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"It’s all right," Jack told her, leaning forward

"But you have two serious homicides--and I’m sure there are more cri at Jack through the rearview ned especially to these two cases" He shrugged "There’s really not nearly sopusher kills a middleman on’t pay up, or when a husband freaks out and shoots his wife for shrinking his favorite bowling shirt in the dryer We have a number of ho up our ti, Jack leaned his chin on the seat as he spoke to Maggie who turned around to s to say is that we really haven’t any viable clues, and so weyou We’ve a lot of stuff out at labs, but nothing back in fro as is humanly possible, and it’s Saturday, and we’ve both put in alave us both titular pro overtime, so hey, this was an okay way to spend the afternoon And you knohat?"

"No, what?" Maggie asked hi

"I invitedto co with me"

"Is she? Great She didn’t tell me"

Seanhome with me now?" he asked

She hesitated, then shook her head "Hot day I think I’ll shower and wear jeans tonight--bugs like barbecues, too"

Sean shrugged "As you wish"

He left her in front of her shop, watching as she waved, then went in to talk to Geer woman a report on her friend Ge up the coffee pot and cups It seeive her a hand in closing

"What are you waiting for, what do you think we’ll see?" Jack asked

Sean shook his head "I don’t know I don’t know anything at all that’s going on, but"

"But what? One of those ‘gut’ things?" Jack asked

"Yeah," Sean said quietly "Yeah" He put the car back into gear

Gut reaction Jack had been right He was actually doing the only thing he could do as a good cop He was spending as ohtful Jack had indeed invited both hiht, Sean must have decided that he should take it a step further and ht before The incredibly tall, black, and handso with Cissy Spillane It was coie wondered if it was comfortable for Sean to have two extra police officers on hand

Sean’s father, Daniel, was nearly as tall, broad-shouldered, and striking as his son His hair was just dusting with dignified gray; the creases at the corners of his eyes added a depth of character He’d invited a friend as well, Anne-Marie Huntington She was perhaps fifty or fifty-five--a one-tied to a soft platinuht down her back She was dressed in a soft, flowered, ankle-length gown in a flowing material, and was slim and pretty She seemed exceptionally at peace with herself, a pleasant quality

They talked while Cissy and Angie took a walk down by the river and the ie learned that Daniel’s lady was a librarian, and that she had a love for both the classics and ine that an acade well indeed with the serene librarian

"Iacross a picnic table from her on the back lawn of Oakville, "I jumped at the chance to hts with Daniel as it is, but " She paused, shrugging ruefully and sipping her wine cooler "Well, we do have a great deal of literature on your faie lifted her hands, s in return She was puzzled, and just a bit uneasy wondering what literature the library ht in the French Quarter," Maggie reminded her "You could have cohed softly "Oh, dear, no! I couldn’t do such a thing I’m from an old Southern faht to do anything so rude as to walk in anywhere and introduce myself--for the sake of my curiosity"

"Well, we’ve been introduced And please, you’re welcoot design sketches that are decades old, fashion hteen hundreds

"

Daniel Canady slid onto the wooden bench alongside Anne-Marie "I hope I’m included in that invitation"

"Naturally"