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Oh, my God.It was Richie.
Or was it?
“Rich?”
“Let me in, Cindy, before security shows me out.”
She peered through the peephole. Richie was outside her door, alone, his hair falling over his eyes.
“Hang on,” she said.
Leaving the chain in its track, she cracked the door and looked into Rich’s big brown eyes.
“Surprise, honey. Do you know me now? Or do you want to see my badge?”
She opened the door fully and once Richie was inside the room and had re-locked the door, she threw her arms around his neck.
“You okay?” he said between kisses.
“Feel my heart. Feel it. I’m fine except that between you and Lindsay, I’m a freaking scaredy cat like never before.”
“Well, I’m really happy to see you.”
“I think I’m mad at you for scaring me.”
Rich swooped Cindy up into his arms and she tucked her head between his neck and shoulder as her lover carried her across the shag carpeting to the bed. He put her down and kissed her again.
“We’re just begging you to use common sense.”
“Iamusing common sense and also keeping my commitment to my publisher. I’m doing great. I wish you could have seen me tonight.”
“God, you’re frustrating,” he said sitting on the side of the bed. He took off his shoes and socks, stood, shed his jacket, tie, shirt, and pants, then got into the bed in the dimly lit room. He turned to Cindy and their arms went around each other.
“You’re so crazy,” she said, her voice cracking running her hands down his body. “I had to do this, you understand?”
“Don’t stop,” he said.
She laughed and he handled her in the ways he knew she loved. There was so much adrenaline streaming through her and at the same time there were clashing images in her mind of strangers knocking at the door, and then, in a rush, all of her fear was replaced by this man she loved.
She told him. He told her. They made love with flashing neon signs lighting the curtains and Cindy, breathless, managed to say, “I’ve never—I love you, Richie.”
CHAPTER 43
I’D SLEPT IN short bursts broken by bad dreams featuring Blackout’s Ruger pointed between my eyes. The last time my eyes flashed open, it was 5:10 a.m., and there was no sleep left in me. I got myself and my good dog, Martha, ready for a Saturday workday. I made oatmeal with bananas for me and left Martha and a box of dog biscuits with my neighbor, Mrs. Rose. Then I drove to the Hall.
Blackout’s trailer of “coming attractions” had jacked up my anxiety and I couldn’t do a thing about it. He was somewhere in his cycle, about to make a kill or he’d already done it.
I texted Cindy and got no reply. Presumably, she was on the flight from Vegas on her way home.
I was at my desk by seven thirty, grousing to Alvarez about Blackout’s damned email teasing us about a murder on his to-do list without a hint of who he had in his sights, where or when this killing would happen.
She said, “He’s a ghoul, Lindsay. Insatiable. With special powers.”
“Got any ideas, Sonia? I’m wide-open to even the wildest theories.”
“I’ll keep you posted.”
“Coffee?”
