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She picked up the phone and I told her as going on, including the business about Blackman in Bobby’s address book Of necessity, I told her asbusiness Hell, why not? This was no time to keep secrets She already knew that Nola and Bobby were lovers She ht as well understand what he had undertaken in Nolas behalf I even took the liberty of h I still wasn’t sure about that I suspected that she was a go-between, ferryingBobby, perhaps, when his passion clashed with his youthful impatience

She was quiet for a moment in the same way I had been "What happens now?"

"I’ll talk to Ho I know They can handle it after that"

"Be careful in the meantime," she said

"No sweat"

Chapter 26

There was still an hour and a half of daylight left when I reached the old countyspaces available, it was clear that one for the day Kelly had toldlot around the side that was used by the janitorial staff at night I didn’t see any reason to park that far away I pulled into a slot as close to the entrance as I could get, noting with interest that there was a bicycle chained to a rack just off to ed-up old Schith fat tires and a fake license plate wired onto the rear, reading "Alfie" Kelly had told enerally locked up by seven, but that I could buzz in and Alfie would buzz back to ad to pull a sweatshirt overas chilly, even ined, if I was there after sunset I locked my car and headed for the entrance

I paused at the double doors in front and pressed a bell tothe lock, and I went in The lobby was already accuuely of an abandoned train station in a futuristic ance: inlaid s, beautiful ork of buffed oak The few re fixtures must have been there since the twenties, when the place was built

I crossed the lobby, glancing idly at the wall directory as I passed Alht ain Leo Kleinert had an office out here, which I hadn’t realized before Had Bobby driven this far for weekly psychiatric sessions? Seemed a bit out of the way I went downstairs, footsteps scratching on the tile steps As before, I could feel the te, like a descent into the waters of a lake Down here, it was glooht rectangle in the gathering darkness of the hall I checked lass for form’s sake and then tried the knob It was unlocked I opened the door and peered in

"Hello?"

There was no one in evidence, but that had happened to me before when Dr Fraker and I had visited Maybe Alfie was in the refrigerated storage room where the bodies were kept