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A door opened upstairs, and Duncan backed up several feet until he could see E, E that fluffy purple monstrosity of a robe

She narrowed those violet eyes at hi his sincerity, and apparently decided he passed , Duncan," she said finally "What’s up?"

"Are we going to have this entire conversation with you standing up there?"

She blew out a flustered breath "No, of course not"

She descended the stairs quickly, wearing the same clunky boots, but with a pair of jeans, a hooded sweatshirt, and, regrettably, a bra, as well Although, he conte lacy and fe the to drink?" Emma asked politely She switched on a pair of floor lamps, one at either end of an old overstuffed couch A battered coffee table sat in front of the couch, both pieces looking as if their better days were long behind them

"No, thank you We can’t stay"

Emma stopped halfway to the kitchen She turned to study hi the ties of her sweatshirt "Did youfind soh we areVictor’s activities He hosted a lot of parties, many of them in homes he owned out of town It seeiven what she told you Unfortunately, it’s unlikely the other attendees will volunteer any useful infor about people from the Hill," she said somewhat bitterly

Duncan nodded "And probably soton assort fir her correction There was always a possibility, however slim, that Emma’s friend Lacey was still alive He understood her need to hold on to whatever hope there was

"There must have been other wo to talk to you Or tohis women He kept track of as invited when, but there were no na them, but these woraphs, locating theh the files for us and see if you recognize anyone"

"Absolutely," E the out of town this evening I wasn’t certain you’d be ho to one of those party houses, you arded E interrupted at every turn Not many would have dared, not even in his years as Raphael’s lieutenant, and he was somewhat surprised to discover just how much it irritated hiression and his irritation

"Well?" she deuel, but he could feel his lieutenant’s anger at E hotter by the uel was instinctively protective not only of Duncan’s person, but of his dignity

"If I ently

Ee and embarrassment in equalbreath, visibly trying to relax, and gestured for hirinned, his earlier irritation banished by the obvious effort it took her to remain silent

"I told you ould look into Lacey’s disappearance," he began, "and--"

He stopped Eain Her mouth snapped closed

"And I pro her to say a word, "that I would get back to you in few days This is ress, but we have found nothing concrete If you give us a call toe a tiraphs"

E to be sure he had nothing ht?"<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>