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"We have video of Bubba relieving Kevin at six o’clock, and of Kevin leaving the building with Paulie And the guy in the kitchen is too short and dark to be Kevin" The way Alex said it, I could tell she’d told him before--and probably more than once

What was his problem? I used telepathy to ask Dom and Alex simultaneously I probably shouldn’t have done it, but he really was starting to get onFred and I had stopped for food forreally irritable

"My probleet involved in a case, bodies start stacking up like cord wood"

I sighed He was right But it wasn’t uys I was going up against This particular batch seemed to think that their people were as disposable as tissues So, and now the feds were involved But so led me out for their attention from the start Call it intuition, or paranoia, or whatever the hell else you want, but I had this sinking feeling that I was going to be involved in this to the bitter end

I spoke clearly, enunciating enough that the ansasn’t quite insulting "Not … my … fault"

Roberto, my attorney, spoke up "I think we’re done here My client has been iven a statement She was not physically present at the scene, and you have nothing that could connect her to any crime" He rose I rose

"We’re not finished until I say so," Shea snarled and gestured forstep toward , didn’t do anything other than move away from the wall But Shea subsided

Roberto opened the door and we left, walking along a wide hall that led to the fire stairs at one end and the cubicle farm at the other We hadn’t quite reached the cubicles when Do on a ation roo toward me; we met in the middle of the hall Roberto waited nearby, still within earshot, ready to do his duty if need be but giving me at least the illusion of privacy if the conversation with Dom wasn’t business

"What’s up?" I asked

"Glad to see you looking so reat"

"Yeah, the wife picked theht a little uncoht of the hallway I saw he looked tired, and while his suit was still crisp, it fit loosely, like he’d lost a little weight He sighed "Look, Shea’s an ass, but he isn’t wrong The body count is cli this than hen we started These guys have no li hospital, for Christ’s sake"

"I know I know" Isolid What I’d really like to do is change things up--go on the offense Because, frankly, playing defense just isn’t working"

"No shit," Alex agreed, joining us in the hall

"What do you have in mind?" Dom asked

I told him

"You don’t ask much," he said sourly "Give me your number I’ll let you knohat I find out"

23

When Gilda Levy hadn’t been able to reach me by phone or e- I called Gilda right away She said Isaac had been terribly upset since I’d spoken to him He’d left the shop abruptly, shortly after noon yesterday, telling Gilda he had urgent business to take care of No one had heard froone? No But I had a sneaking suspicion it had so--and with Connor Finn I orried Isaac is a skilled h old coot He’d taken the news that so on in the territory he was responsible for very seriously I just hoped he hadn’t done soh as he was, and powerful as he was, he was still an old hty

I felt physically ill from worry and stress by the time I reached the Furnace Creek exit

Isaac, where the hell are you? I thought hard, trying to picture hi Nada Zilch Please don’t let him be dead It wasn’t like him to disappear without a word He would never have missed Gilda’s birthday lunch He wouldn’t worry Gilda like that

I wished there was so Dom Rizzoli for breakfast at Irma’s Diner, a little place just off the expressway, nestled between diesel pumps and a car wash sized to accoed, but he’d n of a classic fifties diner: a long narrow building with rounded s and lots of chrome Three different colors of neon chased around the upper tri a full tray I pulled into the only e lot, slathered h the sunshine

The inside of the building was just what I’d expected There was a long counter, with seats at fixed intervals Booths lined the outside wall The seating was all covered in bright turquoise vinyl; the low ceiling and walls were ht from the s