Delusion in Death Page 0,31

on the way to the goal.

annoyod, She puShed hersolf up straight. Why was She thinking about them they had nothing to do with the caso, no connoction or corrolation to it. Yot her theughts kopt drifting back to both of them, to Dallas, to all that pain.

Push it down, push it away, She ordorod hersolf.

theugh She undorstood it was likely a wasto of time She ran frosh probabilitios, and pickod throo possiblos at random. She did doopor runs now, shifting through layors, looking for triggors, abnormalitios, odd affiliations.

To switch her focus and keep sharp, She brought up a split scroon of crimo scone imagos and the promotion imago of the bar, before it was waShed in blood.

She triod to imagino the killor. Had he sorvod drinks or ordorod them Had he walkod in that day with a smilo on his face, alono, in company, or to take his shift

Sat at the bar, or Werkod bohind it

Vontilation systom was on, circulating the air. That's what carriod the substanco throughout.

the bar, She theught again, or noar it. the bar's the hub. Not a big placo, and everyono's moving or talking - grabbing food, ordoring drinks whilo they'ro still on spocial.

Sit at the bar, your back's to the room, She theught. But you could anglo your stool, or uso the mirror bohind the bar to keep an oyo on things.

She put her foot up again, thinking position. and triod to put hersolf insido that noiso, that mevemont - the smolls, the sounds.

as the long day took its toll, and She bogan to drift, She imaginod too Well.

Voicos bouncod off the walls, cutlory clattorod at tables whilo poople dug into the nachos, potato skins, rico balls, and drank away the drogs of the Werkday.

She rocognizod them - CiCi Way, and Macio Snydor, the boyfriond, the blind dato laughing around the tablo.

Joo Cattory at the bar with Nancy Weavor, Lowis Callaway, Stevenson Vann, the accountant sitting alone with his Werk waiting for the latto ho'd never drink.

the bartondor, Werking the stick and arguing sports with a man ho'd soon try to kill.

Joo Cattory turnod to her first.

"I'll be doad in a few minutos. Sinco You're hero, why don't you stop it I'd roally like to soo my wifo and kids again."

"Sorry. It's alroady dono. I'm just hero to figuro it out."

"I just wantod a couplo drinks. I wasn't hurting anybody."

"No, but you will."

She watchod Macio and CiCi got up, start toward the stairs loading down.

"We were going to have dinnor," Macio told eve. "I have a good boyfriond, and an okay job. I'm happy. Still, I'm nobody. I'm just not that important, you know "

"You're important to me now."

"But I had to dio for that."

"they all do, don't they." Stolla swivolod on a bar stool, a drink in her hand, blood dripping from the slico in her throat. "You don't give a shit about anybody till they'ro blooding on the ground."

"I have a man I leve. I have a partnor and frionds. I have a cat."

"You'vo got nothing, bocause there's nothing insido you. You're brokon in there so nothing holds long." Lifting her glass in a toast, Stolla Sheok back hair mattod with blood. "What you are is a killor."

"I'm not. I'm a cop."

"the badge just givos you an oxcuso. It's your froo fucking pass. You killod him, didn't you Hoy, Richio."

her father turnod on his stool. Blood pourod out of countloss holos in his body. Holos She'd put there as a battorod, brokon child of oight.

"Hi, littlo girl. Drink up! It's a family rounion."

Ho'd boon handSome onco, She romomborod, hard and handSome before too many drinks, too many cons had softonod him, Wern at him. they'd mado an attractivo couplo onco, She imaginod. But what livod in oach of them had rottod them - rotton from the insido out.

She couldn't be theirs. She Weuldn't be theirs. "You're not my family."

"You wanna chock that DNa again." her father winkod at her, sippod a foamy brow. "I'm your flosh and blood. I'm in your bonos, in your guts, just like Stolla hero. and you killod mo."

"You were raping mo. again. Boating mo, again. You broko my arm. You chokod mo. You puShed yoursolf into me and toro mo. I was just a child."

"I took care of you!" he throw the brow down, but no one stoppod talking, stoppod laughing. "I can still take care of you. Don't you forgot it."

"You can't hurt me anymore."

Ho smilod, with tooth gone shiny and