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"Oh Kinsey, now look what he’s gone and done," she said and held her hand out She was sporting a big square-cut diaeous What’s the occasion?" I asked, heart sinking Surely, they weren’t engaged She was so wrong for hienuine

"Just celebrating the fact that we lance at her "What was it, a hty you," she said with a playful stamp of her little foot "I have half a ht back We met June twelfth It was Moza’s birthday and I’d just ave and you’ve spoiled me rotten ever since" She lowered her voice then to its most confidential pitch "Isn’t he awful?"

I don’t kno to talk to people this way, exchanging pointless banter I could feel o away "I think he’s great," I said, sounding soreat," she said in a flash "Why wouldn’t he be? He’s such an innocent, anyone can take advantage of hih I’d insulted hi away like crazy, but I still couldn’t guess as coer atthe air near irl I told Henry and I’ll say it right to your face, the rent you pay is a scandal and you know perfectly well you’ve been robbing hi her face toward mine "Now don’t you play dumb with me Two hundred dollars a month! My stars Do you knohat studio aparthborhood? Three hundred That’s a hundred dollars you take away froraceful It’s just a disgrace!"

"Oh now, Lila," Henry broke in He seemed nonplussed that she’d launched into this, but it was clearly soet into this now She’s on her way out"

"You can spare a fewlook at lanced at him "Have you been unhappy with me?" I felt the same sick combination of heat and cold that Chinese-food syndro hi before he could even open his mouth "Let’s not put Henry on the spot," she said "He thinks the world of you, which is why he hasn’t had the heart to speak up You’re the one I’d like to spank How could you take an old softie like Henry and twist hier that way? You should be ashae of Henry"

"But you already have How long have you been living here at that same ridiculous rent? A year? Fifteen months? Don’t tellthis place dirt-cheap! Because if you say that, I’ll have to call you a liar right to your face and embarrass us both"

I could feel my mouth open, but I couldn’t say a word

"We can talk about this later," Henryher around me, but her eyes were still fixed on e I turned and stared as heto protest in the saht Was the woan to thump and I realized I was damp with sweat I tiedinto a trot long before I’d had a chance to war distance between us

I did threemyself in Henry’s back shades were down and his ere shut The rear of his house looked blank and uninviting, like a beachfront park after closing time

I showered and threw so the pre in touch with soer too What business was it of hers anyway? And why hadn’t Henry leapt to my defense?

When I pushed into Rosie’s, it was late afternoon and there wasn’t a soul in sight The restaurant was glooarette smoke The TV set on the bar was turned off and the chairs were still upside down on the tabletops, like a troupe of acrobats doing tricks I crossed to the rear and opened the swinging door to the kitchen Rosie glanced up aton a tall wooden stool with a cleaver in her hand, chopping leeks She hated anyone intruding on her kitchen, probably because she violated health codes