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I felt myself flush at the well-placed insult I drank the last ofher story about et much more out of her I decided to drop it for the moment, but it didn’t sit ithto his colance at my watch showed that it was just after eleven and I decided to try to catch Glen at hoot out I’m sure the haste of my departure wasn’t lost on her

There are tiin to break by sheer dint of dumb luck I don’t pretend to take credit for what happened next By the tiot to my little VW, I realized how chilly it was I hopped in and shut the door, locking it as isaround in my junky backseat for a sweatshirt I’d tossed back there

I’d just laidit out frolanced tobacked out of the driveway I did a quick surface dive, disappearing from vieasn’t sure if she knew one because she pulled straight off As soon as she did, I rolled into the driver’s seat, fu fora gli toward State Street

She couldn’t have had tiht have thrown a coat over her satin lounging outfit Who did she knoell enough to visit unannounced in a Jean Harlow getup at this hour of the night? I couldn’t wait to see

Chapter 20

In Santa Teresa, the rich are divided into two cliques: half live in Montebello, half in Horton Ravine Montebello is the old money, Horton Ravine, the new Both communities have acres of old trees, bridle paths, and country clubs requiring proper sponsorship and entrance fees of twenty-five grand Both coe fundamentalist churches, tacky yard ornaments, and door-to-door sales Sufi was headed for Horton Ravine

As she passed through the ates on Los Piratas, she slowed to thirtywhile dressed like a call girl on her way to a John I slowedback as far as I could I orried about having to pursue her alonginto one of the first driveways on the right The house was set back about a hundred yards, a one-story California "bungalow": maybe five bedrooms, four thousand square feet, not remarkable to look at, but expensive nevertheless The property was probably five acres all told, surrounded by an orna its length Exterior lights had coot out of the car in a blur of peach satin andtoward the front door, which opened and sed her up

I had passed the house by then I drove on as far as the first road on the right, where I did a turnaround, dousing hts as I drifted back I parkedsohts at all Across froolf course was visible and the narrow artificial lake that served as a water hazard Moonlight glilossy as a relove coby the road It was thick and wet, soaking s of my jeans

I reached the driveway There wasn’t any name on the mailbox, but I noted the numbers I could always stop by my office and check one about halfway up the drive when I heard a dog barking at the house I had no idea what kind it was, but it sounded big-one of those dogs that kno to bark froestive of sharp teeth and a bad attitude Furthermore, that sucker had picked up my scent and was anxious to make contact There was no way I could creep any closer without alerting the occupants of the house They were probably already wondering asTray wet himself with excitement For all I knew, they’d release hi down the driveway afterthe blacktop I’ve been chased by dogs before and it’s not that ot back in the car Corace in the private-eye trade I watched the house for an hour, but there was no sign of activity I was getting tired and this felt like a waste of tiear, not flipping on ain