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And he slips a hand around et free I can see that Chris is still in shock It’s totally likely that if I stick around awhile longer, I’ll get so a very i to eat?" I suggest to Cooper "I’ll meet you over at the buffet in a o Now"

I can understand why Cooper is so anxious to leave Really, I can After all, not everybody deals with their exes by, you know, sleeping with them on the foyer floor

Still, I feel like I can’t leave yet Not after I’ve h Chris is really upset--so upset that he doesn’t even see over his dance partner He’s turned away, and is sort of stueneral direction of the elevators

Where’s he going? Up to the twelfth floor, to his father’s office, to hit the real liquor--or just to use the phone? Or up to the roof, to jump off? I feel like I have to follow hi stupid

Except when I start to go after hio yet," I say, struggling to free ot him to admit he knew them! Roberta and Elizabeth! And you knohat? I don’t think he killed them I don’t think he even knew they were dead!"

"That’s nice," Cooper says "Now let’s go I told you I have an appointment Well, I’m late for it as it is"

"An appoint "Cooper, don’t you understand? Chris said--"

"I heard you," Cooper says "Congratulations Now let’s go I said I’d bring you here I didn’t say I could stay all night I do have actual paying clients, you know"

I realize it’s futile Even if Cooper did change his o, I don’t have any idea where Chris has disappeared to And how smart would it have been, really, forwhat happened to the last couple of girls hom he’d--how had I put it? Oh yeah, dallied Hey, lish major Yeah A novelist, AND a doctor AND a detective AND a jewelry designer…

Cooper and I slip outside I don’t even have a chance to say good-bye to anyone, or congratulate Rachel on her Pansy I’ve never seen a guy so eager to get out of one place

"Slon," I say, as Cooper hustles ot heels on, you know"

"Sorry," Cooper says, and drops ers to hisWest Fourth

"Where are we going?" I ask curiously, as the cab pulls to the corner with a squeal of its brakes

"You’re going hoestures for randfather’s brownstone

"Hey," I say, leaning forward in the seat "It’s just right across the block I could’ve walked--"

"Not alone," Cooper says "And I have to head in the other direction"

"Why?" I don’t miss the fact that Marian the Art Historian has just slipped out the library doors behind us

But instead of walking over and joining Cooper on the curb, she shoots him an extremely unfriendly look, then hurries off on foot toward Broadway

Cooper, whose back is to the library, doesn’t see the professor, or the dirty look

"I’ve got to see aHere" He shoves a five-dollar bill at me "Don’t wait up"