Page 8 (1/2)

“You’re having a lot of those lately ”

She couldn’t tell if there was a hint of accusation in his voice or just a simple honesty “You knointer is like ”

“And spring And summer ”

There was her answer: accusation Even last year she would have asked hi with theray irls But lately that kind of intimacy felt impossible She wasn’t quite sure how it had happened, or when, but distance see everything “Yeah, I guess ”

“I’ for the jacket he’d draped over the back of the chair

“Now?”

“Why not?”

She wondered if it was really a question Did he want her to stop hiive him a reason to stay, or did he want to leave? She wasn’t sure, and really, she didn’t care right now It would be nice to take a hot bath and have a glass of wine and not have to try to think of what to say over dinner Even better not to have to cook dinner at all “No reason ”

“Yeah,” he said, kissing her on the cheek “Th at’s what I thought ”

Two

It had taken teeks hiking through the jungle to find the kill

Bugs had alerted them; and the smell of death

Nina stood beside the guide who had led her here For a terrible instant, she experienced it all: the flies buzzing in the clearing, the ots that turned the bloody carcass alle that

Then she began to corapher She pulled out her light meter and ran a quick check When that was done, she chose one of the three ca from around her neck and focused on the ruined, bloodied body of the orilla

Click