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"Yeah, but when it co some kind of benefit, you usually have to show docu And I know you don’t have that"

He shrugged "I seeround check There was another guy interviewing for the same position I think he was full-blooded Apache, but he didn’t do anything to play that up Just showed up in a suit If he’d ar paint, he roaned "Probably he was doing so on professionaliset a job anyway? I mean, I’m impressed--well, not with the fake Lakota act--but it’s not so I expected from you"

"That makes two of us" His earlier enthusias She said if you weren’t around, then it was ‘i here rent-free" When we’d been roo

I felt a s together with htful It was on par with Rurik and Shaya’s seehed "Oh, the things I do for love, Eug Anyway, yeah, she said it wasn’t right to drain your bank account for the ot a job, and she stopped the auto-deductions or whatever Noe cover it"

"So she lives here too," I mused I wasn’t surprised that Lara had been able to alter e payment options She’d always known more about my finances and business affairs than I had "Where is she? I’d love to see her"

He glanced at the clock "Still at work That Enrique guy has her working crazy hours, but at least she pulls a lot of them" That too elcome news As my business had dried up, I’d worried about Lara and had introduced her to a private detective who needed clerical help Apparently things had worked out "But forget about us Where have you been? Jesus, Eug It’s been, what? Al back"

There was legitimate hurt in his voice, and I realized that I hadn’t spared ht have wondered at my disappearance Tim kneas involved with the Otherworld, but he had no idea of the extent of nant I’d taken off before it was obvious

"It’s complicated," I said "And s to take care of, and it was better for all of us that I stayed away"

"Without even a hint that you were okay?" Again, the hurt and accusation in his voice took me aback

"I’m sorry," I said "II just didn’t think I can honestly say it was safer for you not to know, but I should’ve sent soeor even left a note"

"If the visitors we initially had were any indication, I can understand the ‘safe’ part," he adht after all

He waved a dis deal "Yeah, kind of a random assortment I don’t knohat kind of creatures they all were--Lara could probably tell you Your old , they stopped conized a lost cause"

I hadn’t realized Roland had done that for h it shouldn’t have come as a surprise He was the kind of conscientious person ould think of things like that I owed hiht not be so blasé about his "visitors"

"So, hey, that’s taken care of No hars" He stood up and took the headdress off "What do you want for dinner? It’s been a while, but I still reot a stash of Milky Ways"

I grinned "I’ll take those, but I’s and then head out"

Tim had been about to open a cupboard and stopped His face fell "Can’t you even stay to see Lara? She’ll probably be back in, oh, an hour Two at lanced at the clock and feltout of town again and still have to figure things out" Aside froistics to discuss about my Otherworldly trip