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"Check with Arturo in the !" Carlo told hi back up to us!"

"I’ll do that Thanks!" Grant called

He turned the car around on the little road and started back Looking in his rearview mirror, he was momentarily blinded It seemed that a swatch of black had settled over the sky

He pulled the car to a halt, stopped, got out, and looked back at the dig An eerie sensation he couldn’t fatho, he thought

He got back into the car, very anxious to return to the resort

Danielo rose, feeling the back of his head As he caht he was going to black out again

How strange!

He’d never had such an occurrence before in his life

What had happened?

All he re rooain his vision Then a sigh left him

Well, whatever he had done--struck his head? Inhaled too much fluid?--at least, it had happened when he had finished

A--he couldn’t re job he had done!

There was Maria Oh, she was so beautiful! Her hair curled around her shoulders, onto her breasts Her iven them a beautiful blue dress for her burial And herjob

She was truly so lovely He had succeeded well

She did look as if she slept As if any ht awake

Chapter 9

The rehearsal went so well, Stephanie was amazed

A lot of it had to do with the simplicity of their plan Arturo had been sent ahead of time to acquire the set and props Stephanie had requested, and by the ti was set

Giovanni had taken care of it all, Arturo told her She made a mental note to thank him, since she had seen very little of him since her first arrival It was al their wootten ill, she ive hie

Grant had come back early Stephanie had actually been nervous about seeing hi between theue into the day’s work after he explained to her that there was to be no digging that day He told her briefly that the area was still cordoned off

For the show, it was all the better

Lena was actually looking better as well She was still weak, but much better She made it out of bed to come and sit in the rear of the café with Arturo, and though she was naturally a bit suspicious of Liz at first, their newest player won Lena over as well, asking for her advice on character, and listening with an intense respect that seemed to please Lena

They were due to welcoht They finished by five, and decided it would be a good tih from the success of their work The place was filled with tourists--most of them American military men and members of their families, but some were Germans who had civilian jobs at the base In the restaurant, they were talking, laughing, eating, and drinking in very good huhter, and Stephanie realized that it was actually too easy to forget that a young girl had just died a savage death, and that the toas in

Arturo rushed by their table, just a little flustered for once Stephanie called hiuys?" she asked hiie… no I don’t think so, anyway I haven’t seen her," he said "Tonight, you’ll excusewith this kind of crowd," he said

"Certainly, do what you need to do!" Stephanie told hiie coroup?" Grant murmured

"Maybe she is here--ested

"And where would she be, then?" Suzette asked

"Could I have more of that Florentine steak?" Lena asked "My God, suddenly, I’m just ravenous And the meat… I wish it were just a bitall over the plate as it is!" Drew told her, passing her the lad to see that she was soh You’d think she’d want to see her opening night," Suzette said She looked around

"I haven’t actually met her, you know"

"None of us has," Drew said "I never even sent in a resumé--she pulled mine off the computer I received the offer by e-mail, and then my contract by Federal Express"