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We drove around for hours After we stopped for cat food and a bottle of water, that is By the ti, we’d lost Charles so ot to third base with Lucinda Baca And while his stories were riveting, I was tired and disappointed and worried I hadn’t felt anything I’d taken every single street in both Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown to no avail

I parked the car in Mable’s backyard, curled the cat into my arms, and walked around to the front of el said, and I snapped back to his story His state he’d lost

"I’el How did you die?"

A sad s story Maybe tomorrow?"

"Okay"

He stepped back, and I’d learned that when he did that, he was about to vanish I stopped hiht I don’t knohat I would have done"

"You would have been just fine You’re always fine"

"You clearly don’t knoell," I said, with a soft laugh

I let go of him, but before he disappeared, he leaned in and kissed ht before he vanished, he said, "I know you better than anyone"

A soft gasp pulled cold air over rab him, but I missed He’d said it with such confidence Did he know me? Did he knoho I was? If only I could so about hiain He was as sporadic as psoriasis

I turned to unlock lanced inside and spotted a light on in the bedrooht that I kneas not on when I left o

10

Signs you drink too much coffee:

You don’t sweat You percolate

--INTERNET MEME

After sleeping in Mable’s car – and longing for Denzel so looking like soed in, half eaten yet somehow still alive Sadly, I didn’t care I’d finally braved s’ cat – I’d named her based on her personality – and a two-by-four naone, but by the tio in, it was too late for me to take a shower Not that I’d actually slept in the car I was shivering and worried and my mind wouldn’t stop, not even for a few seconds If I couldn’t find Mr Vandenberg and his fao to the police They had protocols that would put the fa I could do about that I had high hopes that Bobert would be able to help hter aroundto death Also, Satana put out a lot of body heat

"Did Bobert find out anything?" I asked Cookie

She took one glance at me, then headed for the coffeepot I didn’t have the heart to tell her I’d already had quite a bit of the dark elixir When I couldn’t sleep, I’d driven to a local convenience store and bought coffee to keep warm Twelve times So I was pretty psyched about the day Other than the fact that I’d developed a tick in ood I would find the Vandenbergs and then go to the police

But the scent of freshly brewed java acted like one of those nets that pick up cars at junkyards It attached itself to my face and pulled me closer Unable to resist, I followed Cookie to the pot before peeling off the jacket, the warm one that smelled like Reyes, that felt like hi in as much of him as I could, I draped it over my arm and took the cup Cookie offered ain?" I asked her, noting the lovely brown splotches on her blouse

"Yes It hates me"

"I told you, it’s like an Uzi Short, controlled bursts Otherwise it gets fussy"

"I know I know Did you get any sleep at all last night?" she asked

"What makes you ask?" When she only lifted a pretty brow, I caved "No But I did get a lot of thinking done And I burned a lot of calories" Shivering did that