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“So she brought you a cake?”
“Possibly. There could be a bomb in the box. She seems a little unstable.”
“Anything else I should know?” Morelli asked.
“She carries a gun, but it’s not very big.”
“This is why I have acid reflux,” Morelli said. And he opened the door.
“Oh cripes,” Brenda said, looking at Morelli. “Do I have the wrong apartment? I was looking for Stephanie Plum.”
I peeked around Morelli. “You have the right apartment. This is my boyfriend.”
“Maybe,” Morelli said. “Maybe not.”
“I figured we got off on the wrong foot earlier,” Brenda said to me. “What with threatening to shoot you and everything. Anyhoo, I got you a cake. I thought we could have a girl-to-girl over it.”
“That’s nice of you, but I don’t have the photograph,” I told her.
“Yeah, but you know where it is.”
“No, I don’t know where it is.”
She pinched her lips together for a second. “Then why do certain people think you got the photograph?”
“Misinformation,” I said. “Probably originating from your fiancé.”
“Richard Crick didn’t give out misinformation,” she said. “He was a doctor. May he rest in peace.”
“Why do you want the photograph?” Morelli asked her.
“None of your beeswax,” she said. “I just do. It’s sentimental. I was his fiancée.”
“You’re not wearing an engagement ring,” Morelli said.
“Honestly,” Brenda said, rolling her eyes. “He’s dead. You don’t expect me to pine away forever, do you?” She looked back at me. “So are you going to give me the photograph, or what?”
I felt a vein start to throb in my temple. “I don’t have the photograph.”
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“Fine. Have it your way,” Brenda said. “But I’m giving you warning. I’m going to get that photograph. And you’re not getting any of this cake, either.” And she turned and sashayed down the hall to the elevator.
Morelli and I retreated into my apartment and closed and locked the door.
“Tell me the truth,” he said. “Do you have the photograph?”
I smacked the heel of my hand against my forehead so hard I almost knocked myself out. “Unh!”
“Does that mean no or yes?” Morelli asked.
“It means NO! No, no, no, no, no.”
“Don’t get your panties in a bunch. I’m not exactly in the loop here.”
“You’re too busy to be in the loop.”
“No one could stay in the loop with you. You’re a disaster magnet. You suck it in. I used to think it was because of your job. But that’s too simple an explanation. You can’t even go on vacation without attracting killers. Not just one killer, either. You have a whole gaggle of killers after you. Is Berger any help with this?”
