a ca pictures For the papers That&039;s what I&039;ood look around"

"Save it," I told him "We both know you aren&039;t here to take pictures You were looking for this" And I pulled the film canister out of my pocket, held it up, and showed it to hi stopped, and he stood stock-still, staring at me Then at the canister He licked his lips and started trying to say so

"Who are you?" I asked I keptI tried to think of what Murphy would sound like, if I was doith her right noaiting for her to ask me questions

"Uh, Wise Donny Wise" He sed, staring at me "Am I in some kind of trouble?"

I narrowed my eyes at him and sneered, "We&039;ll see about that Do you have identification?"

"Sure, yeah"

"Let lance, and added, "Slowly"

He goggled at erated slowness With one hand, he drew out his wallet and flipped it open to his driver&039;s license I stalked toward hireed with the naan, "this is an ongoing investigation So long as you give me your cooperation, I don&039;t think that we - "

I looked up to see hie, and my voice trailed off He jerked his wallet back, and accused, "You&039;re not a cop!"

I tilted le "Okay Maybe not But I ith the cops And I&039;ve got your fil his caot nothing Nothing that connects any of this to me I&039;m out of here"

I watched him start past me, toward the door "Don&039;t be so hasty, Mr Wise I really think you and I have things to discuss Like a dropped film canister underneath the deck of a house in Lake Providence, last Wednesday night"

He flicked a quick glance up atto say to you," he mumbled, "whoever the hell you are" He reached for the door and started to open it

I gestured curtly to my staff in the corner, and hissed, inhtly controlled channels of airin response to my evocation, leapt across the room and slammed the door shut in front of Donny Wise&039;s nose He went stiff as a board He turned to face me, his eyes wide

"My God You&039;re one of theot the pictures I don&039;t know anything Nothing I&039;er to you" He tried to keep his voice callass sliding doors to the little patio, as though calculating his chances ofit there before I could stop him

"Relax, Mr Wise," I told him "I&039;m not here to hurt you I&039;m after the man who killed Linda Help me Tell me what you know I&039;ll take care of the rest"

He let out a harsh little laugh, and eased a half step toward the glass s "And get myself killed? Like Linda, like those other people? No way"

"No, Mr Wise Tell s I&039;ll bring Linda&039;s , even, fighting against the frustration I felt Hell, I&039;d wanted to rattle him, but I hadn&039;t h a plate-glass sliding door "I want these people stopped just as badly as you do"

"Why?" he demanded I saw a little conte with her, too?"

I shook my head "No No, she&039;s just one more dead person who shouldn&039;t be"

"You&039;re not a cop Why risk your ass to do this? Why go up against these people? Haven&039;t you seen what they can do?"

I shrugged "Who else is going to?" He didn&039;t answer me, so I held up the film canister "What are these pictures, Mr Wise? What is on this fil Linda Randall for?"