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I scannedroom Papers and books cluttered the floor Drawers sat open in different states of undress Cabinet doors stood ajar, as though they’d been trying to fly

Armed and ready with coffee carafe in hand, I crept to each closet--I only had two in the whole place--and peeked in I would’ve hadthe point s strewn across the floor to le with underwear and shoes and hair scrunchies People azine mixed with The New Yorker A crystal chess set eBob SquarePants edition of Monopoly Utter chaos

Still, it wasn’t vandalism for the sake of vandalislance Cabinets and drawers had been scoured for infor inconsequential had been tossed aside, including ency stash of chocolate Clearly my intruder had no taste

My co had discovered Internet porn, so And that someone seemed a tad nervous

In a one Who would take a poor, defenseless mouse? I looked back at his wireless USB connector--he loved that connector--and let ranted far too often Then I picked up my phone and called a semi-friend, a cop na without reports, so I wanted them to have one on file

"I can stop by if you need ood idea who it was--is long gone" I gave Taft my statement over the phone

"So, have you seen my sister?" Taft’s sister had died when they were kids and had been following hi with Rocket’s little sister at the asylum"

I’d recently introduced the two girls, in a roundabout way, and they’d been inseparable ever since A good thing, ’cause it got her out of h he couldn’t see her and didn’t even know she’d existed until I told hi up a brave front "I’ over to the office real quick to check on things there, just in case I’ll call you back if anything’s askew"

"Alone?"

"I can dial a phone all byover alone? Maybe you should just call your dad and have hiirl at irl with a knife following me at the moment"

"TMI"

"And the bar’s open I doubt an intruder would go there with a dozen off-duty cops right below him"

"Okay Can I call your uncle to let hiout And he’s probably already snoring like a buzz saw I’ll call hied over to the office and took the outside stairs to the front entrance instead of cutting through the bar After a quick scan of the area toFat Liar was nowhere about, I unlocked the door and peeked inside Everything looked fine and dandy Whichleft to do but cleanh the tere a hairsbreadth away fro the sidewalk back to the Causeway, regret eating at olf cart, when I realized I had company I could feel soood look, a car slowed in the street behindI slowed uy was parked across the street, but I couldn’t tell if he ake or not Aould have been nice As I rounded the building and cut across the parking lot, the car eased to a stop next to lass as I took in the blue Nissan hatchback Theslid down, so I figured I’d give the driver a moment of my time It was probably too much to hope he just wanted directions

"Charley?" a woman said from the inside "Charley Davidson?" A head with curly brown hair leaned into the light, a supermodel smile on her face

"Yolanda?" I asked I hadn’t seen her since high school, and we’d never really been friends I took a ed a bit In high school, she wasout withtype thatout with losers, being a loser e your assistant left and tried your office, but you were already gone And then I saw you walk up the stairs and figured I’d just catch you here"

Two things struckmy office Or any office, for that matter Second, why not just call? Why drive all the way over at this hour? Her smile faltered for the barest instant, and a nuance of concern filtered its way towardHow have you been?" When her ar, aard considering the limited space we had "I’d invite you up to estured over reat Three kids, two dogs, and one husband" She laughed and I joined her She seeh

"Sounds busy I just wanted to ask you so on"

"Your assistant told aze did a quick perimeter check "Do you want to just hop in? We can talk in the car"

"Absolutely" I cast a quick glance over my shoulder Whoever was in the shadows looked on with interest I could feel it Maybe it was Garrett’s man No one seemed to be in the car parked across the way I headed around Yolanda’s Nissan as she unlocked the doors and raised herAfter I let ’s been okay?"

"Wonderful," she said, lowering the radio She had yet to turn off the car The heater was nice "You’re working on a case that involves Nathan Yost?"