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Jason gaveI’ll call her later"

Jason was used to hts He said, "Okay, Sook You take it easy today I never believed you done it Not that she didn’t have it coenuinely touched, and of course I kneas completely sincere

"Call me if you need lad to unlock the door and be back injaover Jane Bodehouse, it was exquisitely sweet to be alone I glanced at the telephone answeringfuriously, and I was certain there were so for me But a shower came first

While I dried my hair with a towel, I looked out theat the shiain, but it would be a couple of days before I needed to water, thanks to the recent rain I actually looked forward to getting out in the yard, because after jail it looked incredibly beautiful The extravagant growth and lushness had only increased while I was gone

I put on makeup, because I needed to feel attractive I put a ton of s and sprayed on a little spritz of perfume This was more like it Every second I felt more like myself, Sookie Stackhouse, bar owner and telepath, and less like Sookie the Jailbird

I pushed down the Play button on the answering machine

Here are the people who didn’t believe I should have been arrested: Maxine; India; JB du Rone’s mom; Pastor Jih school softball team; and at least seven others I had to feel touched that they’d bothered to call to express their feelings, even though I’d been in jail and it had been possible I’d never get to hear their encouraging es I wondered if I should write a thank-you note to each caller My grandmother would have

As I listened to Kennedy Keyes’s voice telling me Sam had said I shouldn’t come in today and I should rest, I could see by the counter that I had only one nize it He said, "You had no right to take awayto make sure you pay for it" I looked at the nunize it, either Was I shocked at the determination in his voice? Yes But I wasn’t surprised I kno people really are I can hear their thoughts I couldn’t read the brain of soe, but I know intent when I hear it My anonymous caller had meant every word he’d said

Noas my turn to make a phone call "Andy, I need you to co," I said when he picked up his cell "You otta protect ot arrested?"

"Sookie," Andy said He sounded massively tired "I’m on my way"

"And do me a favor, okay? This is weird, and I know you won’t want to do it, but you tell Alcee Beck to clean out his car I’ in his car that shouldn’t be there" I’d had so much time to think in jail that I’d remembered a little flash of memory: Alcee’s car parked by the woods The odd flicker of movement I’d seen from the corner of my eye The fact that Alcee was so insanely deterht, It’s alood fit, I was sure it was true

Chapter 10

Though Sam hadn’t wanted me to come in the day I was released fro On one level, it was such a nor to do that my preparations felt quite ordinary On another level, since I’d spent part of et to walk back into Merlotte’s again, I was nervous about ation

Andy Bellefleur had listened to the threat onmachine and taken the little tape with hih to make a copy before he drove off I hadn’t needed to ask him if he’d conveyed hts that he hadn’t, that he was already in bad with Alcee because Andy’d maintained they shouldn’t arrest es So there was so I’d have to take care of itation atwelcome back to the bar In fact, I’d expected Saht before, but he hadn’t Now, seeing hi

Saoff hi out of his brain, he couldn’t have been more lit up But then his whole face shut down, and he turned his back to lass furiously I was surprised it didn’t shatter in his fingers

To say I was hurt and bewildered would be understating by about a ton I didn’t think Sary about sos from all the bar staff and at least six customers, Sam avoided ," I said tartly, the third ti hatch He had turned away to exaency phone numbers as if there were some new information on it that had to be memorized in the next fiveoff whatever he’d been about to say "Good you’re back" An Norr caet a pitcher of beer, and that cut our conversation off at the kneesif you could call our exchange a conversation I went aboutNot for the first ti, but since he was a shapeshifter, I could only feel that his thoughts were dark and frustrated

That made two of us

On the plus side, if any bar patrons were scared of being served by a woman who’d been arrested for murder, they didn’t act like it Of course, they were used to Kennedy, who not only had been arrested for killing her abusive ex-boyfriend but had actually done both the killing and the ti a work-release progra about Kennedy made me feel better, especially since she’d been one of the kind people who’d co of Kennedy (if only to myself), a couple of hours later she came in with her honey, Danny Prideaux, in tow As always, Kennedy looked as if she’d just arrived at a hotel to check in for a pageant weekend: groo a turquoise and brown tank top and brown shorts Her turquoise sandals boosted her up another two inches How did she do it? Ifor ashe did quite by habit), Kennedy crossed the floor to wrap her ar, which was a first Apparently, ere now sisters under the skin Though the comparison made me uncomfortable, I could hardly be holier-than-thou - so I reciprocated the hug and thanked her for her concern

Kennedy and Danny were there for a drink before Danny went to his second job as daytiht, he told et his orders and report on the results of his previous days Today, he’d be over at the house to let in so to think what Bill would need Danny to do