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"Thank you I’m on my way Give me one second"

Jane left the door open and went back for her purse and bag; she hesitated and dashed into the bathrooe

There was

HELP PLEASE HELP US

As he drove to the station, Sloan was ser had noticed until she asked, "What’s so alad of the dark glasses that hid his eyes

"Oh, nothing"

"You’re grinning from ear to ear," Jane said

"I’ravation "Co It’s only fair!"

"First I should tell you I’m not rude or hed "Okay, I believe you But now I know there’s a really politically incorrect thought running through your head, so you have to tellNot what I figured you’d, u a Krewe member and all" His voice trailed off

"Pardon?"

"Never mind!"

"No! Tell me!"

"You make me think of a TV show Like those crime shohere the entle things to her corpses You know, like, ‘You poor, poor baby, what did they do to you?’ Or a crime shohere the detectives are dressed by Versace or soner"

She stared at him as if she were about to explode

"I didn’t ent Everett It was a compliment," he insisted "You’re just--I mean, you azed at the road ahead, a slight s on her lips "Well, that part of your state, so thank you But I don’t whisper sweet nothings to corpses," she assured him "And I only wish I had a wardrobe by Versace"

He winced "I’uess, even if we know better--and I do--we all expect a forensic artist to be an old man like Dr Bunsen Honeydew fro ent Everett, you look very nice today"

Her smile still teased at her lips as she turned to him "Hmm Does that mean I looked like hell yesterday?"

"No I justhey, sorry I told you! I shouldn’t have said anything"

Her sht I prefer to avoid stereotypes--as an artist and a law enforcement officer But you"

"Me?"

"Yeah, Sheriff You Spenddown Main Street for a quick-draw contest with a bad guy?"

"What?"

"Well, you know, you look the part Rugged Western hero Gunslinger Tough guy"

He grinned "So I’m a stereotype?"

"Oh, you definitely could be Butare you?"

He didn’t have to answer; they’d arrived at the sheriff’s office But even as he exited the car, Deputy Chet Morgan ca out of the office "Heidi Murphy just called, and she sounded pretty hysterical She took a group out on a trail ride and they found a body"

"A body? Did she call 9-1-1 for an ambulance?" Sloan asked quickly

"She did, and an ambulance is on its way out But Heidi was insistent that there’s no need Says the corpse is practicallyto head out there"

"I’ll take it, Chet Why don’t you hold down the fort with Betty and Agent Everett," Sloan told hi up all over the place?

"I’d like to ride with you on this, if you don’t lasses and her perfect face was stoic Sloan thought of the dreaht before

"It’s better if you stay here, get your work done"

She didn’t have an arguent on loan, and a body in the desert was his territory He’d be calling in the county coroner, and if someone had been killed recently, the state police would probably come in on it, too Butshe was a fed

"Please I understand But I’d really like to ride along on this," she said

He wished she hadn’t been so polite, that the tone of her voice hadn’t shown her complete respect for her position--and his

The dreaht on by the fact that he’d been back ho a woman who really appealed to him So, just because he was afraid for her, and because he was so attracted to her, he was about to be a jerk

He checked himself "Sure If you wish Chet, where are they?"

"They’re by that replica Apache village She orking with a second guide, Terence McCloud, and she’s having hi for you And I’ll warn you--she’s freaking out She didn’t want to hang out by a corpse"