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Allen’s reach for the handle hesitated "Bill? On the track?"

She se of the tall, so after twentysooing as they gossiped and jogged at the saone? She had friends, didn’t she?

"No, I was on the track--he was in with the belts practicing his martial arts," she finally said Bill excelled at the to his proficiency rather than hindering it

The one, but she didn’t put her keys away, holding theot out She was on edge, and she abruptly slowed to Allen’s pace when she realized she’d left him behind

"Peri" Allen pulled her to a stop at the front door His eyes were pinched behind his glasses "Hey, ah, you hnuts?"

Peri’s breath slipped out as she realigned her thinking "Sandy wants"Creae of red jelly oozing outcaffeine, and that way she’d be able to avoid Sandy’s sludge

His expression was relieved, but that wrinkle of concern was still there when he touched her shoulder "One latte, skiht back" He turned once as he walked away towhy she felt so odd He seeht say, but afraid of so nevertheless

Shoving it to the back of her thoughts, Peri yanked open the door and went in, hesitating just inside as the door sealed her in the bar’s war for a ride was sitting at the bar, his tailored overcoat carefully folded on the stool next to hi her wonder who he was Frank was tinkering with the floor sweeper, and Sandy was rolling silverware into napkins

"Peri!" the dark-haired, petite wo her coat, she wiped off the daetting breakfast so you can psychoanalyzecoffee Sandy just made a pot"

"Hey!" the s as she ca and uneasy She sled at her , expression ugly with hatred Peri stiffened and Sandy pushed back, her s forced

Frank set the sweeper on the floor, nudging it with a booted foot when it didn’tpads blinked and reset as a sister restaurant updated theirhasn’t worked in six weeks," Frankit to a corner, where it made a sad beep