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"Exactly"

"And just what happened to bring you here in your ja the safe to buya deep breath, I ran through the steps to disarm the wards and punched in the coor than was strictly necessary Closinga quick prayer, I pulled the door lever Daas carefully crouched behindblew When the door opened, we both let out a little whoop of joy

I drew out the old-fashioned cash box I keep on hand for eencies I only kept a couple hundred dollars in there, but if Dawna didn’t go nuts, that should be enough to cover the basics

"Last night we caught soe Before you ask, he got away And I didn’t think it was a good idea for me to meet with the cops after dark in ot there"

She blinked rapidly several times, her expression one of complete shock "Oh But why--"

"Would soht of soo that would be safe and unoccupied, I would’ve done it I don’t want to put anybody here in danger"

She sat up straighter, her face flushing, her breath speeding up I noted the pulse on her neck without aze away before she noticed "Do you think we’re in danger?"

"Honestly, I don’t know It would help if I had a clue as going on, but I just don’t" I gave her a slow smile "But I intend to find out"

She shivered "You scare s"

"No," she said firmly, "it’s not"

I didn’t kno to answer that, so I changed the subject "Are you sure you’re okay with this?" I asked as I opened the box and forked over the cash, which was actually three hundred Yay "I know it’s a bother"

She glared up atto make a list "Don’t be an ass," she scolded "I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t want to help I’ll lock the door behind me on the way out and you should have the whole place to yourself until I get back Ron and the others aren’t exactly known for getting here early, and Bubba just left" She took the cash fro with the note and pen

I put the cash box and duffel into the safe, then closed it and put up the wards I was going to be down the hall for a bit, and I do not leave weapons unattended Ever

"Thanks, Dawna Really"

"No proble--unless she was annoyed Irritate her and she got all formal, with a "yes, ma’am" or "no, sir" In five years, I’ve only earned two "ets about half a dozen "sirs" a day and doesn’t even catch the sarcasm

Some people are just so dense

I limped out of the office and down the hall to the bathrooood-sized roo by modern standards, it would’ve been considered positively luxurious back when the house was built In those days, the standard was to have one bath for an entire house But this building had started life as awith real parquet floors and an honest-to-God stained-glasson the landing between the first and second floors, it had been built with a bathroo old claw-footed monstrosity, but somewhere around the sixties an ambitious owner had decided to do an update of the bathrooms There was a shoith cerao pink They exactly matched the pedestal sink and toilet The wallpaper was candy-cane striped in pink, silver, black, and white It was loud but undeniably eye-catching A plain white shower curtain hung on the ed around in the built-in linen closet and the e of the tub Nobody in the building used the showersworked just fine, and I always kept supplies on hand, just in case