Page 10 (1/2)

Why dig during the day? Why not wait until night? The noise, perhaps? The lights? Unusual activity could draanted attention faster than if Mr V just happened to be doing renovations But why not use the vacant building to tunnel in froe? Maybe what they were after was closer to Mr V’s shop? That , they could go anywhere they wanted Then again, why tunnel? Why not just break in?

None of the situation etting Mr V safely back to his fae --

I stopped at the entrance to the café and considered theout of hi to be afraid for your life, but could Mr V’s entire faes, too?

I had to report ot Mr V killed? Or worse, his entire fa to the rescue with lights flashing and guns blazing was not the answer Sadly, I didn’t knoas

A blast of arctic air urged entle roar of a full house, and aze instantly shot to Reyes His back was tosince I couldn’t think clearly when I looked at his face Or his shoulders Or his thick, unkeaveit in Sweet Mr V and his lovely fah up in the law enforcement food chain, like a detective or even the police chief I’d gotten to know a couple of the cops, but again, the situation deloves, and the cops I’d met so far did not inspire that kind of confidence

But that brought o to? I saw these Middle Eastern guys and got a bad feeling? Racist lanced at Garrett as I walked by and considered asking hih I wasn’t sure what There was Mr Pettigreell He was a forain, ould I tell him? And howin his innards?

I spotted Cookie looking at e s one I slowed as she walked towardwet one on me Instead, she planted one on her husband, which ht behindhiainst X-rated PDA?

Robert, or Bobert as I liked to call hi, full-mustached smile He seemed to likeme over for dinner or to aBut once I got to know therateful for it They were a grounding force in ravitational life A cord that kept ?"

"Little to the left You?"

He pulledme in his arms It felt wonderful despite our conversation about the trajectory of his ht have seen that as aard

I had a thing for aard

"Same," I said when he released me "Your wife tried to service another custolanced at Cookie, his expression sympathetic Her cheeks flushed a soft pink They’d only been married a couple of months and were the cutest needs on the planet I was certain of it Especially Bobert To be so old, so elderly and decrepit, practically on his last legs, to find love where he least expected it, at a rave in the Mohave At least that hat Cookie told h If she lied abouther future husband at a rave, she had to believe that the truth would sound worse The truth must have sucked They probably met at a strip club Or a human sacrifice Or a tractor pull

Bobert took a table near the drinks station, while Cookie and I decided to do ere paid to do Weird how that was expected of us