Back at the bundle, I had everyone sit down while I explained that each of the weapons used different size rounds with special smokeless powder and al... them, including the empty brass cartridges, was irreplaceable, as no one knew who invented them or where to get more. The Mendozas and Anna knew it was really a question of ‘when’ they were invented, not where, but they remained quiet.I picked up the pistol and showed them how it operated, how the magazine was released, how to load a magazine. But neither of my parents. They died of natural causes. Mind you, that’s not saying much. A lot of the people I kill die from natural causes. “Officially” that is. Anyway, I wasn’t Millie’s pimp as I never took a dime off her. I did protect her though. After a few brutal demonstration kills, the local trouble knew to leave Millie well alone. She was free to work all the best haunts and she made a lot of money. Why wouldn’t she? Beautiful, intelligent girl like her whoring herself out. She. Robert obligingly put the dishcloth down and turned around, looking awayfrom their gaze in embarassment. They told Robert there were somesplashes near the lower edge, and asked him to hold the apron at thebottom hem and turn it up, so they could see if any water had soakedthrough... Of course, what they really wanted to see was the front of hisshaper, to learn if he was sexually turned on too... Robert stammered and said it wasn't necessary, that the apron didn't feelwet at all, and that he. Searching the bottom of my empty coffee mug for a sign, I wondered if we would still be living there in the spring, long enough to see the tree in bloom. How would Danny take it when I told him I had been unfaithful? The tree, I realized, was becoming a symbol of my infidelity. Would it become the wedge that would separate us? Would I ever see it bloom?All week I had expected a letter to arrive from Danny. I had not heard anything from him since the telephone call a week before. Had something.