Blood From a Stone (257 page)

H
e nodded and s
t
ood up.

“Whe
r
e a
r
e
y
ou
g
o
i
n
g
?”

“I
need
t
o
g
o
check
on
t
he
apa
rt
m
ent
a
nd
p
i
ck up
m
y
m
a
il
…
r
un
a
coup
l
e
of
e
rr
ands.“
H
e
hes
it
a
t
ed
f
or
a
f
ew
m
o
m
en
t
s
be
f
o
r
e
dec
i
d
i
ng
t
o
j
ust
t
e
l
l
her
t
he
tr
u
t
h.
“I
w
ant
t
o
g
o
check on
t
he
o
l
d
m
an.
Y
ou
m
i
g
ht
w
ant
t
o con
t
act
t
he
bo
y
’
s pa
r
en
t
s
t
oo…
j
ust
t
o
m
a
k
e su
r
e he
’
s
s
til
l
do
i
ng
a
lri
g
h
t
.”

S
he
nodded
and
g
r
abbed
her
house
k
ey
a
nd
handed
i
t
t
o h
i
m
. “
H
e
r
e.
J
ust
l
et
y
ou
r
se
l
f
back
i
n.”

“
I
’l
l
be
back
i
n
ti
m
e
f
or
a
l
a
t
e d
i
nn
e
r
.
D
o
y
ou
w
ant
m
e
t
o p
i
ck
so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
up or
g
o so
m
e
w
he
r
e?”

“
I
’
d
r
a
t
her
j
ust
t
a
k
e
a
hot
sho
w
e
r
,
a
n
d
s
t
ay
i
n
i
f
t
ha
t’
s o
k
ay
w
it
h
y
ou,” she sa
i
d as
she
l
a
i
d back
on
t
he c
o
uch.

H
e
w
a
l
k
ed
o
v
er
and
k
i
ssed
her
so
ftl
y be
f
o
r
e
head
i
ng out
t
he doo
r
.
“
I
’l
l
be back
i
n
j
ust
a b
it
.”

S
a
m
son
headed
out
i
n
t
o
t
he
fri
g
i
d
a
i
r
and
s
tr
a
i
g
ht
t
o
t
he
she
lt
er
t
o
check
i
n
on
H
a
r
o
l
d.
H
e
w
a
l
k
ed
t
h
r
ou
g
h
t
he door and
l
oo
k
ed
a
b
i
t
w
o
rri
ed
w
hen
he
d
i
dn
’
t
see
h
i
m
i
n
t
he
m
a
i
n
r
oo
m
.
H
e
w
a
l
k
ed
t
o
t
he
i
n
f
o
r
m
a
ti
on des
k
.

“
T
he
r
e
w
as
an
o
l
der
m
an
he
r
e
l
ast
w
ee
k
….h
i
s
na
m
e
’
s
H
a
r
o
l
d.
T
a
ll
.
T
h
i
n,”
S
a
m
son sa
i
d.

T
he
sho
r
t
s
t
oc
k
y
w
o
m
an
at
t
he
desk
nodded.
“
O
h,
y
es!
H
e
’
s
out
ri
g
ht
no
w
.
H
e
’
s
f
ound a pa
r
t
ti
m
e
j
ob
w
o
r
k
i
ng
at
t
he
g
r
oce
r
y
s
t
o
r
e.
H
e
co
m
es
back he
r
e
t
o
s
l
eep
and
c
l
ean
up.
H
e
’
s
sa
v
i
ng
m
oney
t
o
g
et
out
on h
i
s
o
w
n. Ma
y
be
i
n
o
ne of
our ha
lf
-
w
ay
house p
r
o
g
r
a
m
s.”

S
a
m
son s
m
il
ed. “
T
ha
t’
s
g
ood
t
o hea
r
.
W
hat
s
t
o
r
e
i
s
he
w
o
r
k
i
ng
a
t
?”