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Maybe she should just get out of here and close off the baseh that dark, spooky common rooh the side door, or the chancel the next flight up So, maybe best to retrace her steps, irls could lock the caot the pistol But she wasn’t good with guns, didn’t like theeyman Lock the doors, open a , and screa into early evening Not a lot of people moved around these days if they could help it Very little food ain, and it was harsher this time, not merely a pop and crack but a scuff like a heavy boot

That hen she knew There wasn’t so behind her, spiriting out of the black well of the coed his boot between the door and jaher than it has to be" "But you’ve h the crack--one glittery bat’s eye far back in the cave of her socket-- Verna Landry looked as if she’d have to stand twice to throw a shadow "I don’t knoho told you--"

"Well, we can talk about that," he said, trying to inject notes of both sy this poor wo to decide how uys to take, and whether they should be really, really ancient or just normal old This time he’d opted for six, with four Spared--hieezers: a really ancient denture-sucker with a bugle of a voice named Henry, and Jarvis, as just plain old and knew the woman’s husband, Chester "I really need you to open the door, Mrs Landry"

"This isaccusations" That single giht "Jarvis, you took all our food seven weeks ago"

"Well, Verna, see, that’s the proble always associated with a turkey, but he was one tough old bird "Chester kept going on about how he got the runs eating cat food--"

"It was a ration"

"No one’s giving out cat food to people" Lucian skiue over his lips His silver stud winked "Cats, maybe," Lucian drawled, "but not cat food" Beside hiered and blocked off a nostril with his thumb, let out a juicy honk, did a quick peek, then wiped his hand on his jeans

"That all goes to the dogs," Greg said, unsure if he only wanted to kick Lucian in the teeth or never touch anything Aidan got near again Maybe both "So where’d Chester get it?"

"Fine" Verna’s voice ratcheted up a notch " Fine, yes, we had a cat It was Lisa’s, but it ran away once she" Verna petered out, then revved up again: "We still had the food"

"Then you should’ve turned that in last time we did a door-todoor" Pru ht after the aht, we made a mistake But did you find a cat then? No And why pick on cats? Why not dogs and horses?"

This hy Greg had left Daisy with Tori and Sarah All they needed was a pissed-off villager taking a potshot "Please, o a lot easier if you just open the door"

"Not until Chester gets ho was suddenly just so sick of the whole thing Let theo back to Tori

"Playing our song," Aidan said Moving in a swift sidestep around Greg, he and Lucian pistoned quick cop-style kicks The old wo, let out an abortive squawk, but didn’tscream as both the lock plate and chain popped free of the jah as the old woman’s head first connected ood, then snapped on the spindle of her neck Lurching back, a hand clapped to her streaan a stuffy screech: "Mah noth,A," Lucian said, though whether he was agreeing or co an old wo didn’t know and didn’t care

"Henry,over the blubbering old woh note: "Now, Verna, I coulda tole you"

Man, I hate this Striding past an understairs closet, Greg loom, and toward the kitchen with Pru and Jarvis on his heels For no particular reason, his scalp suddenly tingled, and awrong here He had this very weird sense that the house was both elance over his shoulder Aidan and Lucian were sauntering, their eyes roaraphs, tables cluttered with bric-a-brac, ready to liberate anything they took a fancy to the second Greg or Pru or JarvisHe watched Aidan open that under-stairs closet, peek, thenreally untoward He frowned So why ao Food dish" Pru chinned a cheery yellow placemat tucked into a corner of the kitchen, behind a farmhouse table and chairs A round ceramic bowl decorated with fish skeletons and the words Meow and Yum Yum squatted next to an aluminule kibble "I don’t see a litter box"

"Maybe they let it out," Aidan said "Might still be out unless the old geezer run off"