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"Sure No probleot a stash any-where within six blocks of here, I’ll call the cops"

"I’m clean I told you that You can look for yourself

"Skip it " I said I knew hih to knoouldn’t bluff on that, because he kneell enough to know I’d have hiht him

14

I took a couple of Tylenols and slept like a stone-deep, dreaood spirits I was up at 6:00, ready to jog as usual There was no sign of Daniel parked at ainst the fence post and headed toward Cabana Boulevard

The run felt great The sky was a pearl gray streaked with pink To ainst the hard-packed sand, leaving snowy froth in its wake The wharf waspools that remained when the waves receded The sea seemed to shush the birds that shrieked overhead This was the last day of the year and I ran with a sense of optis I’d find a way to sort it all out: Lance, Mac’s suspicions about me, even Daniel’s sudden appearance on my doorstep I was alive and healthy, physically fit Rosie’s would open again on Monday Henry would be horeen dress Olive had given h as hoped I didoff as I headed ho theat home By then it was 7:00 -too early for phone calls I ate my cereal and read the LA Tiuitar sat in the corner in nored it for the most part

Darcy called at 7:35 froh search Andy ’s office was clean

"Shit," I said, "What about a typewriter? I was hoping we could get a match on the phony fire department report, but I didn’t find one at his apartment"

"Maybe he keeps it in the trunk of his car" "Oh, I like that I’ll see if I can find a way to check that out In thewill surface Andy ’s gotta be tied into this business somehow It would help a lot to knoho he knows at Wood/Warren Did you go through his Rolodex?"

"That won’t help He knows all those guys because that was his account He’s bound to have the nu else will coh to Lyda Case in Texas Her roommate said she was out of town, maybe in California, but she wasn’t sure I left et in touch with me if she called home

I called my pal at the credit bureau, but she was out until Monday I had the feeling the rest of the day was going to come down about the same way It was New Year’s Eve day As with Christ off at noon Olive called ether an im-promptu cocktail party "It’s mostly family and a few close friends Half the people I called already had plans Are you free? We’d love to have you, if you’re not already tied up" "Of course I’m not," I said "I’d love to coer, but in truth I was I didn’t want to spend this New Year’s Eve alone I orried Daniel ?"

"Actually I could use soave the housekeeper the weekend off, so I’ether by myself I can always use an extra set of hands"

"Well, I’m not a cook, but I can sure chop and stir

What time?"

"Four-thirty? I’ll be back from the supermarket by then Ash said she’d co about seven We’ll keep going till the food and alcohol give out"

"Great," I said "And the green dress will be okay?"

"It better be I’"

I put a call through to Lance I didn’t like initiating the contact with hih Case As soon as he was on the line, I told hihty "Lance?"

"I’hed heavily "Jesus, I don’t kno to deal with this What the hell is going on? I heard ru to do with his death It’s not true It’s co it Why would I do that? What could I possibly gain by killing hi the co He said he wanted to start a coave no-tice, but hell, Dad called hi talk Dad offered toraise and he was happy as a clam" "When was this?"