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The second call was to Detective Diane Yuen of the Nineteenth Precinct Burglary Squad

“Diane?” She was relieved as hell when her friend answered the phone “You wanted me to keep you up-to-date Well, I’ent And I need your help”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Sloane rested her head on Derek’s shoulder

It wasroo rhyth the war

With a contented sigh, Sloane tucked her legs under her, curling up on the sofa She reached for her glass of , draining day

“Tired?” Derek murmured into her hair

“From the insanity of the day, or the three hours we just spent in bed?”

His chuckle brushed her ear “Take your pick”

“Bonelessly, wonderfully tired from the latter Wiped out from the former”

“Good answer” He coh her still-daether, and were norapped in terry-cloth robes “This whole thing is cout tells me it’s about to blast wide open”

“Mine, too What I worry about is who’s going to get caught in the cross fire, and how bad the dae will be” Sloane took another sip of wine, then placed her goblet on the coffee-table coaster “I keep asking ency on Liu’s part? Why everything at once? He’s wiping out his enemies in one frenetic, si the Black Eagles to pull off b

ig-profit, high-visibility art thefts Why take the risk?”

“Good question I’ Liu’s smart He always keeps a low profile He always acts with meticulous care And he always keeps a major trump card hidden away—just in case None of that see to keep his naot to be a reason I’ve got my feelers out I’ll find out what that reason is”

Sloane nodded “Liu’s done his worst with all the e on him, and he has been for two and a half years First, he had Xiao kill Sophie Then, he framed one of Wallace’s dearest friends for the crime Next, he stayed in Wallace’s life as a supposed business colleague helping hiht in his niece—a Meili look-alike—to e up to sorand finale But what? And hoe stop hi, and Liu’s influence runs deep and wide”