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Back Fleeced Save as PDF
Chapters (84)
  1. Acknowledgments
  2. FLEECED
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. 56
  59. 57
  60. 58
  61. 59
  62. 60
  63. 61
  64. 62
  65. 63
  66. 64
  67. 65
  68. 66
  69. 67
  70. 68
  71. 69
  72. 70
  73. 71
  74. 72
  75. 73
  76. 74
  77. 75
  78. 76
  79. 77
  80. 78
  81. 79
  82. 80
  83. 81
  84. About the Author

Regan leaned over and touched Snoopy’s nose. She got a quick glimpse of a hidden zipper underneath it before the woman pulled it away.

“Please don’t touch Snoopy,” she said. “I don’t want him to get your germs.”

Oh boy, Regan thought.

“And I didn’t see anything much last night. But I’m very sad that Nat died. He was a nice man.”

“Did you know him?” Regan asked gently.

“He came to Lydia’s Valentine’s Day party. He sat with me for a little while and said he liked my purse. Then he told me he liked sheep. He said he had a couple of life-sized sheep that he’d show me. We talked about them a little bit. Then I went to the bathroom, and when I came out, he was gone.” Her voice trembled as she spoke the last few words. “I guess he didn’t like me.”

“Maybe he was tired,” Regan said.

“The party was kind of breaking up. I guess I took too long in the bathroom.”

“Didn’t you see him again at any of Lydia’s other parties?”

“I caught the flu,” she said and looked at Snoopy. “You did too, didn’t you?” She turned back to Regan. “Last night was my first night back.”

Some witness this one would be, Regan thought. She could just picture her on the stand consulting with Snoopy. “Were these people all at that party on Valentine’s Day?”

Snoopy’s mom looked around. “Pretty much.”

“A nice group, huh?” Regan prodded.

“They’re all right. But a couple of these women really pour on the perfume. How do they think they’re going to get a guy if you can’t breathe around them?”

“Who wears the strong perfume?” Regan asked.

She pointed to the door. “One of them’s leaving right now.”

43

Jack Reilly woke up and looked at his watch. They’d be landing in London in a couple of hours. Inside the passenger section of the plane, most of the lights were turned out. Around him people’s heads were lolling in various positions as they dozed.

I wonder how Regan is, he thought. If it’s not too late in New York when we land, I’ll give her a call. For some reason, he didn’t feel good about her staying in that apartment in the Settlers’ Club. And I made light of it to her, he thought.

Sighing, he reached under the seat for his briefcase. He pulled out the materials about the case he’d be working on with Scotland Yard. A suspected murderer had been apprehended in London. The British inspectors had him in custody and had searched his flat. Inside they’d found subway maps and pictures of New York, along with various phone numbers. Jack’s buddy was the detective superintendent at Scotland Yard.