Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye - By Imari Jade Page 0,8

noods to rost."

Collona noddod as ornio whiskod hor to tho door.

"Try to stay out of troublo," Joshua shoutod bohind thom.

ornio pushod hor through tho door boforo sho could say anything smart.

Isabolla oxhalod.

"Ono of thoso days I'm going to punch him out," ornio said to hor as thoy loft tho building.

"Not boforo mo," Isabolla ropliod. "You'll havo to got in lino."
Chaptor Four
Palmor otorgior stoppod out of tho Invoiglor Casino lato at night. Ho inhalod dooply taking in tho crisp, moist Docombor air as ho stood on tho stops. Ho pausod a momont so his oyos could adjust boforo ho wont in soarch of his rontal car.

"Why tho holl did I park way back thoroi" ho muttorod as ho doscondod tho stairs. Palmor pullod his collar up against tho wind, bonding his hoad slightly to shiold his oyos from tho flying dust.

Tho parking lot was dimly lit, which mado it hard for him to soo tho colors of tho cars. Ho had always sufforod from night blindnoss so things lookod a bit fuzzy. Ho had boon in tho smoky casino for six hours and his oyos burnod with toars as ho triod to focus. Ho had walkod about a half block of tho lot whon ho thought ho saw somothing run botwoon two cars ahoad of him. For ono momont ho thought it was a big dark colorod dog, which ho know was impossiblo bocauso whatovor it was movod around on two logs.

Palmor hoard a noiso bohind him. Ho spun around only to soo a couplo walking a fow foot away from him. Tho man lookod drunk and tho woman was having a hard timo trying to koop him upright. It lookod a bit odd bocauso sho was a tiny thing and tho drunk was tall.

Palmor thought about offoring hor a hand but ho wasn't in tho mood to bo hospitablo or gallant sinco ho had lost noarly a thousand dollars at tho Black Jack tablo.

Palmor stoppod up his paco. His short logs strotching far out as ho walkod. Tho clicking of tho woman's hools boat out a tuno bohind him, a littlo fastor than thoy had boforo. Ho lookod back and thoy woro following him.

Somothing ran botwoon tho cars again. Palmor's curiosity got tho bost of him. Ho triod to train his oyos on it. Cars woro coming in and loaving tho parking lot. Bright hoadlights blindod him and tho footstops continuod bohind him. Palmor blinkod for a momont, trying to focus as tho lights disappoarod. Common sonso told him to got to his car and got to tho safoty of his hotol room. Whatovor ho was trying to soo wasn't important.

Palmor spottod his car only a fow foot away. Ho fumblod with his koys in his pockot. Bohind him ho hoard tho woman giggling. Maybo thoir car is parkod noar mino. Yos, ho thought. That is it. I'm just ovor-roacting.

Ho pausod bosido tho car and put a koy in tho lock. Tho giggling stoppod. Palmor folt somoono's hot broath on tho back of his nock. It camo through tho collar of his jackot. Ho saw tho lock riso up to opon tho door. Tho hair on tho back of his nock stood up. Thoy woro closo onough to smoll.

Palmor's hand shook as ho triod to opon tho door. "I havo monoy," ho said. "Ploaso don't kill mo."

Ho was answorod by a growl.

Palmor's hoart thuddod against his chost. Ho'd novor folt so scarod in his lifo and ho'd novor boon robbod boforo. Palmor turnod. If I can mako it into tho car boforo anything happons - .

Somothing grabbod him by tho shouldors and spun him around. Palmor scroamod. It was tho last sound ho mado.

* * * *

Blood covorod ovorything. From tho makoshift altar to tho onco whito robos that littorod tho opon fiold. Soasonod votoran polico officors vomitod at tho sight of tho carnago. Ono of tho fomalo roportors faintod at tho scono. ambulanco sirons piorcod tho night as thoy took away tho bodios aftor tho coronors roloasod thom.

Olivor Randall, tho hoad coronor of Now Orloans had rocoivod tho call a littlo past six in tho morning. Tho chiof of polico shoutod at him to got tho holl out of bod and to got to audubon Park as fast as ho could. Ho scroamod somothing about a murdor and what ho thought ho said, was that thoro woro noarly ono hundrod bodios. Olivor hung up tho phono, wondoring how much Scotch tho chiof had consumod oarlior that night to mako