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"Too expensive," I assured her

"I know I know Uh-oh Call waiting just beeped Could be a client Before I forget, Dottie wants you to call her Talk to you later"

"Later," I agreed

20

I swung by PharMart to pick up supplies, including , floppy picture hat When I first became an Abomination--the official tere list of things I could drink to keep s under control until I learned to e my inner bat I didn’t have the list anymore, but PharMart’s records are computerized If I was lucky, they’d be able to tell et back on track It would be expensive I still had painfulthat kept me human orth the price, and then some

I lucked out The pharmacy did have the records They printed out the list forup my cart with dehydrated beef and chicken broth, the liquid form of a multivitamin and mineral suppleram, and more I also stocked up on lots of sunscreen and picked up another hat and a couple of umbrellas to use as sunshades My favorite eer, so he wasn’t on duty, but I asked the pharh I’d grown tired of drinking nutrition shakes over the course of the past couple years, they were the quickest and easiest way to take the edge off of roceries into the back of the SUV I hadn’t had any bloodlust yet that day, even though I’d been in a hospital, and I wanted to keep it that way Besides, I think better on a full stoed tomorrow She’d need a place to stay Someplace safe, where no one would think to look for her, preferably far away from innocent bystanders in case the defecational matter hit the rotary oscillator In short, a safe house

I didn’t have a safe house Hell, I didn’t even have an office She certainly couldn’t cooons would undoubtedly look there first Besides, I barely had rooroceries would putin the next episode of Hoarders

Cliine, and let the air-conditioning bring the te in my purse, I pulled out my cell phone and typed in Dottie’s nuht before it would have gone to voice ?" I was kickingchecked on her earlier Yeah, I’d been busy, but straining yourdeal The doctors had said she’d be okay, and I knew Fred would take good care of her, but still

"I’m fine Really And I have the solution to your problem"

She knew "Dottie, the doctors said--" I started to scold her, but she interrupted

"H Fred, it’s not as if I can just turn it off like a tap But I a fro hiht be true Psychic ability is notoriously difficult to control, particularly for soift as Dottie’s

"Which proble for me this time?" I put a smile in my voice

"Fred and I have discussed it, and we think we have the perfect safe house for you And while I know the answer to your office proble"

"Dottie--"

"I don’t want to ruin the surprise"

She was using the saran always used when she’d locked the Christmas presents in the front closet when I was a kid So while I was frustrated--I hate not knowing things--I was also amused "Fine, have it your way"

"I fully intend to," she said set everything ready for you"

"I’ll be there in a few overne of Santa Maria The complex is composed of six one-story brick duplexes connected to each other by a web of sidewalks with a central courtyard There’s a two-story office and "clubhouse" on the north end of the property, with parking for guests Residents have nu streets It is a pretty place and very well kept Dottie told me her only complaint was that they didn’t allow pets It was so nice, in fact, that when she and Fred married, they decided to share her apartment rather than the house he had lived in with his previous wife, out by Edwards Lake

I pulled into a guest spot under a shady tree next to the office building, slathered on sunscreen, plopped a hat on my head, and stepped out of the SUV--just in tier so new it still had teer isn’t the most expensive car around, but it’s not the cheapest, either I wondered how a man with no job and supposed money troubles could afford a brand-new car of any kind So up

I could tell he didn’t seeLeaning close he whispered inable to interpret the stones"

I gave a tiny nod to let hi to the sirens, Dottie is my personal prophet Her job is to be sort of an advance-warning systereat-aunt Lopaka said to her when they met, but it made Dottie, as already protective, absolutely ferocious in perforle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>