Good heavens, Mr. Mason, dont ask me. When I heard those boards creak, my knees just turned to water, and when I saw that gun, I guess I let out the loudest scream I ever let out in my life and I went down those stairs so fast I dont think I even touched the stairs. I went out through thatdoor — I must have all but taken it off the hinges. Didnt think they gave that info out. What the hell was she doing searching Valentines room? Devine looked out the window at the sunny day.So, I didnt really complete my mission, then. And you dont give out participation trophies. Am I headed to USDB? I figured if the dude didnt come in the front, because I would have seen him, he came in that way. I ran the video feed back to like eleven oclock, just to be sure. He shook his head. But there was nothing. Nobody was there. The office became silent, Drake holding the earphones, from time to time making notes, Mason completely absorbed in his reading, Della Street occasionally exchanging signals with Drake. Well, after three or four or five minutes, it suddenly occurred to me that if I went in there, I justmight be able to distract his attention so that he wouldnt find where I had fixed up that room upstairs, where I did my watching. You see, if hed ever told Enny that Id been up there spying... well, Enny would have resented it terribly. I justcouldn’t let him find that room. You dont dare to tie it down to any particular period of time. Twenty minutes of silence and acute listening passed, then Mikes phone rang. Yeah? Good. He hung up. “The dogs owner came home and was greeted noisily. Only one sip ahead, he replied. What have you learned about the list? I took a film editing class in college. I had started thinking about doing something online, and I thought that skill would come in handy. And it did because I use it on Hummingbird. I took photos and video of you coming and going from the town house, Travis. And Jerry was your height and build.I took video of him going in and out of your building. Then I just digitally sliced and diced and put the appropriate clothes on you. Your head on his body. From a distance, it was close enough for the cops to nail you on it. That guy. Audrey? She thought for a moment.Yes, thats right. I did, and Im very grateful for the access. Come in, Lance. Would you like some breakfast? We have a right to ask questions. Well, Greenleafs been around a long time and he takes one look at what these guys have come up with and he says to em that theyre fuckin’ crazy. Now Greenleaf’s the one who led the fight for me in the Council meeting, although it wasn’t much of a fight, so they don’t even try tobuy him off. They don’t even try to argue with him. They just smile politely at him and let him have his say and on the way home that night his car is forced over to the curb and somebody beats the shit out of Ted Greenleaf and the next day he resigns from the Council board and puts it in writing. He has to put it in writing on account of he’s in the hospital with his fuckin’ jaws wired shut. You gettin’ the picture? She came and made a nest in his lap.You and everyone around you are so attuned to my needs, she said..