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concentration

She had reached down for so there

He scrunched his face up

Her fingers touched the frame It was a photo

She picked it up, looked at it

Then she put it back down

But Puller had seen enough

He opened his eyes and swore under his breath

He hadn’t asked the obvious follow-up question because he didn’t think it was relevant and he was also trying to be tactful

Well, the hell with tactful now

“Knox? Knox!”

He rose, gripped her shoulder, and gently nudged her

“Hey, wake up I ”

She stirred on the bed, ht up and looked at him crossly

“What?”

He said, “Why would one woman know the history of another woman?”

She rubbed her face and then gave him an even crosser look “I don’t even understand the question”

He grabbed his laptop and sat next to her “Here are h them”

Knox yawned, stretched, and refocused She read down the page and scrolled to the next

“Okay,” she said “That is a little unusual I s, at least it seems to me, the woman did her own research I s that would come up in normal conversation, certainly not between tomen”

“She said my parents and she and her husband frequently socially interacted And that h their issues She spoke reverently about her”

“But she also said that your mother sort of floated above everyone else You could read that tays Jealousy being one of them”

“And there’s so else,” said Puller He showed her the news article

“Her husband committed suicide?” exclaimed Knox

“His body was found theafter ht that she vanished”

“You think they ht be connected?”

“I don’t know But I also don’t know they’re not connected”

“So this ht?”

“Let’s hope so, because I’m fresh out of leads and ideas”

This time Puller did not phone ahead

They arrived at eight o’clock in theon the woman’s doorstep

Lucy Bristoered the door in her bathrobe She didn’t look happy, but then neither did Puller

“What do you want?” she said brusquely

“Answers,” said Puller bluntly

“About what? I’ve told you all I know about your mother”

“Can we do this inside?” asked Knox

For a ht slam the door in their faces, but then she stepped back and motioned the some tea, would you like some?”

Puller declined, Knox accepted

Bristow poured out two cups and they sat at the kitchen table

“Nohat exactly is this about?”