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Chapters (50)
  1. COVER
  2. PRAISE FOR TITLES BY MIRANDA JAMES
  3. ALSO BY MIRANDA JAMES
  4. TITLE PAGE
  5. COPYRIGHT
  6. DEDICATION
  7. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  8. ONE
  9. TWO
  10. THREE
  11. FOUR
  12. FIVE
  13. SIX
  14. SEVEN
  15. EIGHT
  16. NINE
  17. TEN
  18. ELEVEN
  19. TWELVE
  20. THIRTEEN
  21. FOURTEEN
  22. FIFTEEN
  23. SIXTEEN
  24. SEVENTEEN
  25. EIGHTEEN
  26. NINETEEN
  27. TWENTY
  28. TWENTY-ONE
  29. TWENTY-TWO
  30. TWENTY-THREE
  31. TWENTY-FOUR
  32. TWENTY-FIVE
  33. TWENTY-SIX
  34. TWENTY-SEVEN
  35. TWENTY-EIGHT
  36. TWENTY-NINE
  37. THIRTY
  38. THIRTY-ONE
  39. THIRTY-TWO
  40. THIRTY-THREE
  41. THIRTY-FOUR
  42. THIRTY-FIVE
  43. THIRTY-SIX
  44. THIRTY-SEVEN
  45. THIRTY-EIGHT
  46. THIRTY-NINE
  47. FORTY
  48. AFTERWORD
  49. LETTER TO THE READER
  50. SPECIAL EXCERPT FROM BLESS HER DEAD LITTLE HEART

Two things happened at once. Kanesha and Bates stepped out of the supply closet, and Eugene pushed his chair back so hard it toppled over. He grabbed his cane and headed for the door. Bates surged past Kanesha to grab him, but Teresa was up and out of her chair and stepped in his way. Eugene made it out the door. Kanesha ran past Batesand Teresa, who disentangled themselves quickly. Bates shot after Kanesha and Eugene, with Teresa and me trotting after them.

Eugene was racing for the door, Bates only inches behind. That was when Diesel darted in front of Eugene. The cane went flying, Diesel got out of the way, and Eugene hit the floor. Hard. Bates fell right on top of him.

FORTY

“Bronwyn had just tossed one of those jingle ball toys, and Diesel darted after it.” Helen Louise and I were relaxing on the sofa in her living room with some postprandial brandy on Wednesday evening. Diesel sprawled across our laps. He opened one eye and emitted a lazy chirp. “I’ve warned her about doing that, but for once I was glad she did.”

“Don’t you think Bates would have caught him?” Helen Louise grinned. “I’ve seen the man in shorts and a tank top before, and he’s in mighty good shape.” She stroked the cat’s head. “Not that I want to take any credit away from this clever boy.”

I gazed at her in mock indignation. “You’re going around ogling buff lawmen behind my back? I am shocked, I tell you, shocked.”

Helen Louise laughed. “Darling, if I tried anything with Bates, his boyfriend would scratch my eyes out.”

“Boyfriend?” That was news to me. I took a moment to digest this interesting bit of information.

“You mean Stewart hasn’t told you?” Helen Louise looked thoughtful. “I guess I shouldn’t have said anything. I thought surely you knew.”

I laughed. “Stewart has been pretty cagey about it, although I could tell he was involved with someone. He’s been happier than I’ve ever seen him lately. Well, good for them. I hope things work out.”

“Me, too,” Helen Louise said. “They will have to be discreet, but I’m sure Stewart can be when he needs to.”

We sipped at our brandy for a moment. The quiet of Helen Louise’s house, the one she and two generations of Bradys before her had grown up in, settled around us.

“I sidetracked you.” Helen Louise leaned over the cat in her lap to set her brandy snifter on the coffee table. “Tell me what happened after Bates landed on top of Eugene Marter.”