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Her mouth thinned into a sad line, and she said reluctantly, "Luther doesn’t know this, but I’ht be Her skin had a yellowish, unhealthy tint as did her nails with the exception of the white lines spanning them in horizontal rows But I wasn’t sure why that would conjure the guilt I’d been picking up on "I’m sorry, but--"

She shook her head "No, Luther doesn’t know for a reason When our mother died…" She stopped to touch a tissue to her eyes before planting her gaze back ontime, and when she passed…"

After aher to continue

She turned it over and laced her fingers into ratefully, then leaned into me and whispered, "He tried to kill himself"

To say I was shocked would be an understatehest form My jaw dropped before I could catch it, and Monica saw

"I know We were all surprised He just took her death so hard"

I glanced once again toward the bathroo help?"

"Yes Well, he was He’s doing so lad May I ask what you have?"

"You can ask all you want," she said, a sad s across her face "The doctors don’t know I’ve been diagnosed with everything froue syndro ever pans out I just keep getting sicker and nobody knohy"

Luther was headed back toward us when I asked onesick uilty about Teresa’s disappearance?"

She pressed her ain "The insurance There was a clinic in Sweden Teresa was looking into, lots of breakthroughs I think she took out the insurance for o to Sweden" As Luther neared, she leaned into ave her hand a quick squeeze before we broke apart As Luther sat back down, h the front door, and I had to hustle to putsmile "These are my clients, Monica and Luther"

"Nice to h, but his innards were not the happy caruntled bear who tried to eat the happy camper only to find the happy camper was a chaiven any thought to e talked about earlier?"

"Do elephants glow in the dark?"

"You can take off your glasses," he said, a look of disappoint his weathered face "Your uncle Bob already told asped "Uncle Bob ratted me out?"

"I’d like to talk to you later, if you have a lasses still onface, "but I can try to come down in a bit"

"I’d appreciate that I’ll leave you to your business" He nodded to Luther and Monica, then strode away to his office

After questioning the Deans a little while longer, I said good-bye and took the stairs up to the office two at a time, excited to share the latest with Cookie Was this an insurance scam? Surely Dr Yost found out about the policy his wife took out Maybe he saw it as an opportunity I needed his financial records But for that I needed a subpoena No, I needed Agent Carson

I started across the balcony that looked down into the bar My office was just past the elaborate iron elevator, but the little girl with the knife stood blocking the way I stepped around her and inside et you some coffee," Cookie said really loudly She rushed into my office where the coffeepot was and waved at me, her eyes wide