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"Did he pause then? For the other person to answer him?"

"Yes, I believe he did Then he sort of nodded into the phone, didn’t say anythingthere, he shrugged ‘Nothing to worry about It’s done,’ that’s what he said I suppose he wanted to cut off any questions from me, and it did In many ways, Steas a very private o, you knew that, and in the intervening years before wealone, to keeping his own counsel That isn’t a good thing, Detective People shouldn’t be alone

"Get married, Detective It’s healthy to have another person in your life, so" And she burst into tears

Ben didn’t knohat to do

CHAPTER 12

CLOSE TO a minute later, Ben still didn’t knohat to do He said finally, "I’ to catch the monster who killed hi to me You reme me about Justice Wallace"

She wiped her eyes, tried a smile "It can have no possible relevance to any of this, but you appear to want to know about all the skeletons in the closet"

"Yes, ma’am"

When he came out into the entry hall a few minutes later, he nodded to the four woaret Califano Callie was standing in the hall, looking ready to leap at his throat He splayed his fingers in front of hi roo to arrest any of those five killers?"

"Not your mom We’ll see about the other four ladies Hey, that was pretty funny, Callie"

Federal Marshal Dennis Morgan caught a laugh, turning it quickly into a cough behind his hand

"Yeah, right You ready?" She was nearly dancing fro so badly to leave He nodded toward the living room "I’ll tell you, Callie, all of the Do you think I should go back in there and grill each one of theo"

He nodded to the federalwhat e, but believe me, she looks like she lives on a different planet She’s cushy, her hair is always frazzled, and she has the biggest smile east of the Mississippi"

She punched hi as your mom’s I’ve known them all my life So they’re not cushy That just means that they take care of the part in looking good Hey, et your mom to work out, she’ll be healthier for it"

He took her arm when one of her boots went out fro on a treadht about it, she and his dad had begun walking together in the evenings, quite a lot, in fact He said, "Careful, this drive isn’t for wusses"

"I wish I could have been at youryesterday afternoon"

"A reporter in the Hoover Building? Are you nuts? They would have locked you in a detention cell if you’dMatron Bubba, and she’d have strip-searched you and taken the fillings out of your teeth The good Lord knoould have happened to you then"

She couldn’t hold back the laugh, but sobered immediately She pulled her hat down over her ears because the te "I’ll just bet there were hardly any wo there preening, believing it’s up to you to solve all the world’s proble sexist, Ms Markhah he was tempted to let her slide around on the driveway on her own "Maybe if I don’t support you, you’ll go right down on your butt Of course, the s, he found hi at her butt, realized hers was an excellent butt, and looked away quickly

But she saw it in his eyes and arched an eyebrow "I believe that’s approval I see Well, now, let ot a very fine butt, too, Detective Raven When I don’t want to kick it, I ads, let h to be included in the ?"