Page 16 (1/2)

"Oh, yeah?" I went back to writing et ned it with all the flair I could muster, then folded it into thirds, tried to stuff it in an envelope, pulled it back out and refolded to ain, pulled it back out "Oh, --?"

"Would you like to hear my third point?"

I blew a lock of hair off my face and turned to her "Sure"

"Third, just who are you going to send that letter to, exactly?"

Da’s back I saw soh the threadbarethe letter, I strolled over to hiray shirt

"Holy cow," I said His entire back was covered in tattoos "I think Mr Wongslowly "Aren’t they kind of dangerous?"

"From what I hear, they are" I reached around him and unbuttoned the top couple of buttons of his shirt "I a So, so, so, so sorry"

After I’d unfastened enough to pull the shoulders down, I carefully peeled back the shirt and exa, but not what I’d seen in the anized crime syndicate, Chinese or otherwise It was Chinese characters, beginning with a straight line across, thenvertical lines of text Only, I couldn’t read thee ever spoken on Earth Part of the gig, I guessed Even though that didn’t include the ability to read and write said languages, I knew just enough Mandarin to be dangerous

Cookie was standing back, watching me with nervous anxiety "Well? Is he triad?"

"No I mean, I don’t think so I’m not sure what he is It’s just words Chinese characters But I don’t recognize theht hitready for your fake date?"

She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth "I’’s shirt just in case he was triad and could put out a hit for e, and stepped to her "You have to snap out of this" I took her shoulders and gave her a little shake I didn’t slap her, though Thatit a bit far "You want this, remember? For reasons known only to you and God above, you have the hots for ht It’s for his own good"

"Daht, it is And it’ll be funny to watch him squirm I can’t wait to see the look on his face--"

"Charley!"