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"Where is that dairl? For what I pay her you’d think she could do what she’s supposed to Margarita!"

"Maybe she’s in her room"

"At this hour?"

His eyes snapped open A lish, and he could hear the from the bed, crossed to the door, worked the bolt No sooner had it slid ho the arita, evidently--at the top of her brassy voice

"Give it up," the man said "Ain’t nobody home"

A hand took hold of the doorknob, turned, pushed The bolt held

"She’s in there The lazy bitch is sleeping"

"Oh, coh the racket you’re "

"Then why’s the door locked?"

"Maybe she don’t want you ruh her underwear"

"As if," Portia said, and rattled the doorknob "This is so the door I don’t think you can lock it, except froh a little loop, but how can you do that from outside?"

"Maybe she’s in there with a boyfriend"

"My God,door or I’ll call the fucking INS on you" There was a pause, and then Keller heard the

"Hey," the wo, sport?"

"Ruh your underwear, Portsie"

"It’s distracting eneral idea"

"If she’s in there fucking some pint-sized cholo--"

"She’s not She was in there, all by herself, and she locked the door"

"So where is she now?"

"Out"

"Out? How’d she get out?"

"Through the keyhole"

"You’re terrible, baby"

"C’mon," he said "I need a drink, and so do you And that’s not all we need"

And Keller stood there while their footsteps receded

Once he’d had time to think about it, Keller realized he’d et and the bonus, all ready to walk right into the roo for them And what had he done? He’d locked the door, as if he were not a hired assassin but the tihtful if unlawful occupant

He was half asleep, and unprepared, and that’s why he’d been so quick to lock the door Alert and prepared, he’d have flung it open and yanked them inside, and in no tihborhood, and they’d be working their way toward room temperature

Now, because he hadn’t been clever enough to let the

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