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along her bottom lip; slowly to the left, right, left, and back into her mouth
again. Then she nodded. You must think I'm stupid, she said. And of course
that thought had crossed my mind fleetingly once or twice, but it didn't seem
politic to say so. But you got to remember, she went on, I'm a full
detective, and this isMiami . How do you think I got that, huh?
Your looks? I asked, giving her a dashing smile. It never hurts to
compliment a woman.
She showed me her lovely set of teeth, even brighter in the high crime lights
that lit up the parking area. That's good, she said, and she moved her lips
into a strange half smile that hollowed her cheeks and made her look old.
That's the kind of shit I used to fall for when I thought you liked me.
I do like you, Detective, I told her, perhaps a little too eagerly. She
didn't seem to hear me.
But then you push me on the floor like I'm some kind of pig, and I wonder
what's wrong with me? I got bad breath? And it hits me. It's not me. It's you.
There's something wrong about you.
Of course she was right, but it still hurt to hear her say so. I don't What
do you mean?
She shook her head again. SergeantDoakes wants to kill you and he doesn't
even know why. I should've listened to him. Something is wrong about you. And
you're connected to this hooker stuff some way.
Connected What do you mean?
This time there was an edge of savage glee to the smile she showed me and the
trace of accent snuck back into her voice. You can save the cute acting for
your lawyer.And maybe a judge. 'Cause I think I got you now. She looked at me
for a long hard moment and her dark eyes glittered. She looked as inhuman as I
am and it made a small shiver run across the back of my neck. Had I truly
underestimated her? Was she really this good?
And so you followed me?
More teeth. That's right, yeah, she said. Why are you looking around at the
fence? What's in there?
I am sure that under ordinary circumstances I would have thought of this
before, but I plead duress. It truly didn't occur to me until that very
moment. But when it did, it was like a small and painful light flashing on.
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When did you pick me up?At my house?At what time?
Why do you keep changing the subject? Something's in there, huh?
Detective, please this could be very important. When and where did you start
to follow me?
She studied me for a minute, and I began to realize that I had, in fact,
underestimated her. There was a great deal more to this woman than political
instinct. She really did seem to have something extra. I was still not
convinced that any of it was intelligence, but she did have patience, and
sometimes that was more important than smarts in her line of work. She was
willing to simply wait and watch me and keep repeating her question until she
got an answer. And then she would probably ask the same question a few more
times, wait and watch some more, to see what I would do. Ordinarily I could
outwit her, but I could not possibly outwait her, not tonight. So I put on my
best humble face and repeated myself. Please, Detective . . .
She stuck her tongue out again, and then finally put it away. Okay, she
said. When your sister was gone for a few hours and no word where, I started
to think maybe she's up to something. And I know she can't do anything
herself, so where would she go? She arched an eyebrow at me,then continued in
a triumphant tone. To your place, that's where!To talk with you! She bobbed
her head, pleased with her deductive logic. And so I think about you for a
while. How you're always showing up and looking, even when you don't have to.
How you figure out those serial killers sometimes, except this one? And then
how you fuck me over with that stupid list, make me look stupid, push me on
the fucking floor Her face looked harder, a little older again for a moment.
Then she smiled and went on. I said something out loud, in my office, and
SergeantDoakes says, I told you about him but you don't listen.' And all of a
sudden it's your big handsome face all over the place and it shouldn't be.
She shrugged. So I went to your place, too.
When?At what time, did you notice?
Naw, she said. But I'm only there like twenty minutes and then you come
out and play with your faggot Barbie doll and then drive over here.
Twenty minutes So she hadn't been there in time to see who or what had
taken Deborah. And quite probably she was telling the truth and had simply
followed me to see to see what?
But why follow me at all?
She shrugged. You're connected to this thing. Maybe you didn't do it, I
don't know. But I'mgonna find out. And some of what I find isgonna stick to
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