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From the top shelf, I took down a small box It was an old, plastic Macy’s jewelry box that enerous a fairy with elaborately swirling butterfly wings I smiled at it It was just a few strokes, but Maeve had been an artist, in addition to so s

I handed it to Mary Catherine, who held it open as I placed the tiny tooth on the little white silk pillow inside it

“Make sure she sees it before she puts it under her pillow,” I said “And don’t try to do the switcheroo until after ht You knohat an unbelievable skeptic that kid is!”

“Aye, aye, Detective Tooth Fairy,” Mary Catherine said, laughing as she looked at me

Our eyes otten closer and closer after she’d beco, we’d gotten into a huge fight, and that had s pretty tense In fact, ever since we’d landed in California, she’d been all business, had kept things strictly professional

But for a second, as we stood there, looking at each other over the jewelry box, ere suddenly back the e used to be It felt good Better than good Like suddenly finding soht you’d lost forever

“You know,” I said, staring at her, “I don’t have to go, Mary Catherine I really don’t”

“Oh, yes, you do, Michael Bennett,” Mary Catherine said, closing the jewelry box shut with a loud snap before leaving the room

PART

TWO

BACK IN THE SADDLE

CHAPTER 30

TWO US MARSHALS SHOWED up at the farmhouse less than two hours after I called Ereement to join the hunt for Perrine

I’d met some marshals, since the US Marshals Service was the branch of the Justice Depart teaents Leo Piccini and Martha McCarthy, was new to me They must have had orders to step on it, because after Martha dropped ht and duffel into the trunk of the Crown Vic, Leo dropped the hammer

The best news of all was that after I caughtback to the ranch to guardextra-special, round-the-clock protection while I was gone Their safety was parauys ca ever happened to them while I ay, I didn’t knohat I would do