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My thoughts drifted from my mother to Peter’s mom I orried about Claire I had no idea what had set her off against Eh psychic ability to sense his otherworldliness? But that didn’t explain the history she seeht his people were, or, most importantly, what had happened to Peter’s brother, the son she had turned over to the: It was a pure fiction that the old -lost Great-Uncle Peadar This man, this "dried-up husk," as Claire had called hiically, I couldn’t account for how Peter’s brother could be older than his parents, nor could I i Colin to give up their boy, but there was no question that Claire believed hi uncle, was only a convenient label to hang on the body that had been found So for Detective Cook to chew on

After Claire and I had returned to the bar, Colin ca quarters She hadn’t made another appearance I had joined Peter behind the bar, and orked together until last call "This is nice," Peter had coht blue and left green,what he reed Even so, the revelation that the Tierneys--a fa the most noric wasme ask the same questions Emmet had raised How could it be that Peter was never bothered by ic, for that matter, when most normal people were at least a little unsettled by it?

The sound of a car pulling into our drive pulled hts A door opened and softly closed, and then the car reversed back onto the road High heelscautiously across stone told me one of my aunts had returned

Iris’s eyes widened, and she stopped in her tracks, clutching her purse to her chest, when she registered uilty surprise, she looked radiant in the rosy hues of early daylight I knew it meant I was both a hypocrite and a liar, but I realized in that instant I’d never speak to her about Connor I couldn’t bring ile renaissance I itnessing any s off a butterfly I would take this secret to e that my oeakness would e either of "

"Good ave me a suess this old girl still has it in her," she said just in tiy sweatpants, acoffee in hand

"Well, she sure did last night," he said with a s too"

"Oliver," we gasped in unison, and he let loose with a full-throated laugh He came over to the table and joined ain?" Iris asked before shaking her head and going inside In spite of her embarrassment, there was a sly and satisfied look on her face

"Surprised you are home," I said

"And why do you say that?" He held hisin both hands and leaned in as if I were about to tell him the juiciest of secrets

"Well, you know After last night You and Cook I ned a look of shock "Well, my dear, we don’t all have the alley cat morals of your Aunt Iris"

"You’d better not let her hear you say that," I said

"Point taken" He took a sip of coffee and leaned back in his chair

He grinned "We danced a little Drank way too much Talked a little Then I walked home I was in no shape to drive, I’ll tell you that"

"Wait, that’s it?"

"We are having lunch today," he said "I want to take our tiht We were kidsbefore I don’t want to rush things I want to go slowly and enjoy it"