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“What the hell just happened back there?” Pandy asked,us And then you said Monica was dead…and all of a sudden they ild We could have been killed back there”

Pandy pressed the button on the stand The fact that water came out at all felt like a small miracle She drank thirstily

Directly ahead was the Hudson: a sparkling expanse of greenish brown On the other side were the gleah day for a large sailboat to beover the wake of the clanging Circle Line ferry, its passengers arranged like wooden toy people in the top Then one helicopter passed overhead, while another rose up fro forithits way down the Hudson

Pandy turned back to SondraBeth “It’s a good thing we’re really not killing Monica I don’t think either one of us could survive the bad news” She patted her face with Mother Teresa’s head scarf “Was that supposed to happen?”

“What?” SondraBeth asked, not looking up from the device

“That mayhem,” Pandy said as the helicopter flitted down to Chelsea Piers and then turned around, heading back in their direction

“I hope you’re calling Judy,” Pandy said anxiously, hurrying to SondraBeth’s side

“Judy knohere we are,” SondraBeth said distractedly “The phone has a tracking device”

“Then what are you doing?” Pandy demanded

“I’rinned wickedly as she read the headlines aloud: “‘Real-Life Monica Missing: Possibility of Foul Play’…‘Is Monica a Feminist?’…and wait for it…” She held up her hand “Here it is: ‘Monica Declared Dead!’”

She held the phone out to Pandy There was the classic shot of Monica striding over the skyline of Manhattan, but someone had cleverly drawn a coffin around her And for the first time in her life, Monica didn’t look so happy

“Ding-dong, the witch is dead! The wicked old witch The Monica witch,” SondraBeth sang out

Pandy frowned and handed the device back to SondraBeth “Do you have to be that happy about it?” she asked, sitting down to loosen the laces of the booties

“What do you mean?” SondraBeth asked

“I don’t know Monica is dead I sort of feel like we should be sadder”