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When I caught ed myself out to the beach, away from tee flat-topped rock at the very edge of the ocean Sinking onto the rough stone, I stared at the water I fought tofrom the effort not to chase, not to kill It wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t pretty But eventually, when the e and red left the horizon, I was able to think huain and I started back toward the house

Apparently I’d been gone too long for Dawna’s comfort I heard the scrape of round E for word from the Vatican on his transfer There was the soft sound of footsteps on the deck and Dawna called, quietly, "Celia?"

"I’

14

We’d all had a few drinks None of us was okay to drive So soht Dottie called Fred He showed up with Mickey a few minutes later, and they chauffeured everyone and their various vehicles home

It was the first time I’d met Fred’s son He hadn’t "been able" to attend Dottie and Fred’s wedding

I didn’t like hi prettyIt wasn’t anything specific he did; it was just hi’s version of a low-level street hood His body language was both sneaky and aggressive So, while he looked perfectly ordinary, with htthe silver when he left, but it was da that maybe it was time to update the wards around the estate

It was close to two by the tihtmare-induced inso bundle of fur who soed to take up almost half of my bed I wound up curled in a somewhat unnatural position But I slept like a rock, and if I dreamed, I didn’t know it

I woke up to just a hint of sharp little claws and i into the bathroo the coffee before feeding the vigorously co fur ball I love that cat But five o’clock in the freaking ? Seriously?

While the coffee brewed, I cleared a spot in theroo a et a new cell phone, file the insurance claim on the Miata, rent or buy a new car

In a few andeeply Even before the hospital stay, I’d fallen out of the habit of exercising It felt wonderful to bein the old familiar patterns The cat stared atas clearly as words that she thought I’d lostvirtuous, I wandered into the kitchen and poured a hugeof coffee as I evaluated my breakfast choices In the end I settled on leftover ht, reheated in the microwave After breakfast, I debated what top to ith my favorite jeans In the end I put on an old Pantera T-shirt and ressive, but it worked with the hair I set outa waistband holster for my Colt so that it would fit in the s ordinary knives intothe knives Bruno made for me pretty exclusively for years now, but they were locked up in evidence for the ti about how those knives had last been used made me shudder Don’t think about it It’s over and done You can’t change it It wasn’t your fault The knives are just knives--tools for whatever hand wields theh I kneas true, it didn’t change the visceral fear and loathing that rose in ht about e’d found in that warehouse I needed a distraction pronto Luckily for me, there were plenty of the errands via my laptop The rental car company promised to deliver my SUV "sometime between ten and noon" The car insurance people said they’d process s for office space and the database of felons for any sign of ative results

At eleven fifty-five, just as the rental car guys were pulling in the drive,Caller ID said it was the Santa Maria Police Departot to deal with the rental car guys"

Alex’s voice on the other end of the line was martyred "Fine I’ll hold"

"Thanks" I set the phone on the counter and went to the door, where a skinny guy with big glasses and freckles, wearing a green polo shirt, handed me a set of car keys and held out a clipboard with half a reah it was expensive, I opted for the full coverage It’s possible I wouldn’t need it But the way , did I really want to take the chance? Oh, hell, no I signed here, there, and everywhere else as he tried not to stare When it was done, he thanked o I practically ran back to the phone, hoping Alex hadn’t hung up

"Okay, Al, I’ shots Is that why you called?"

"Actually, no But I’lad to hear it I wanted to check and see if you were feeling better, and if you were up to driving"

"I’m okay today Why? Do you need et your knives and ring"

"What?" That lass refused to give a statees One of our best detectives tried to push hilass killed hiht"