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Sherlock knocked, but the welder kept buzzing He tried the door Not locked He and Sherlock walked into a large space filled with light from four enormous s At least a dozen metal sculptures of what could possibly be representations of es of construction, stood like contorted and twisted sentinels along the walls The sculptures looked oddly graceful, and drew the eye

They saw Marsia Gay surrounded bya welding apron, a weldingtwo pieces of metal that looked like copper and aluminu in the rooe fans that churned the air and dissipated the heat, e noise Marsia Gay still hadn’t seen or heard the an arc welder, theon held by a clamp handle at the positive lead Sparks flew around her She was steady-handed, co, only walked around the studio, studying her work The s, and bits of e rooanized They saw bins filled with various sizes and shapes of scrap metal, each labeled: steel, brass and bronze, carbide, aluer pieces of scrap ainst the wall

Sherlock stopped to stare up at an eight-foot-tall figure with muscles of raw steel and pros at twisted angles, and a protruding tangle of bulging thick copper pipes banding the ure spun in a drea fecundity" Marsia stepped forward and lightly touched her hand to the sculpture’s steel arm "Her nae For example, those copper ribs? I had to weld them to steel, but because the two metals aren’t mutually soluble, I used nickel as an intermediaryjoint"

Marsia pulled off her welding mask and set it carefully onto a countertop covered with tools and more even sh her hair, s white artist shirt over black leggings She wore Doc Martens on her long narrow feet "Helen is going to be the focal point in the lobby of a fertility clinic in Baltiloves as she spoke, laid the, her fingers and palent Savich, I have to ad to see your pieces I guess I wanted to see if you had really inherited sorandmother’s talent It’s obvious you did I particularly like the dolphin you whittled in rosewood It’s marvelous really, so fluid you can alh also told h that I read her in the Washington Post every Sunday Her political cartoon featuring No Wrinkles Re and shaking my head Both of you are quite accoent Sherlock, Mr Raleigh told me you’re an accomplished pianist"

Sherlock shook her head "Not so h Now I tend to cruise the keys for pleasure"

"I would enjoy hearing you play Come have a cold drink and you can tell me what I can do for you Sorry it’s so hot in here, but it’ll cool down quickly with the welder shut off I’ll turn off a couple of fans so we can hear each other without shouting"

Marsia turned off two of the four fans Sherlock said, "Yes, that’s better You have quite a setup here, Ms Gay All those bins--so many different metals"

"Yes, most of it scrap metal Sometimes I think the folk who sell scrap h dump sites, carry away tossed-out washers, TVs, toasters, whatever--and strip them down for scrap metal to sell Co on an old love seat beneath one of the large s, glasses of water in their hands Marsia on the floor facing them, her knees drawn up to her chin

Sherlock said, "Ms Gay, how long after you met Rob Rasmussen did you realize who he was? Or did you find out who he was and that’s why you hired him?"

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Marsia’s head snapped back "You coent Sherlock? Let randmother is the Venus Ras hirandmother for the first time in ten years Then he told me his history, the severed relationships with his farandain at nearly the same time A quite wonderful story, really As you know, I rand old lady I’ve got to say she has quite a flare I loved her Dior suit"

Savich said, "When Rob told you about her, you kneho she was?"

"Of course I kneho she was I’m not deaf or blind I occasionally watch the news, read the paper The woh, is that so up there, maybe another five years at most before she passes the reins to one in her faroo the bus for more than just another five years I think she’ll knohen it’s time to hand over the reins"

"That’s what Rob says You know, if it is Alexander who is trying to poison his grandmother, I can’t see what his er until she stepped down Why would he care soabout the family as if I’ht her legs into the lotus position "All of theood impression You were there to observe, weren’t you? To see how everyone reacted to the black sheep--naain Savich remembered Rob and Delsey Freestone when they’d first seen each other the day before, by the elevator at the Hoover Building Instant chemistry Maybe Rob wouldn’t folloith Delsey Maybe he was in love with Marsia; maybe he was loyal Savich wanted to believe it But from the look on Delsey’s face, and Rob’s, they seeht into the fire