Blood From a Stone (56 page)

A
h,
w
e
ll
.
Ma
y
be
i
t
w
as
be
tt
er
and
l
ess
a
w
k
w
a
r
d?
O
r
i
n
f
a
ir
ness,
m
a
y
be
he
had
t
o
g
o
w
o
r
k desp
it
e
t
he
r
oad cond
i
ti
ons
and
i
t
w
as
t
oo
f
ar
t
o
w
a
l
k
t
he
dog
w
it
h
no
l
eash.
A
t any
r
a
t
e,
he
d
i
d
ha
v
e
her
nu
m
ber
so
he
cou
l
d
ca
l
l
her
i
f
he ca
r
ed or
w
an
t
ed
t
o bo
t
he
r
.

S
he
g
ot
up
and
s
t
opped
i
n
t
he
ha
l
l
bath
r
oom
t
o
shut o
f
f
t
he
li
g
ht
he
’
d
l
e
f
t
on,
and d
i
sco
v
e
r
ed
t
hat
a
t
ube of
her
li
p
s
ti
ck
had
been
t
a
k
en
fr
om
t
he
d
r
a
w
er
and
w
as
l
y
i
ng on
t
he coun
t
e
r
.
T
he
w
o
r
ds,
“
T
hank
y
ou
f
or
e
v
e
r
y
t
h
i
n
g
.
C
o
f
f
ee?
I
’l
l ca
ll
.”
w
e
r
e sc
r
a
w
l
ed on
t
he
m
irr
o
r
.

S
he
s
m
il
ed
t
o
he
r
se
lf
.
So
, he
w
asn
’
t
r
ude a
ft
er
a
ll
.
B
ut
t
hen
a
g
a
i
n,
don
’
t
t
hey a
l
l
sa
y
,
“
I
’
l
l
ca
l
l
y
ou,”
and
t
hen
ne
v
er
do?
T
i
m
e
w
ou
l
d
t
e
ll
,
she
supposed.
A
nd
e
v
en
i
f
he d
i
dn
’
t
ca
ll
,
i
t
w
asn
’
t
a
b
i
g
dea
l
.
H
er
lif
e
w
as
bu
s
y and
she
had p
l
en
t
y
t
o
do
w
it
hout
w
o
rr
y
i
ng
about
so
m
e
g
uy she
’
d
m
et
i
n
a c
l
ub.
B
ut
t
he
r
e
w
as
s
til
l
t
he
i
ssue
of
t
he
do
g
.
I
t
w
asn
’
t
he
r
s.
F
or
t
hat
m
a
tt
er
i
t
w
asn
’
t
h
i
s e
it
her
ti
l
l
ast
n
i
g
h
t
.
B
ut
he
w
asn
’
t p
l
ann
i
ng
t
o
j
ust
l
ea
v
e h
i
m
t
he
r
e. Was
he?

S
he
headed
out
back out
t
o
her
o
w
n
m
as
t
er
ba
t
h, b
r
ushed
her
t
ee
t
h
and
sp
l
ashed
cool
w
a
t
er
on
her
fa
ce
and a
ft
er
d
r
y
i
ng o
ff
,
g
r
abbed
so
m
e
g
l
ass
c
l
eaner
and paper
t
o
w
e
l
s
fr
om
under
t
he
s
i
nk
and
headed
back
t
o
t
he
ha
l
l
ba
t
h
t
o
w
i
pe
t
he
li
ps
ti
ck
fr
om
t
he
m
irr
o
r
.
S
he
s
t
opped
ab
r
up
tl
y
,
r
ea
li
z
i
ng
t
hat
she
li
k
ed
ha
v
i
ng h
i
s
m
essa
g
e
t
he
r
e…
h
i
s
han
d
w
riti
n
g
.
A so
r
t
of
m
e
m
en
t
o.

S
he
c
ri
n
g
ed
i
n
ho
rr
o
r
.
O
h,
G
od.
S
he
w
as
ac
ti
ng
li
k
e so
m
e
s
t
a
l
k
er
ch
i
ck
fr
om
a
m
o
v
i
e!
S
he
qu
i
c
k
l
y e
r
ased
h
i
s
m
essa
g
e
j
ust
as
S
asha
appea
r
ed
i
n
t
he
doo
r
w
ay
of
t
he
ba
t
h
r
oo
m
.

“
L
o
v
e
no
t
e?”
S
he
s
m
ir
k
ed,
push
i
ng
her
w
ay
past
W
ill
ow
t
o
t
he s
i
n
k
.