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Anyone who knows me will tell you that I cherish my unmarried state I’m female, twice divorced, no kids, and no close family ties I’m a private detective by trade Usu-ally I’m perfectly content to do what I do There are ti hours on a case and times when I’m on the road and times when I hole up in my tiny apartment and read books for days When the holidays come around, however, I find that J have to exercise a certain cunning lest the absence of loved ones generate unruly depression Thanksgiving had been a breeze I spent the day with Henry and sohed and told tales about days long past, e instead oftown, and even Rosie, who runs the dingy neighborhood tavern where I often eat, was closing down until January 2, refusing to tell a soul what she arian, short, top-heavy, bossy, and often rude, so it wasn’t as though I orried I’dheart-to-heart chats The fact that she was closing her eatery was simply one more uncomfortable reminder that I was out there in the world all by myself and had best find a way to look after lanced at ht as well head on horabbedup when Darcy Pascoe, the receptionist from the insurance company next door, popped her head in I had worked for California Fidelity full tiful death claie a certain nue for don office space I couldn’t otherwise afford

"Oh,I’ive you this"

She handed lanced at auto asked to do a fire-scene inspection, the first in months

"Mac did?" Mac is the CF vice-president I couldn’t i routine paperwork

"Well, actually, Mac gave it to Andy and Andy said I should give it to you"

There was a memo attached to the file cover, dated three days before and ht my look and her cheeks tinted faintly

"It was stuck under a big pile of stuff on otten it to you sooner," she said Darcy’s in her late twenties and so the file on top of so in theet to that today? I know he’s anxious to get somebody out there Jeas supposed to handle it, but she’s taking teeks off, so Mac said maybe you could do it instead"

"What’s the claiate You probably heard it on the news"

I shook my head "I’ve been down in LA "

"Well, the newspaper clippings are in there, too I guess they want someone out there superquick"

I was annoyed at the pressure, but I opened the ain and checked the property-loss notice, which was posted on top "Wood/Warren?" I said

"You know the coh school with the youngest girl We were in the same homeroom"

She looked relieved, as if I’d just solved a problereat I’ll tell Mac et out there this afternoon"

"Darcy, would you knock that off? I’ve got to take somebody to the airport," I said "Trust me I’ll make an appointment for the earliest possible moment"

"Oh Well, I’llcare of it," she said "I have to get back to the phones Let me knohen you have the report and I’ll come pick it up"

"Terrific," I said She h because she excused herself and disappeared in haste

As soon as she left, just to get it over with, I put a call through to Wood/Warren and arranged to meet with the co, Christmas Eve day

Meanwhile, as it was 3:45, I tucked the file in , locked up, and headed down the back stairs to the lot whereour little pre-Christhton novel and I gave him a periwin-kle-blue mohair muffler, which I had crocheted myself-a little-known talent of mine We sat in his kitchen and ate half a pan of his ho crystal flutes I’d given him the year before