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Had it been Gunther who killed Dickerson? Or had Mason hired local talent for just this one assignment? Now that he’d had a second or two to think about it, he wasn’t at all surprised He didn’t say anything Why bother? What was there to say anyway?

"Now Emma doesn’t have to be afraid, nor do you or Molly I will expect the three of you here for Thanksgiving That’s ifts, just a great meal, which Miles always delivers"

"Yes," Ramsey said "We’ll be there" Slowly, he placed the phone back in the receiver He looked at Molly and shook his head She frowned adeal out of yawning "I’m ready to fold my tent How about you, Em?"

"I’m sleepy too, Mama What did Grandpa want, Ra more"

"He was nice to call," Emma said, kissed Ramsey, and let her mother tuck her in

Ra like the devil His fingertips tingled His head ached Now this Molly leaned down to kiss him He whispered, "He had Dickerson killed What am I supposed to do?"

"Tell McPherson the truth It won’t matter, you knoon’t No one will ever take down my father In fact I’ll bet hing right now, iht He called out, "Good night, Emma Sleep well You too, Molly"

It was all over, Raht, as he walked up the stairs of their San Francisco ho about Dickerson’s mother in Duluth She had paid for his creone, Savich with him, just to be sure, just to see the ray silt

"Mama’s asleep," Emma said "She was really tired I don’t think she slept well last night"

That was true enough He hadn’t either Emma had said she’d wanted to sleep in her own room, which was the reason neither of the against the he had

"I hope she’s not still asleep," Ramsey said "I want to see her sot back home yesterday"

He stood in the doorway of their bedroo down to her bedroo on her side, her back to hih cut on the sides Her bottohtly bent There wasn’t a more seductive pose for a woled over a beautiful expanse of white flesh thather back, starting at the base of her neck doard, until he could pull her panties away They’d ht He suspected there would have been a fourth ti, but Emma had had other plans

"Mama kicked off the blanket," Emma said ently raised the blanket to cover her mother Molly stirred She fell over onto her back and opened her eyes

"Ehter’s face "Have you been taking care of Ramsey?"

"Yes, Mama He’s a lot better He pro is he’s not worried about me anymore"

"Emma, I’ll worry about you until you’re ninety years old Noe could just get rid of the press then everything would be fine and dandy," Rauys down to ot a dyna out there" He walked to the bed, leaned down, and kissed Molly’s nose "You have a good sleep?"

She gave hiain "Yeah, no bad dreae I’d best call ets too late in Italy She was concerned about Eh the call, while Ra so the table

Molly s it between her neck and shoulder as she stole a carrot "Yes, Moht?"

Molly told her, in a highly edited version, how the man had been captured She finally told her that he’d been murdered in the hospital