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Barber stopped sun

"I said--tell me where my brother and sister are"

Barber went very still for a longpatience, Madison Now put that down before soets hurt" He took a step toward her

"I’ you," Madison said "I’ht her to shoot Only she was a failure as a hunter because she’d never been able to shoot anything living Barber ht be the first

Barber’s eyes, with their pale centers and fringe of white lashes, were cold and unblinking as any snake’s "All right You’re all business, huh? I have so to show you" He patted his jacket pocket "May I?"

Grudgingly, Madison nodded

He thrust his fingers into his pocket, ca He extended it toward Madison

She gestured with the gun "Toss it on the table," she said

Barber tossed, underhand Two objects clunked onto the battered formica Madison put the table between her and the wizard and looked down

It was like sorabbed hold of her heart, and squeezed

One of the objects was a beat-up Swiss Army knife with the initials JR carved crudely into the cover The other was a gold locket engraved with roses on a lightweight gold chain

The knife had belonged to their father John Robert carried it with him everywhere and slept with it under his pillow Min had left the locket to Grace Madison had fastened the clasp a thousand tie, had carefully removed it and set it on the dresser when Grace fell asleep with a book She wore it every day of her life

Madison looked up at Barber It took a couple of tries to get her voice going

"Where are they?" This time, she couldn’t keep the quaver out of her voice

"No one will ever find them if you shoot me"

She braced herself, aimed lower "I don’t need to shoot you in the head," she said

"And if I bleed to death?" He raised an eyebrow "Come on, Madison, you’re not a killer Besides, I can probably block the shot Put down the gun, and we’ll talk"

"If you’ve hurt them, I’ll…"

"You’re the only one who can prevent that Cooperate, and I’ll let theed "That’d be a shame"

"How do I know they’re still alive?"

Barber waved away her question ie It’d be stupid to kill them Unless you disappoint o See? Nobody gets hurt Now put down the gun before I lose patience"

Grace and John Robert Defiant, strong-willed Grace and innocent John Robert in the hands of this one after theun on the table, took a step back, and stood, arers at Warren Barber

"Good," Barber said He nodded toward the kitchen table "Please Sit down"

Madison walked woodenly to the table and sat She tried to look everywhere but at Brice’s body and the blood splattered over the floor Barber was right She wasn’t a killer

Barber crossed to the refrigerator and rury?"

"No" Madison’s sto to reject what little it had inside it

Barber pulled out two bottles of pop and a plate of cold pizza and carried thery, knohat I mean?" He set a bottle of pop in front of her

"Do … do JR and Grace have anything to eat?" she whispered