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Contents (63)
  1. ALSO BY CAROL HIGGINS CLARK
  2. Acknowledgments
  3. ZAPPED
  4. July 14th, 9 P.M.
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
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  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
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  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
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  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
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  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
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  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. July 15th, 9 P.M.
  62. 57
  63. Contents

There was silence in the room for a moment. “One of Georgina’s victims was a young man she met at a comedy club in Miami,” McFadden said.

“That’s right.”

“Did she say why she chose that particular city?”

“No. She told me she drove to places where she knew there were good comedy clubs. Her grandmother loved comedies and they used to go to the movies a lot.”

“If her grandmother died in a cab on the way to the airport, then the accident took place in New York?”

“Yes. She was thrown from the cab and hurled over the side of the highway. Georgina said she was killed instantly.”

“Do you know where in New York this happened?”

“No. She didn’t say. I’ve never been there so the exact location wouldn’t have meant anything to me. The only place I do remember Georgina mentioning is the Lower East Side, where she said her grandmother lived.” Paulette paused. “Do you think where her grandmother died is important?”

“It could very well be. People often place flowers on the side of the road at the spot where loved ones died in car accidents.” He started to get out of his chair. “I’m sure you’ve seen them on your trips to the mall,” he added sharply. “Perhaps Georgina isn’t interested as much in placing flowers at the location where her grandmother died as she is in carrying out her vicious assault there. I’ll phone my colleague in New York. She was under the impression the accident took place out of town.”

“That stupid Huck!” Paulette cried. “I wish we knew where he was so you could talk to him.”

“Why?”

“Georgina said that he had told her he wanted to take her to New York and be with her the first time she visited since her grandmother died. He promised to take her to the accident site. He fed her all the lines, saying he wanted to take care of her and make her happy again. He grew up somewhere near New York, so if anyone knows where the accident took place, it would be him.” She wiped her eyes. “He dumped Georgina for her roommate. It can’t get much worse than that.”

“He grew up near New York?”

“Yes.”

“What was his full name?”

“Huckleberry Darling. Can you imagine? A creep like that has a last name like Darling?”

McFadden hurriedly left the room and called Regan.

43

R egan’s search party wasn’t far from One Police Plaza when McFadden called back and filled her in. “…and Paulette is sure that this guy Huck Darling would know where the accident happened. She said that Georgina could never track him down. Lucky for him, I guess. How many Huckleberry Darlings can there be in this world?”

“One is all we need,” Regan answered. When she hung up, she called the head of security at the Gates Hotel. “Cal, it turns out Georgina’s grandmother’s accident happened here in New York City.”

“It did?” he asked, surprise in his voice.