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She gave me that quizzical moon child look which I interpreted as meaning, "Tell me more." |
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"I hope you're ready for this. Last night, while we were sleeping, all of our suspicions were confirmed. We're definitely on the right track; our 'thing' struck again." |
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"I'm afraid not, not this time. Our what-ever-it-is calmly carved up a teenage couple that was parked out on the point behind the motel." |
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The color slowly drained out of Brenda's face as she set her cup down. Her hands were shaking. |
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"Oh, my God," she managed, "what happened?" |
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I told her everything, starting from the point when she retired for the night, through the brief encounter with Kelto, and finally describing the scene on the rocky strip of land jutting out from the motel. Along the way I gave her my impressions of the sullen young motel clerk and the somewhat different perspective I now had of Jake Madden. Brenda was stone-faced through it all. I concluded with a list of things that I thought needed to be checked out. She listened as if in a coma. Finally I stopped. "Are you all right?" |
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The intense blue-green eyes blinked a couple of times, and she finally nodded. "Yeah, I guess so." The favorable assess- |
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