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It was back.

Her premonition.

Deana heard the phone slap down onto a hard surface.

Silence. Then, in the background:

“Hey, bro. Gal here says she’s the midnight runner.”

Deana blushed.

My God.

Sounds like I’m some kind of weirdo.

Giving out code names over the phone.

Silence.

More conversation in the background. Garbled now. Farther away.

Then Warren’s voice, slightly breathless.

“Hi. You just caught me…To what do I owe the pleasure? So soon.”

Deana heard the smile behind his words.

She felt foolish, not quite knowing why she’d called.

Of course she knew.

She’d called for the hell of it, hadn’t she?

No, not that.

What she’d really called Warren for was to talk about Mace.

Come to think of it, what could she say about Mace without being a traitor to Mom?

“Hello? Are you there?”

“Sure…Hi, Warren,” she said weakly. “Sorry to bother you. Tell me I’m a nuisance.”

“No, I won’t. What is it, my midnight lady? Hey. What’s your name, anyway? Can’t keep coming over all Shakespearean. It’s enough to take the edge off any budding friendship.”

“Deana. Deana West.”

“Deana. Mmm. Nice name. So…Deana. How can I help?”

He sounded calm, sensible. Understanding.

She snuffled, feeling hot tears well up.

“Why don’t I come over there? Cheer you up a little?”

“That’d be great, Warren, if you could. What about Eureka? Shouldn’t you be there by now?”

“There’s nothing spoiling back at the store. A quick call and my trusty assistant will open up. She has a key.”

She?

Deana suddenly felt too tired, too exhausted to talk or even think anymore. The events of the last few days, never mind Mace being in the house last night, were just about all she could handle at the moment.

“I’d like that, Warren,” she said quietly.

“See you in five minutes.”

“Oh, Warren?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t bring Sabre, will you?”

She pictured him smiling at her.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

THIRTY-ONE

“So Nelson’s dead.”

Leigh gripped the phone, feeling startled yet vastly relieved. She heard her voice shaking.

What Mace had to say was good, yet bad, news. He chose his words carefully.

“We have a body, Leigh. But it hasn’t been officially identified yet. Nelson have any family?”

“None that I know of. Parents died in a fire when Nelson was ten or so, I believe. He never spoke of brothers or sisters. Something of a loner, I gathered.”

“We need someone to identify him, Leigh. Feel up to it?”

Oh my God, she thought. I’m not sure…I need time to think about this.

Avoiding his question, she asked, “Where’d you find him, Mace?”

“Buncha kids spotted something out on the Headlands. Washed up on the beach. Thought it was a mess of old rags at first. Turns out it was a body. Been in the water five, six days by our reckoning.”

Five or six days. What’s left to identify?

“Okay,” Leigh gave a deep sigh. The last person she wanted to see was Nelson. Especially a dead Nelson. “If it has to be done, I’ll do it.”

“ ’Preciate it if you would, Leigh. But I warn you. He’s not a pretty sight.”

I bet.

“Pick you up in, oh, twenty minutes?”

“Sure.”

Stepping out into the hallway, Leigh went through to Deana’s room. She lay in bed, awake. Leigh went over and sat on the bed. Stroking Deana’s hair, she said, “Nelson’s gone, honey. He won’t bother us anymore.”

“He’s dead?”

“That’s right. They found him washed up on a beach over on the Headlands. Must’ve jumped off the Bridge.”

“My God.

“I have to go identify him, honey. Mace’s due to pick me up shortly. You be okay?”

“Sure. I don’t envy you, Mom. Identifying a corpse. Especially one that’s been in the water so long.”

“Somebody’s got to do it, hon. No one else around who knows him…Staff back at the Bayview, maybe; but when all’s said and done, as his employer, it’s probably down to me.”

“Sure. Okay. Oh, Mom…”

“Yes?”

“In an awful kinda way, everything’s turned out for the best, hasn’t it?”

“Sure it has, honey. Thank God it’s all over now.”

THIRTY-TWO

Leigh looked at the lights sweeping down to the Bay, twinkling like stars in the darkness.

She smiled and said softly, “What a wonderful view. Know something, Mace? I’m one lucky gal.”

Mace grinned. “Sure you are, Leigh. The luckiest. Fabulous house. Great restaurant. Looks. Style. Smart kid—and me.”

Facing her in the tub, he traced swirls through the bubbles on her left breast. Fascinated, he watched her nipple emerge as he teased the foam with his forefinger.

His other hand caressed her thigh.

She lifted her head and took a deep breath. The warm night air was balmy on her wet skin.

She met his eyes and smiled.

Bathing together in the hot tub had been an idea she’d played around with all day.

Well, at least from lunchtime.

After identifying Nelson this morning, hot tubs, not to mention fun and games with Mace, had been a million miles from her mind.

Later, she’d reneged on that.

Why not chill out in the redwood tub?

With Mace…

Could help to clear my mind of Nelson.

The remains of Nelson, she corrected herself.

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