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I headed up the front steps wondering how I could find Belinda Contague
without seeming to find her, before I weaseled out of my troubles with Crask
and Sadler.
Where have you been? Dean demanded before the door opened wide enough to
admit me.
What are you, my mother? You think its any of your business, you drop in
while I m explaining to His Nibs. I could maybe drop a few housekeeping hints
while I was at that. Anything to get a little cleaning done in there without
having to do it myself.
Dean read me like a book. He was old and slow but far from senile. He
harrumphed, headed for the kitchen, but halted as he came abreast of my office
doorway.
I nearly forgot. You have a guest. In the small front room.
Oh? A new cat, big enough to rip my leg off? Or Barking Dog on a midnight
mission? . . . No. Amato would be across the way swapping insanities with the
DeadMan. Evangelists?
Only one way to find out.
I opened the door.
Time passed. I finally came around when the woman cracked, you like what you
see? Or are you just a mouth breather?
Sorry. You weren t what I was expecting.
Then put your eyes back in their sockets, Jocko. Why surprised?
Your father just drafted me to find you, Belinda. In his usual smooth talking
way, he offered me the job without giving me any chance to turn him down.
That shut her up. She stared.
His driver just now dropped me off. I stared back. I liked what I saw. She
didn t hurt the eyes at all. She still preferred black. She still looked good
in black. You look marvelous in black. Not many women wear it so well. She
would look good in or out of anything. She had what it took, though I got the
impression she was used to hiding it.
For the moment the cat had her tongue.
I wondered where Dean had the beast hidden.
Belinda didn t match the victim profile tonight. Her hair was short, black as
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a raven s wing, made more remarkable by the pallor of her skin and the
brightness of her lip rouge. I wondered if the pale skin was a family look, if
she would resemble her father in a few years. She looked pretty much the way
she had at Morley s place and not much the way she had at Hullars. At Hullars,
probably wearing a wig, shed fit the profile perfectly.
They re a protean breed, women. Oh, I love them, I do, I do, however they
disguise themselves.
Belinda rose like she meant to make a run for it. My father? My father is&
Your father is in less than total control of his faculties. His lieutenants
who hijacked me and dragged me out to the estate made a big show of it being
his idea. Oh. Excuse me. I m Garrett. Dean said you wanted to see me. I m
glad, too. I ve wanted to meet you since that night at the Joy House.
She looked puzzled. The Joy House? She edged sideways. She d changed her mind
about wanting to see me.
Weeks back. In the Safety Zone? You ran in and stole my heart. Then some
brunos tried to steal you. Remember? Big black coach. Old boy with green eyes
and butterflies on his breath? Your basic every night weird kidnapping upset
when the gallant knight of the streets rescued the distressed damsel?
You ve been dieting. You were four inches taller and sixty pounds heavier
then.
Ha. Ha. That was Saucerhead. He used to be my buddy. He helped me a little.
My heart was broken when you didn t stick around long enough to say thanks.
Thanks, Garrett. You re blocking the doorway.
No shit? You re quick. I told Saucerhead you d be quick. I told everyone
you d be sharp. Is that a problem? Me not moving? I thought you wanted to see
me.
That was before you told me you work for the ugly twins.
Did I say that? I didn t say that. I couldn t have said that. I have a long
standing reputation for refusing to work for them or your father though I
might let one or the other labor under the misapprehension. I tried my famous
boyish grin, guaranteed to set any girls little heart going pitty pat.
Stow the bullshit, Garrett. Let me out of here.
I don t think so.
You re not dragging me off to the uglies.
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