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Everything was slow and sweet after that Everything was right

Delsey fell asleep, her head on his shoulder, her palm on his belly They’d talk, but later, much later

43

MISSY’S COTTAGE

MALIBU

WEDNESDAY NIGHT

Cae of auditions frohlighted in red and dozens were redacted, h in black so she couldn’t read the her she needed those entries covered in black ink, otherwise how could she find the killer? So the screen, then fountaining down, sending ribbons of blood dripping over the purple keyboard She knew that was the key audition, the one that would give her the big clue, but she couldn’t read it now, there was soher she’d ruined it now The bloody page ainst the glass in the , but then she kneasn’t the paper, it was soet in

She jerked awake, her heart pounding, her breathing too fast, too hard She started to fling off the sheet and ju kicked in She lay still and listened She heard it again, soainst the bedrooht air and so in He could easily push theup and climb in To kill her? No, not me Missy He was here

The Serial was outside

Slowly, quietly, she reached over and pulled the knob on the bedside table drawer, eased it open She slipped her hand in, felt the co steel of her Glock Easy, easy--she lifted it out of the drawer She didn’t need to rack the slide, she kept a bullet in the chamber

She breathed low and quiet, completely focused, and eased off the side of the bed There was a quarter h theShe’d see him clearly if he crawled in She listened for the sound of theco, heard his sneakers thunk lightly outside theHe thought the rooles already on so when he sliced Missy’s throat he wouldn’t be blinded by her blood?

If Missy were alone in the cottage, sleeping in theUntil it was too late and she was about to die

The bastard She was ready

Come on, come on

But he didn’t cli into the room, and then he turned away

Cah theat the man’s chest "FBI You move and you’re dead"