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him. He didn’t need further problems from me.
    “ I understand. Thank you for seeing me. ”
    He looked so relieved at my sudden about -face that I was ashamed of myself for having tried to play on his friendship. This was serious stuff, whatever it was. “ Would it be all right if I waited here for Alix? She’ll need a ride home. ”
    “ It might be a long wait. ”
    I thought of Nick , gave an internal sigh. No choice but to cancel again. I pictured his wry smile as he’d composed his silly note earlier, anticipating our plans for the evening. This wasn’t the way either of us had envisioned it. “ That’s okay. I’ve got time. ”
    Brady strode ramrod- straight to the opposite side of the lobby and disappeared into the back rooms. I picked up the nearest magazine and stared at the cover for some minutes without seeing it. The June day had been warm enough for my short-sleeved top and sandals, but now goose bumps rose on my arms. Leaving the magazine open in my lap, I rubbed them and wondered how long I’d have to wait. No sign of Alix yet . I’d call Nick . I longed to hear his voice, though he wouldn’t like what I had to say .
    A warm hand landed on my shoulder just as I flipped open the phone . I turned to find Nick easing onto the seat beside me.
    “ Field & Stream ? I had no idea you were such a fan. ” His intense scrutiny belied the bantering tone as his warm brown eyes searched my face for clues about the situation.
    “ I’m so sorry. ” The hours of strain broke through my control . I dropped the phone , and my words tumbled out . “ I was just about to call. How could this have happened again? ”
    He waved away the apology and set the phone on the table beside me . “ Hey. Take a deep breath. ” Enfolding my icy hands in his large warm grasp, he continued. “ Tyler told me. Of course you had to be here. ” He looked around at the quiet lobby. “ What have you learned? ”
    “ Just that the security guard needs a personality transplant. ”
    “ Ah, now you’re sounding more like yourself. Things can’t be all that bad then. Have you spoken to Alix? ”
    “ Not yet. Brady told me I could wait. Said it might be a long time. ” I pressed my lips together and suppressed the memory of the grim look on Brady’s face when he talked about Alix. Better to concentrate on annoyance at the security guard’s attitude until or unless I learned for sure there was something bigger to worry about. “ But what are you doing here? ”
    “ You’ve got problems. Where else would I be? ”
    Nick’s simple reply sabotaged my attempt to maintain emotional control and tears sprang to my eyes . “ But after you said— ”
    He noticed; he gathered me into his arms and stroked my hair. “ Yeah, I know, but this is something else. We’ll talk later. You can’t get rid of me that easily. ”
    “ But this keeps happening. ” I leaned back to look up at him. Nothing but concern written on his face. Why was I so lucky? “ I thought you’d be mad. ”
    “ Come on. Give me some credit. You didn’t plan for this to happen, or did you? It does seem to keep happening. Hmmm. ” As I opened my mouth to protest, he gave my shoulders a gentle shake. “ I’m kidding, Jane. This has to be some kind of mistake. This is our friend Alix we’re talking about, not some serial killer. On the other hand, if you’re really sweating it, I can present myself as her attorney. Might speed things up. ”
    “ I’ve probably been sitting here too long, thinking up scary stories. But an attorney? I do n’t know. Somehow seems like— ”
    “ —we think maybe there’s a reason she’ll need one? ” I nod ded, prompting him to continue in a low, reassuring voice. “ Look, if Brady told you to wait, that’s a good sign. I’ll stay out of it for now, if that’s what you want, but I’ll leave the cell on, just in case. H ere. ” He dug in his shirt pocket and pulled out a Snickers bar. “ I don’t want you