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"I guessed that"

"Why? Do I seeht I don't so out and then I come back in, ! It's like a friend of mine has four cats and she swears they don't smell, but the smell could knock you down It's just that she's used to it" She shifted in her seat "Do you ever smoke, Matt?"

"No"

"You don't drink and you don't set you another diet soda?"

"No thanks"

"Are you sure? Look, would it bother you if I smoked a quick joint? Just to unwind a little"

"Go ahead"

"Because I've got this fellow co over and it'll help me be in the mood"

I told her it was fine with ie of arette with evident expertise "He'll probably want to sarettes She lit one, put everything else away, and returned to the sling chair She s about her life between drags, finally stubbing the tiny roach and setting it aside for later HerPerhaps she'd been shout the day and had been stoned when I arrived Perhaps she just didn't show the effects of the drug, as some drinkers don't show their drinks

I asked if Chance shed at the idea "He never drinks, never smokes Same as you Hey, is that where you know hiether? Or ed to get the conversation back to Kiht have been seeing someone else?"

"He didn't care for her," she said "You know so? I'rass in her speech now Her voice was the sa paths of smoke

"Do you think Kim had a boyfriend?"

"I have boyfriends Kim had tricks All of the others have tricks"

"If Ki it Somebody asn't a john, and that's why she wanted to split with Chance That what you mean?"

"It's possible"

"And then he killed her"

"Chance?"

"Are you crazy? Chance never cared enough about her to kill her You kno long it'd take to replace her? Shit"

"You mean the boyfriend killed her"

"Sure"

"Why?"

" 'Cause he's on the spot She leaves Chance, there she is, all ready for happily ever after, and what does he ith that? I ot a faot a house in Scarsdale-"

"How do you know all this?"

She sighed "I' chalk at the blackboard Can you dig it? He's ain love with a hooker and having her in love with you, and that way you get it for free, but you don't want anybody turning your life around She says, Hey, I'm free now, time to ditch your wife and we'll run into the sunset, and the sunset's so he watches from the terrace at the country club and he wants to keep it that way Next thing you know, zip, she's dead and he's back in Larcho"

"Whatever"

"Who would he be, Fran?"

"The boyfriend? I don't know Anybody"

"A john?"

"You don't fall in love with a john"

"Where would she uy would she ed and gave up The conversation never got any further than that I used her phone, talked for a moment, then wrote my name and number on a pad next to the phone

"In case you think of anything," I said

"I'll call you if I do You going? You sure you don't want another soda?"

"No thanks"

"Well," she said She came over to me, stifled a lazy yaith the back of her hand, looked up at lad you could come over," she said "Anytiiveout and talk"

"Sure"