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"You’ll be okay," Maia told her shakily "You’re a tough lady"

She heard footsteps co down the hallway

Maia slipped behind the bathrooh the space between the hinges

Etch Hernandez came into the room

He ell dressed as usual--a chocolaty wool suit, teal shirt, arded the woman on the bed with his usual sad expression, as if he’d simply come as a dear friend Then he reached in his jacket and took out a syringe and a small vial

Maia snapped a picture

Hernandez un and stepped out of the bathroolassy as a sleepwalker’s He was right next to Ana The syringe was full

"I got a nice picture of you about to poison your protégée," Maia said "Try it and I’ Italian suit"

Hernandez regarded Ana The needle was three inches from her forearm "I should’ve killed you first, Miss Lee That was a ree that your priorities are fucked up," Maia said "Now step away from Ana"

Hernandez focused on a spot in the air, as if he were listening to some other voice "Miss Lee, you don’t understand I’ my own skin"

"No," Maia said "You’re interested in saving Lucia’s e, I’ll tell everyone the truth about Frankie’s murder"

She wasn’t sure she truly understood until that ht "You’ve shared your thoughts with Navarre and Arguello?"

"You’re going to do that," she said "We’re going to go see theree?"

"Because you want the truth to come out Deep down, you won’t be satisfied with so the blame Part of you wanted Ana to pick up that cold case You wanted to hurt her You wanted Ana to know, Etch"

She’d never addressed him by his first name before, and it seemed to unnerve him

He lowered the needle He wiped it with his handkerchief, capped it, put it back in his jacket pocket "You plan to walk out of here holding a police lieutenant at gunpoint?"

"Not at gunpoint," Maia said "I’ether If you try anything, I’ll break your neck with my bare hands"

THEY LEFT THE HOSPITAL TOGETHER HERNANDEZ was calm Way too calm He made no atteot to Maia’s BMW, he took the wheel without coun Second tie chauffeur

She doubted Hernandez would re to the Whitedirections when her phone rang

The sound distracted her only for a second, but that was enough Morning sickness dulled her reflexes Before she kneas happening, Hernandez had wrenched the gun out of her hand and was pressing the

Maia sat perfectly still, her heart pounding

"Change of plans, Miss Lee," Hernandez said "You’ll be driving This is going to end where it began"

Without taking his eyes off her, he ed to find her purse and fish out the phone He answered it on the fifth ring

"Mr Navarre," he said "What a surprise"

Chapter 18

AFTER THE CALL, I DIDN’T CARE MUCH ABOUT THE KITCHEN burning around etting out, getting to Maia

"Twenty minutes?" Ralph cursed Etch Hernandez with Spanish epithets even I had never heard "That’s ier fire," I advised

We splashed s and cardboard boxes, and in no ti the back wall Soon the curtains and the back door were in flames

Ralph smashed out a ith his baseball bat He threw a Molotov cocktail toward the driveway and was rewarded with a loud BA-ROOM and some surprised yelps from the men outside

"The kitchen’s on fire!" one of them yelled

Full points for powers of observation

They banged on the back door, found it too hot to touch

"Around to the front!" souys on the interior door haerator rattled and rocked

"Another few seconds," Ralph said

"Smoke," I warned "No ti

Ralph climbed onto the kitchen sink He kicked open the onlythat wasn’t in flaht behind him

The diversion al to shoot us as we crashed through a poranate bush and tumbled onto the back lawn