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"You could probably get out of here, Pike There’s not going to be any photo shoot At least I’ one" Emerson turned on her heel and disappeared into her apart the door behind her

"Ah, Eular breath of vile air"

He leaned back against the wall, looking very Diesel-co the activity in Reginald’s apart in every inch of this man who should have been a calendar model

For every month of the year

I sed back the inappropriate desire to engage hiainst the wall across fro up the perfect post-suicide sentence when Pike hitched his shoulder at rowl and then the urge to crawl underaway fro up a reason to follow Pike when Eh that her patchouli scent wafted off her and stuck to rimaced, then immediately pasted on an appropriately deed "Hate to speak ill of the dead, but the coas obviously too scared to show his face after he stolewhisper "Are you kidding me? A man is dead, and you’re still focused on your fabric? God, even Pike," I said, jutting ain "A coinald than you do"

Enat-in-her-ear expression on her face "Pike is no stranger" She waved her hand in his general direction "He’s an ex"

I hoped to God that E out that the love ofout that he s around a lot Kind of can’t get the e"

I felt my mouth drop wide open By the pleased purse on Emerson’s lips, I could tell that she knew she’d hit a nerve She looked about to say so a Ziploc bag stuffed with hideous fabric

Emerson made a tiny puppy sound, then shovedthat? That is my fabric!" she yelled "I told you he stole it" She snatched the whole bag out of the officer’s gloved hand and gaped "It’s ruined!"

The officer snatched the bag back "It’s evidence"

"Evidence?" Emerson said "But it’s mine I need it for the co in front of Einald used that fabric to hang himself"

"Oh, h formy head toward Emerson, astonished "That’s what you’re worried about? Your stupid fabric?"

"We’re in a cootten?"

"We’re at the scene of a suicide!" Part of ive Emerson’s neck a little slash just to see what kind of demon she was But I could hear her breath, hear the blood puh her hu that someone still in possession of her soul could be so callous "A man is dead"

"Can you ask someone about the extra fabric?" she asked Pike

"I’rapher, but I can ask one of the cops" he said, though clearly uncomfortable as he stepped back

"I cannot believe you, E you for coinald is dead"

"And I’ly "But he was still a co to pop out ofto say That seeain

"And then there were two," she said before walking back toward her apart my head, still shocked, when I felt a hand on ray eyes of yet another police officer This one was short and stocky, with tree-trunk legs and a little leather notebook clutched in his baseball-mitt hands He used the tip of his Bic to scratch at his receding hairline "Are you the one who discovered the body?"

For some reason, my voice was stuck in my throat so I nodded, dumbly