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He would like to watch her in an act of autoly terrible her beauty would be then: her eyes blank and her features without expression as she wielded a flensing knife
He doubts that she has killed in such a condition or ever will, becausethe outer world can offer her that dependably staves off boredom She does not need to kill in a trance when she can, without compunction and with deep satisfaction, kill while fully conscious
Frequently she passes the better part of the day in groo activities She is eternally fascinated by herself, and her body is her best defense against boredoolden hair, applying to it a series of natural-substance rinses, slowly brushing it dry in the sun, and giving herself a long scalp and neck e
A restless man by nature, Harrow is nevertheless able to watch her for hours as she grooms herself He is soothed by her flawless beauty, by her bottomless calm, and by her perfect self-absorption, and she inspires in hih he has not yet been able to identify what it is that he hopes for
Usually Moongirl grooms herself in silence, and Harrow is not sure that she is aware of his presence This time, after a while, she speaks: "Have you heard from him?"
"No"
"I’er"
"He better call soon"
"He will"
"I’m tired of the noise"
"What noise?" he asks
"The sea breaking on the shore"
"Most people like it"
"It "
He does not reply
"I don’t want to think," she says
"About what?"
"About anything"
"When this is done, we’ll go to the desert"
"It better be done soon"
"All sand and sun, no surf"
With slow deliberate strokes of the brush, she paints a toenail purple
As the earth turns sloay fros toward the house
Beyond the pocket yard, out of sight below the shelving slabs of granite, waves pound the beach
To the west, a gunold sunshine into shiny steel scales, which churn forward like the metal treads of war machines
After a while she says, "I had a dreaolden retriever"
"It would be, wouldn’t it?"
"I didn’t like its eyes"
"What about the
Then later: "If you see it, kill it"
"What-the dog?"
"Yes"
"It was in a dreaerous breed"
"This one is"
"If you say so"
"Kill it on sight"
"All right"
"Kill it good"
"All right"
"Kill it hard"
Chapter 23
A faint onshore breeze washed waves of golden grass up the ated oak-tree shadows rippled in the flow
The sweet grassy scent, the brightness that fell from the air, and the et to Heaven this side of death
Golden Heart had received these twelve acres froolden retriever between its rescue and its forever ho relative, a niece named Linnea, unhappy with a thirty- to add this valuable land to her portfolio Linnea had millions for attorney fees Aet
Currently, even after years of operation, Golden Heart had no office other than As other than the volunteers’ hos than could be fostered by their members, she had to board them in the kennels of the animal hospitals that offered her a discount
She was loath to board a single rescue Even if they didn’t arrive beaten or tick-infested, even if they were healthy dogs, they were nevertheless anxious and in need of affection in excess of what any ordinary kennel staff could offer
Here on this hill, in this race of God, she would oversee the construction of a facility where Golden Heart could receive new rescues, evaluate them, bathe them, and prepare them for their new homes For those who couldn’t quickly be placed in a forever home or in a foster situation, heated and air-conditioned kennels of generous size, with clean bedding, would be staffed around the clock There would be a siround, a training room, a playroom for use in rainy weather…
Until the bequest was successfully defended in court, however, only Amy’s kids could enjoy this sunny h the tall grass, chasing each other, tempted this way and that by rabbit scent, squirrel scent
Nickie remained at her master’s side
Amy had departed fro on the hilltop, while the Land Rover had pulled to the shoulder of the highway
Evidently not tempted by the wild scents or by the prospect of play, Nickie reh Aht Renata’s binoculars, she didn’t bother to use them The driver remained in the Rover, and at this distance, even with the powerful field glasses, she would not be able to see his face
She wondered if Linnea Papadakis had put her under surveillance
Although an injunction prevented Golden Heart froe to her aunt’s last will and testa the property She couldn’t i her watched
Low in her throat, Nickie growled
Chapter 24
When he had finished searching every corner of Redwing’s house, Vernon Lesley stood in her kitchen and placed a cell-phone call to Bobby Onions
"You still on her?"
"I’d like to be on her," said Onions
"Don’t be tiresome"
"She’s out in this field"
"What field?"
Onions had a state-of-the-art satellite navigation systeitude of his Land Rover, in degrees and minutes, on the vehicle’s computer screen He read these coordinates to Vern
"For all I know," Vern said wearily, "that could be someplace in Cambodia"
"It couldn’t possibly be in Caitude How do you expect to do your job, you don’t know the essentials?"
"I don’t need to know latitude and longitude to be a gumshoe"
"Gumshoe," Onions said disdainfully "So do you still call the refrigerator an icebox? It’s a new century, Vern These days, we’re in a paraation isn’t a paraerous by the week People need private detectives, private bodyguards, private security, private police, and we’re all those things Police are paraot your philosophy of the profession, and I’ve got mine," said Bobby Onions "The point is, I’raphic coordinates If I had to call down a missile strike on her, she’d be toast"