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"We thought you’d killed him," Scott said "He wasn’t even supposed to be at hoht He was supposed to be in New York, but he caun and you shot hihtened but thoughtful, her forehead furrowed "No, I reot here I tried the front door I didn’t expect it to be unlocked, but it was Just as I turned the knob, I heard a shot I ran into this room and there he was, on the floor, his chest covered with blood

"I re ferociously Then she pressed her knuckles against her forehead "It’s so vague, so fuzzy Those daave me--God, I could kill you for that"

Quinlan said, "He’s in sohihtly I want to see him spend all his money on lawyers Then I want to see him rot in prison for the rest of his miserable life Don’t worry about hiue, but it’s there What do you see?"

She was staring down at where his body had sprawled, arht palm up So much blood There had been so much blood Noelle had laid a new carpet But there’d been soer on, so

"There was someone else there," she said "Yes, there was soun?"

She said without hesitation, "It was on the floor He was bending down to pick it up when I cahtened up real fast and ran to the French doors"

She turned slowly and looked at the floor-to-ceiling s that gave onto a patio and yard There were high bushes and a fence between this house and the one next door

"You’re sure it was athe handle on the French doors He’s wearing gloves, black leather gloves"

"Did you see his face?"

"No, he--" Her voice froze She began to shake her head, back and forth, back and forth "No," she whispered, looking toward those French doors "It’s not possible, it’s just not possible"

"You see him now, Sally?" Quinlan’s voice was steady and unhurried