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She took the phone and dialed There wasn’t any wait at all "Mom? It’s me, Sally I wondered if I could coht now Is that all right?"

Slowly, she pressed the off button She started to dial Scott’s nuhtly touched his hand to hers and shook his head "No, I think your ht," Dillon said "If she doesn’t, then we’ll talk to her alone We need to anyway We need to know exactly where she stands in all of this ht," Sally said and sed hard "The others will be there But know this--she was protectingher, but he didn’t He watched her blink back the tears and s until she had control again Sally had guts She also had him

He said, "Okay Let et this show on the road"

Thirty riffin-head knocker of the St John home

Noelle St John answered the door herself She earing a silk dress in a pale blue Her hair, blonder than Sally’s, isted up in a neat chignon She looked elegant, tense, and very pale She hesitated a hter Sally didn’t move Noelle St John looked as if she was ready to burst into tears She lowered her arether as if she couldn’t get theh, "Oh, Sally, you’ve corandparents called et this all straightened out" Then she saw Quinlan in the shadows

"You"

"Yes, ma’aoing on here?"

"Sorry--no me, then no Sally"

She looked fro her head She looked confused

"Noelle, it’s all right Let us in"

She was shaking her head, back and forth "But he’s FBI, Sally I don’t want him here He was here before with anotherfor you Why would you want him with you? It doesn’t make sense The last person you want around you is a cop He’s lied to you He’syou more confused"

"No, Noelle, I’randparents called ht behind you and you claimed you kneould be You said he was s You said the sa to me Why are you with hiht me I’m an amateur and he’s not And trust me, you want hihtly laid her fingertips on her ent James Quinlan I’m pleased you remember me"

"I wish I didn’t remember, sir," Noelle said She looked back over her shoulder Ja now that there was so room Scott Brainerd? Dr Beadermeyer? Or both of them? He sure as hell hoped both of them were "Both of us or neither of us," he said "It’s chilly out here Make up your ht, but I don’t knohy you’re with her You’ve no right, none at all Sally’s hter, she’s ill, the FBI can’t hold her since she’s mentally unstable, nor can the police She’sback to the sanitarium It’s the only way she can be protected"

"All that?" Ja amazed Noelle looked at him as if she’d like to smack his face "She doesn’t look unstable tobeaten with rubber hoses, even having her fingernails yanked out There’s not an unstable cell in Sally’s brain"

"She’s been very ill for the past six months," Noelle said, as she stood back

They walked past her into the foyer There were fresh flowers on the beautiful antique table with the large gildedover it There had always been fresh flowers in that hideous oriental vase, Sally thought, usually white and yellow chrysantheet this over with Then I’ll ain"