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For the time being.Let things cool down.
And this is really what Avery wants?
At that, Williams turns away from me, shielding his eyes and his thoughts
from my scrutiny. Finally, he says softly,  Avery has developed a soft spot
for you. He isn't thinking too clearly right now. He needs a cooler head to
prevail, which is why he had you contact me. He knew I could be impersonal
about this situation where he cannot."
"So, he doesn't want me to leave?"
Williams doesn't answer.
It rankles, but I don't see that I have any option except to go along with
him, at least for now.  Do you have any way to get a message to theRevengers
?"
Williamslooks at me, eyebrow raised.  Why?"
"Because I'm willing to do as you request, but only after David is released
unharmed."
His eyes narrow.  Do you mean that?"
"Does that mean you can get a message to them?"
"If I answer that, in a court of law, it would be an admission that I know
who they are. I'm not saying that I do."
Spoken like a damned lawyer. I snap,  How badly do you want me gone?"
Williams shifts away from the balcony, crossing into the living room. At the
door, he pauses. He doesn't look around, but his voice floats back across the
quiet room.  I'll see what I can do. I'll call you at Avery's tonight."
I wait until the door is closed behind him to let my mind open. I don't trust
him. And my instincts tell me that as crazy as it sounds, he not only knows
about theRevengers , he may very well be one of them.Which makes me wonder why
Avery trusts him so much.
If he does.
But Avery is the one who suggested I contact Chief Williams.
My stomach churns with impatience. It doesn't make sense. Why would Avery do
that? He doesn't act like he wants me gone, either, which is what Williams
implied. And if theRevengers have David, why not just contact me and offer to
make the switch my life for David's?
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What in hell is going on?
Chapter Twenty-Six
Ihave no intention of sitting idly by, whiling away the hours until Williams
gets back to me.But what to do? My first impulse is to call Avery, tell him
everything that happened and see how he reacts.
But he is a doctor and there are patients who depend on him.
Reluctantly, I decide to drive out toMissionBeach and see what progress has
been made on the investigation into the arson. I say reluctantly because I'm
not sure I'm up to facing the devastation again. But it beats sitting alone at
the condo or at Avery's wallowing in my fear. It's not much, but it gets me
moving.
There's yellow police tape all around the property. There is a notice posted
against the gate advising that this is a crime scene and to keep out. And yet,
there are two teenage boys poking around the debris. I literally have to take
a deep breath, no easy trick for a vampire, to calm myself before I approach
them.
"Mind telling me what you guys are doing?"
The taller of the two turns to face me. He has a silver frame in his hands,
what's left of a picture of my grandmother.  What's it to you? he demands,
puffing his chest like a preening pigeon.
I snatch the frame out of his hand and quick as lightning, back him into the
fence. His face flashes a warning, but I'm quicker. I grab the fist he's aimed
at my head and force it back to his side, squeezing his fingers together until
he yelps in pain.
I wave the picture at him.  This is my property. I want you and your little
friend off of it."
His  friend joins us now, as full of himself as his partner was before I put
the hurt on him. With no conscious effort on my part, I drop the frame, reach
back, and jerk him into the fence, too. I've got both of them, squirming like
toads and hurling invectives at me with a fervor I haven't heard since I
taught high school. It makes me smile.
"Is there a problem here, ma'am?"
A cop on a bike with the face of an angel.
Who says there's never a cop around when you want one? I shove both boys out
the gate.  Found these guys disturbing the crime scene. Since it used to be my
home, I took umbrage."
The cop says a few words into the radio at his collar. Then heslip cuffs from
his belt and locks the two kids around the fence post.  I'll take it from
here. I've just called for a car. Are you all right?" [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]