Blood From a Stone (102 page)

H
e s
i
g
hed. “
L
i
s
t
en
t
o
m
e….”

S
he
shook her
head.
“
NO
!
Y
ou
li
s
t
en
t
o
m
e.
S
a
m
son….”
her
v
o
i
ce
tr
a
il
ed
o
f
f
as
her
b
r
ea
t
h
ca
m
e
out
i
n
g
r
eat
pu
ff
s
of
s
t
eam
i
n
t
he
fri
g
i
d
a
ir
.
T
ea
r
s
w
e
lle
d
up
i
n
her e
y
es.
“I
r
ea
ll
y
li
k
e
y
ou.
A
l
o
t
.
O
r
…
w
e
ll…
.at
l
east
I d
i
d.
B
ut
t
h
i
s? What
am
I
supposed
t
o
t
h
i
n
k
?”

S
he
s
t
a
rt
ed
t
o
d
i
al
t
he
nu
m
ber
of
a
cab
but he
g
r
abbed her
phone be
f
o
r
e she cou
l
d
fi
n
i
sh.

“
I
f
y
ou
w
ou
l
d
j
ust
g
i
v
e
m
e
a
chance
t
o exp
l
a
i
n, e
v
e
r
y
t
h
i
ng
w
il
l
m
a
k
e sense.”

H
e
k
ne
w
,
of
cou
r
se,
t
hat
no
t
h
i
ng
w
as
g
o
i
ng
t
o
m
a
k
e sense,
but
t
he
fir
st
t
h
i
ng
he
had
t
o
do
w
as
ca
l
m h
e
r
do
w
n enou
g
h
t
o
g
et
her
i
n
t
he
car
so
he
cou
l
d
t
h
i
n
k
.
H
e
o
ff
e
r
ed her h
i
s
hand
a
g
a
i
n.
S
he
paused
f
or
a
l
ong
m
o
m
ent
and
th
en
fi
na
l
l
y
t
ook
it
.
H
e
i
mm
ed
i
a
t
e
l
y
pu
ll
ed
her
c
l
ose
and
j
ust
he
l
d
her
t
he
r
e
i
n h
i
s
a
r
m
s.

H
e
s
m
oo
t
hed
t
he
ha
i
r
back
fr
om her
f
ace
tr
y
i
ng
t
o
r
ecap
t
u
r
e
so
m
e
of
t
he
f
ee
li
ng of
w
a
r
m
t
h he
’
d
f
e
l
t
l
ess
t
han 24 hou
r
s
a
g
o
w
hen
he
’
d
k
i
ssed
her
i
n
t
he
ha
ll
w
ay of
h
e
r
house.
B
ut
he
qu
i
c
k
l
y
r
ea
li
z
ed
t
hat
no
t
h
i
ng
cou
l
d
t
haw
t
he
i
cy
ch
il
l he
f
e
l
t
r
ad
i
a
ti
ng
fr
om
her
ri
g
ht
no
w
.

“I p
r
o
m
i
se
it’
s
g
o
i
ng
t
o
be
o
k
a
y
.
W
il
l
y
ou
at
l
east
l
et
m
e
d
ri
v
e
y
ou
ho
m
e?
I
t‘
s
fr
ee
z
i
ng
co
l
d
out
he
r
e
and
I
‘
m not
l
ea
v
i
ng
y
ou
a
l
one
w
h
il
e
y
ou
w
a
i
t
f
or
a
cab
at this hour
.
N
ow
p
l
e
ase.
L
et
m
e d
ri
v
e
y
ou.”

H
e
handed
her
back her
ce
l
l
phone.
S
he nodded
i
n a
g
r
ee
m
ent
but
d
i
dn
’
t
l
ook
t
o
t
h
rill
ed
w
it
h
t
he
p
r
o
s
pec
t
.
H
e
opened
t
he car
door
and she
g
ot
i
n
w
it
hout
ano
t
her
w
o
r
d.

T
hey
d
r
o
v
e
i
n
s
il
ence
f
or
a
f
ew
m
i
nu
t
es
be
f
o
r
e
she
fi
na
ll
y
spo
k
e.
“
S
o,
a
r
e
y
ou
g
o
i
ng
t
o
t
e
l
l
m
e
t
he
t
r
u
t
h
or
k
eep
t
he
‘
I
g
uess
she
w
asn
’
t
hu
r
t
t
hat
bad’
bu
ll
sh
i
t
g
o
i
n
g
?”