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She nifying glass--I was amused that she kept one in her bathrobe, but that was Audrey for you--and looking from the note to the envelope and back One had supposedly been written by the fiancée, the other by the young man

Audrey nodded "Definitely the sa sample," I said

"It’s what?" the boy asked

"It’s enough in this case," Audrey said "The envelope has your full na, letter forive the same answer He also has a very distinctive e If we use the longer sample as the exemplar, the envelope sample can be determined as authentic--in my estimation--at over a ninety percent reliability"

"Thanks," I said

"I could use a new dog," she said, strolling away

"I’h racket! I don’t want a dog running around here barking"

"Oh, co at the doorway "I’ll feed it fake food and give it fake water and take it on fake walks Everything a fake puppy could want"

"Out with you," I said, though I was s It was nice to have so arded me with a baffled expression

"You can drop the act," I said to him

"Act?"

"The act that you’re surprised by how ‘strange’ I arad student, I assuot a panicked look in his eyes

"Next ti it back to him "Damn it, I don’t have tiive him an interview," Tobias said

"After he lied to"My girlfriend"

"You called her a fiancée before," I said, turning "You’re here to try to getwhich you will lead me around by the nose while you secretly take notes about my condition Your real purpose is to write a dissertation or so"

His face fell Ivy stood behind hi her head in disdain

"You think you’re the first one to think of this?" I asked

He gri"

"I can and I do," I said "Often Wilson! We’re going to need security!"

"No need," the boy said, grabbing his things In his haste, a miniature recorder slipped out of his shirt pocket and rattled against the table

I raised an eyebrow as he blushed, snatched the recorder, then dashed from the room

Tobias rose and walked over to me, his hands clasped behind his back "Poor lad And he’ll probably have to walk ho?"

"Stan says it will come soon," Tobias said "Have you considered that they would try things like this less often if you would agree to an intervie and then?"

"I’ a hand in annoyance "I’ special"

"What?" Ivy said, amused "You’d rather work a day job at a desk? Give up the spaciousthere aren’t perks," I said as Wilson walked back in, turning his head to watch the youth flee out the front door "Make sure he actually goes, would you please, Wilson?"

"Of course, master" He handed me a tray with the day’s h the mail He’d already removed the bills and the junk ist, which I ignored, and a nondescript white envelope, large sized

I frowned, taking it and ripping open the top I took out the contents

There was only one thing in the envelope A single photograph, five by eight, in black and white I raised an eyebrow It was a picture of a rocky coast where a couple of s out into the ocean

"Nothing on the back," I said as Tobias and Ivy looked overelse in the envelope"

"It’s fro to fish for an interview, I’ll bet," Ivy said "They’re doing a better job than the kid"

"It doesn’t look like anything special," JC said, shoving his way up beside Ivy, who punched hi"

"I don’t know" I said "There’s soraph At least, that’s what I saw Most likely I still had the photo in my hand, but I couldn’t feel it there, now that I perceived Tobias holding it It’s strange, the way the e perception

Tobias studied the picture for a longhis pistol’s safety off and on

"Aren’t you always talking about gun safety?" Ivy hissed at hi safe," he said "Barrel’s not pointed at anyone Besides, I have keen, iron control over every muscle in my body I could--"

"Hush, both of you," Tobias said He held the picture closer "My God"

"Please don’t use the Lord’s name in vain," Ivy said

JC snorted