Page 14 (1/2)

"I traced her to a shelter, but she left Maybe she’ll go back We’ll let you knoe find her"

Liz stood to leave and shook their hands again

"Please call h escaped her lips "I’m desperate I was told every day that passes since my sister disappeared is a day closer to her death If this amnesic woman knows " Liz McAllister blinked back tears and walked away

The phone rang On the second ring, Myra heard the h it, she heard his voice "Myra, pick up" "I’m here," she called out to the machine "Pick up"

Myra held the small black box and pressed the TALK button Tentatively she placed it to her ear

"Hello? Todd?"

"There you are, what took you so long?"

"Ah, well"

"Neverthere?"

"Good, fine" So ready to cook dinner What time will you be here?"

"About four-thirty"

"I’ll see you then"

"Yeah Hey, Myra, do me a favor Stay in the house"

"Is it not safe?" she asked

"Yes, no I’ll explain when I get hoo"

"Todd?" Myra wanted to ask what bothered hied her mind

"Yes?"

"Be safe"

"See you at four-thirty"

What happened? She had read the directions, and still the smoke billowed from the oven The boxes of foodvital for the success of the erously, she hadn’t burned the house down The dishtowel that caught on fire didn’t really count Who knew the heated rod in the oven would be so hot? Besides, the water flowing through the pipes in the sink quickly put the fire out However, the s needed to be opened to air-out the rooed in the refrigerator until she found the s for sandwiches Not the ht in a few logs Todd had drying by the back fence for a fire Myra set the and brought a sht he stepped into the wrong house

Music played on his stereo, a fire blazed in his fireplace, and there was the s soThe unmistakable scent of burnt plastic filled the roo to structure a speech to lay on Myra about how she needed to be straight with hi all she had tried to do et every last word of his prepared speech

In the kitchen, she bent over the oven, and he adht for her the day before A si to her hips and ht he’d seen all day

He shook his head That kind of thinking wasn’t going to get him anywhere except deeper into whatever trouble she was in

"Hey"

Myra turned and noticed hi with her set used to that

"You’ve been busy" He lasses and keys on it

"A little" She erator, pulled out a beer and handed it to him "I hope you don’t mind"

No woman had ever made him a meal in his home Sure, he’d been invited to dinner by women at their place, but never his It was an unwritten rule of bachelorhood not to let a female anywhere near your kitchen If you did, they would‘I do’

And Todd didn’t