Blood From a Stone (67 page)

T
hey bo
t
h
b
r
o
k
e
i
n
t
o
l
au
g
h
t
e
r
.
“
N
o,”
sa
i
d
S
asha, qu
it
e
m
a
tt
e
r
-
o
f
-
f
ac
tl
y
.
“
I
’l
l
shut
up.
A
nd,
p
l
ease
spa
r
e
m
e
t
he d
e
cap
it
a
ti
on.
I
’
v
e
had
enou
g
h
m
ed
i
cal
cond
iti
ons 
fo
r  one n
i
g
h
t
,
t
hank
y
ou
v
e
r
y
m
uch,”
she
s
i
g
hed,
i
n
r
e
f
e
r
e
n
ce
t
o
t
he
t
en
y
ear
o
l
d
g
ir
l
she
’
d ca
r
ed
f
or
a
l
l
n
i
g
h
t
,
w
ho
’
d
j
ust
had su
r
g
e
r
y
t
o
p
i
n
a
b
r
o
k
en
bone
i
n
her
l
eg a
ft
er
a
v
e
r
y bad
car acc
i
dent
she
’
d been
i
n
w
it
h her
pa
r
en
t
s.

“
So,
I’
m
j
ust
so
m
e
guy
i
n
a
bar,
hu
h
?
D
oes
t
hat
m
ean
I
shou
l
d
go
a
w
ay?”
A
ri
ch
m
a
l
e
v
o
i
ce
fr
om
b
e
h
i
nd
t
hem
echoed
s
li
g
h
tl
y
a
g
a
i
nst
t
he conc
r
e
t
e
w
a
ll
s. W
ill
ow
d
i
dn
’
t e
v
en
t
u
r
n
a
r
ound.
I
t
w
as
of
cou
r
se,
Sa
m
son
.
H
e
’
d o
b
v
i
ous
l
y hea
r
d e
v
e
r
y
w
o
r
d
t
hey
sa
i
d.
G
rea
t
.

“I see
y
ou
f
ound
m
y
p
l
ace
of
e
m
p
l
o
y
m
e
n
t
,”
she
shot bac
k
.
“I
w
a
r
ned
y
ou
about
be
i
ng a
s
t
a
l
k
er
l
ast
n
i
g
ht
,
d
i
dn
‘
t
I
?”
S
he
t
u
r
ned
on
her
heel
t
o
f
ace
h
i
m as
he
app
r
oached
her
car doo
r
,
supp
r
ess
i
ng
a
s
m
il
e
and
tr
y
i
ng
despe
r
a
t
e
l
y
t
o
conceal any exc
it
e
m
ent
t
hat
she
w
as
f
ee
li
n
g
. “
O
h, and
l
e
t’
s
not
f
o
r
g
et about
y
our
f
u
rr
y
fri
end,” she added as
he
m
o
v
ed
i
n c
l
ose
r
.

“I
k
new
y
ou
’
d
t
a
k
e
ca
r
e
of
h
i
m
.”
H
e
s
m
il
ed
and
she cou
l
dn
’
t
he
l
p
but
w
onder
i
f
i
t
w
as poss
i
b
l
e
i
f h
i
s
e
y
es had
g
o
tt
en b
l
uer
o
v
e
r
n
i
g
h
t
.

“I
w
as
g
o
i
ng
t
o
see
i
f
y
ou
w
an
t
ed
t
o
g
o
t
o
C
h
i
co
’
s
and ha
v
e
t
hat
cup of
co
ff
ee,” he o
ff
e
r
ed cau
ti
ous
l
y
.

“We
ll
…
y
eah.”
W
ill
ow
nodded.
“
T
hat
w
ould be
n
i
ce ac
t
ua
ll
y
, but
w
e ha
v
e
t
o
g
o
l
et
y
our
dog
ou
t
!
”

S
a
m
son
hadn
’
t
t
hou
g
ht
of
t
hat
on
h
i
s
w
ay he
r
e.
H
e
of cou
r
se,
hadn
’
t
f
o
r
g
o
tt
en
about
t
he
do
g
,
but
he
d
i
d
seem
t
o
forget
 
t
hat
W
ill
ow
w
ou
l
d
need
t
o
g
et
ho
m
e
so
he
co
ul
d
do
h
i
s bus
i
ness
a
ft
er
so
m
any
hou
r
s
i
ns
i
de
t
he house.

“
S
hou
l
d
w
e
p
l
an
f
or
ano
t
her
da
y
?” he as
k
ed,
k
no
w
i
ng he
had
no
da
m
ned
bus
i
ness
be
i
ng he
r
e
t
oda
y
,
m
uch
le
ss p
l
a
n
n
i
ng
f
or
ano
t
he
r
.