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someone is dead. “What happened?”
    “Seems the transport van had a little accident.” Her heart sped up. “Slick and his little partner are nowhere to be found. But, to be fair, there’s two miles of train tracks we still need to search and what they’re looking for won’t really resemble a body anymore.”
    “Would you tell me what the fuck happened already.”
    “That’s all I know. Your boyfriend’s van crashed. He’s nowhere around, two officers dead. So, I’m thinking, where would I go if I was suddenly free and needed to get dry? To my dear beloved.”
    MacKaye circled around the chipped-topped kitchen table. A weak florescent tube lit the corner kitchen space from under a cabinet. He leaned forward resting his hands on the back of a chair.
    “He wouldn’t come here,” said Emma.
    “Why not?”
    “Because you’re here. If you’re smart enough to figure this much out he’s twice as smart to know to stay away.”
    “He’s so smart he went and got himself sent up for twenty-five years.”
    “That was Bo’s fault.”
    MacKaye stood upright again. He continued his circle around the table, clicking his tongue.
    “Oh, believe me, I don’t think for a second this is the first place he’d come. He may like you but he’d stop at his first love . . . the money.” He scanned the room again for her benefit. “I can see you don’t have anything resembling money here.”
    “You haven’t looked under my mattress.”
    “I’m afraid of roaches.”
    Emma shifted her weight on her hips and thought about putting on some coffee, but it might entice him to stay. Now that the stink of cop had dissipated a little she could see he was a handsome man, the way women go nuts for George Clooney even though he’s old enough to be an uncle. And no scars on his face. Definitely a plus. The longer she was away from Slick’s features the harder it became to ignore them. After two years of dating she’d gotten used to the way he looked and it didn’t bother her, but now, after more than a month in custody, it freaked her out to look back at pictures. Jesus, I fucked that?
    “Mind if I ask what a girl like you was doing with a guy like Slick?” Fuck, she thought, he’s a goddamn mindreader. “I mean, you’re a handsome woman.”
    “You mean me or my tits? You’ve been spending most of your time looking at them. They don’t know where the money is either, for the record.”
    “I’m curious.”
    “Prince Charming wasn’t exactly knocking at my door.”
    “I just knocked at your door.”
    God help her, she blushed. He flashed that grin again, a sliver of white teeth winking through. “So he hasn’t called? You won’t be in trouble if he has. No crime in answering the phone.”
    “No, he hasn’t called.”
    “And you don’t have any plans to see him?”
    “In twenty-five years.”
    “Well, thank you for being honest with me.” His grin made her uneasy even though she knew she was telling the truth. “We’ll be keeping an eye on you in case he decides to drop by. He’s a dangerous criminal you know.”
    “So I hear.”
    MacKaye crossed back to the door. “Will you call me if he does decide to give you a ring?”
    “Doubtful.”
    “I didn’t think so.” If he had a hat he would have tipped it.
    He dripped rain water from his umbrella as he walked back up the stairs. After he turned the corner another face peered from the top of the steps.
    “Go to sleep, Delmer,” said Emma. She closed the door harder than she should have at that hour of the night.

CHAPTER 7
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    T he pickup truck struggled on three tires plus one rim scraping down the pavement like a dog dragging its ass over carpet.
    Time to give up. The diner was a good ten miles in the past. The woods had fallen away, given over to good old fashioned progress and expansion. A mini mart, Motel 6, neon, stop lights and billboards. Traffic was nonexistent because of the storm. Slick had only seen two cars in the