When I was finally dressed, I had run out of things to do. I didn?t wantto go downstairs because that would mean talking to Suzanne, and Ididn?t think...I could handle another couple of hours of her referring tome as her daughter. I decided to stay in Hayley?s room, sitting in frontof her vanity table until I could find something to do.Suzanne came in before I could fall asleep due to boredom, I was restingmy head on my hand, glaring at my reflection in the mirror when sheasked, ?Lauren, what?s. We went around greeting friends and then my husband stopped in front of a Handsome young man. He introduced him as Raj who had recently moved to our city and was going great guns in the financial circles. I had heard of him but never thought he would be so young. Close to my age in fact. We made some small talk and moved away. I was standing in one corner sipping a drink with the other ladies, thanking them as they oohed and aahed over the Diamond necklace I was wearing. Suddenly, I felt a. I wasn't all that worried about the cops. Even if Maddie made a complaint in Dayton, it wasn't likely anybody in Chicago would take it seriously. They don't extradite you for that kind of thing. It's too expensive. And, except for the fact that I'd left my $5.25 knurled aluminum LED flashlight in the breezeway, there really wasn't any evidence, as far as I knew, that it was me who'd been there. Not counting the ribs, of course. The flashlight wouldn't have held any prints, because of the. .” said Gath carefully, “that would show we’re serious all right. How about we try my plan first, though? My people don’t react to violence all that well.”“Your people are pathetic,” spat Tom.“Beyond pathetic,” said Cedric. He turned to Fears No Darkness. “They did not even wipe out our army after they defeated us at Crescent City. Have you ever heard of such cowardice?”“You’re upset because they did not kill you all?” asked Fears No Darkness.“Not upset,” said Cedric, as if he were talking to.