Blood From a Stone (130 page)
Read Blood From a Stone Online
Authors: Cynthia Lucas
H
e
qu
i
c
k
l
y
w
o
lf
ed
do
w
n
t
he
e
gg
s,
and s
w
i
gg
ed do
w
n
t
he
r
est
of
h
i
s
co
ff
ee,
t
ossed
a
$10 b
il
l
on
t
he
c
o
un
t
er
and s
t
a
rt
ed
out
t
he
doo
r
,
w
hen
he
f
e
l
t
t
he
ch
ill
.
H
e
t
u
r
ned a
r
ound, ha
l
f
e
x
pec
ti
ng
t
o
see
t
he
g
hos
tl
y appa
riti
on,
but
t
he
r
e
w
as
no one
t
he
r
e
except
a
m
an
s
itti
ng a
t
he
co
r
ner
boo
t
h
c
l
osest
t
o
t
he doo
r
.
S
a
m
son
s
t
a
rt
ed
t
o
open
t
he
door
t
o
w
alk ou
t
,
sha
k
i
ng o
f
f
t
he ee
ri
e
f
ee
li
n
g
.
“
Y
ou
’r
e
g
o
i
ng
t
o
ha
v
e
a
cho
i
ce
t
o
m
a
k
e
,”
t
he
m
an
i
n
t
he
boo
t
h
sa
i
d,
not
l
oo
k
i
ng
up
fr
om
t
he
ne
w
spaper
t
hat co
v
e
r
ed h
i
s
f
ace.
“
E
xcuse
m
e?”
S
a
m
son
sa
i
d qu
i
e
tl
y
,
t
u
r
n
i
ng
on h
i
s heel
and
w
a
l
k
i
ng
t
o
w
a
r
d
t
he boo
t
h.
“
Y
ou
hea
r
d
m
e.
Y
ou
’r
e
g
o
i
ng
t
o
ha
v
e
t
o
m
a
k
e
a cho
i
ce or
t
w
o.”
“
D
o I
k
now
y
ou?”
S
a
m
son
m
o
v
ed
i
n c
l
os
e
r
.
“
N
o.
N
ot
d
ir
ec
tl
y
…but
t
hen
a
g
a
i
n,
i
f
y
ou
t
h
i
nk
about
it
,
y
ou do
i
n a d
i
s
t
ant
so
r
t
of
w
a
y
.”
“
D
i
d
she
send
y
ou
he
r
e?”
h
i
s
v
o
i
ce
t
o
o
k on
a
s
li
g
ht
t
one of
t
he a
g
it
a
ti
on he
f
e
lt
.
T
he
m
an
l
o
w
e
r
ed
t
he
ne
w
spaper
do
w
n
t
o expose
h
i
s
f
ace ab
r
up
tl
y
. “
S
he
w
ho?”
“
Y
ou
k
no
w
…
t
he
w
o
m
an I
saw
t
h
i
s
m
o
r
n
i
n
g
.”
T
he
m
an
’
s
handso
m
e
f
ea
t
u
r
es
t
ook on
a
l
ook of
s
li
g
ht exaspe
r
a
ti
on.
H
e
’
d
sensed
as
m
uch
ea
rli
e
r
,
but
had
pushed
t
he
v
a
g
ue
i
m
p
r
ess
i
on
as
i
de
not
w
an
ti
ng
t
o con
fr
ont
t
hat
t
he
littl
e
m
i
nx
had
bea
t
en
h
i
m he
r
e.
H
e
s
m
ir
k
ed
t
o
h
i
m
se
lf
.
D
a
m
nab
l
e
w
o
m
an!
A
l
w
a
y
s
d
i
sobe
y
i
ng
w
h
il
e
she
w
as
a
li
v
e
on
ea
rt
h,
and e
v
en
now
as
a
G
ua
r
d
i
an.
E
v
en
ascent
t
o h
i
g
her
l
e
v
e
l
s of ex
i
s
t
ence
w
as
not
r
e
w
a
r
d
enou
g
h
t
o
m
a
k
e
her
beha
v
e.
B
ut
t
hen,
pe
r
haps
t
hat
w
as
w
hat
had
d
r
a
w
n
h
i
m
t
o
her
w
h
en
she
w
as
hu
m
an
and
had
he
l
d
h
i
m
t
o
her
f
or
a
l
l
t
hese
eo
n
s
of
ti
m
e
l
ess
ex
i
s
t
ence, s
i
nce
he
h
i
m
se
l
f
w
as
not
supposed
t
o be he
r
e
e
it
he
r
.
H
e
l
oo
k
ed
S
a
m
son
d
ir
ec
tl
y
i
n
t
he
e
y
e,
and
fi
g
u
r
ed he
w
ou
l
d
ask
t
he
ques
ti
on,
t
hou
g
h
he
a
lr
eady
k
new
t
he a
n
s
w
e
r
. “What
d
i
d she
l
ook
li
k
e?”