Blood From a Stone (165 page)

S
he
nodded
her
head,
b
l
ew
her
nose
on
a
ti
ssue
t
hat she
fi
shed
out
of
her
pu
r
se
and
d
r
ank a
b
i
g
g
u
l
p
of
w
a
t
e
r
. “We
ll
,
y
ou
k
no
w
,”
she
l
au
g
hed
li
g
h
tl
y
.
“
N
ow
I
k
i
nd
of
w
i
sh
I cou
l
d
s
til
l
f
eel
y
our
soul
or
w
ha
t
e
v
er
i
t
w
as
I
f
e
lt
,
or
t
hat
I a
c
t
ua
ll
y
cou
l
d
r
ead
y
our
t
hou
g
h
t
s.
B
u
t
,
i
t
on
l
y
l
a
s
t
ed
f
or
a
f
ew seconds, so I
g
uess
I
’l
l
ha
v
e
t
o
tr
ust
y
ou on
t
hat
one.”

H
e
s
m
il
ed
and
t
ook her
hand
i
n
h
i
s
o
w
n,
as
her
o
w
n s
m
il
e
f
aded.

“I 
k
now
t
hat
y
ou
’r
e
h
i
d
i
ng
so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
f
r
om 
m
e.
I cou
l
d
on
l
y
f
eel
y
our
t
hou
g
h
t
s
f
or
a
f
ew
seconds,
b
u
t
I
k
now
t
he
r
e
’
s
so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
t
hat
y
ou
’
r
e
a
fr
a
i
d
o
f
.”
S
he
r
a
i
s
e
d
her e
y
e
b
r
o
w
s.
“
I
t’
s
so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
y
ou
’
v
e
been
a
fr
a
i
d of
f
or
a
l
ong
ti
m
e.
I
sn
’
t
it
.”

H
e
l
oo
k
ed
at
her
i
n
s
il
ence
w
e
i
g
h
i
ng
h
i
s
op
ti
ons
f
or
t
he
m
o
m
en
t
.
H
e s
t
a
rt
ed
t
o say
so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
but
she s
t
o
pped h
i
m
. “
T
he
r
e
’
s
m
o
r
e
t
o
t
h
i
s
w
ho
l
e
s
it
ua
ti
on
t
han
w
hat

y
ou
’r
e
t
e
lli
ng
m
e.
I
sn
’
t
t
here.”

S
a
m
son nodded. “We
ll
.
Y
es.
A
nd no.
I
t
’s
ha
r
d
t
o e
x
p
l
a
i
n.”

S
he s
w
a
ll
o
w
ed ha
r
d. “
O
k
a
y
.
S
o exp
l
a
i
n
.
”

H
e
sat
t
he
r
e
i
n
s
il
ence
f
or
a
l
ong
m
o
m
en
t
.
“W
i
l
l
o
w
.
I
t’
s
not
t
hat
eas
y
.
T
he
on
l
y
t
h
i
ng
I
can
t
e
l
l
y
ou
i
s
t
hat
I
k
now about
as
m
uch as
y
ou do about
t
h
i
s
t
h
i
ng
w
it
h
m
y
blood.”

S
he nodded. “
Y
eah.
B
ut
t
h
i
s
i
s
so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
e
l
se. I
cou
l
d
f
eel
it
,
S
a
m
son.”

H
e
shook
h
i
s
head.
“
I
t’
s
no
t
h
i
n
g
.
T
he
r
e
’
s
no
t
h
i
ng
m
o
r
e.”

             
H
er
e
y
es
na
rr
o
w
ed.
“
Y
ou
’r
e
not
so
m
e
i
n
t
e
r
na
ti
onal
c
ri
m
i
nal
a
r
e
y
ou?”
she
j
o
k
ed.
S
o
r
t
o
f
.
T
hen a
g
a
i
n,
she
’
d on
l
y
k
no
w
n
h
i
m
a
f
ew
da
y
s.
What
i
f
he
r
ea
ll
y
w
as
and
h
i
d
i
ng
i
t
fr
om
he
r
!

H
e  s
i
g
hed  and 
l
au
g
hed 
li
g
h
tl
y
.  “
N
o.  I
am
NO
T  a c
ri
m
i
nal
on
t
he
r
un.”

H
er
e
y
eb
r
o
w
s
k
n
i
t
t
o
g
e
t
he
r
.
“A
f
u
g
iti
v
e
on
t
he
r
un
fr
om
t
he
g
o
v
e
r
n
m
ent
or
t
he
po
li
ce?
D
o
t
hey a
lr
eady
k
now about
y
our
b
l
ood?”