"She's lost twenty pounds since New... 525
"She's lost twenty pounds since New Year'sI'm
slipping her those maxi-shakes - Ensure, they're
called - once a day, but she won't always take em
What about you? Is it just too much work that's
got you looking that way?"
"What way?"
"Like the Hound of the Baskervilles recently bit
off your left asscheekIf it's overwork, maybe
you ought to knock off and stretch out a little"'That's our opinion, we welcome
yours,' as they say on Channel 6
531
I stood where I was, feeling the lift and drop of
the waves, and thinking about what I could tell
WiremanAbout how much I could tell fendi b WiremanThe
answer seemed self-evident: all or nothing
"I think I better fill you in on what happened
last nightYou just have to promise not to call
for the men in the white coats
I told him about how I'd finished his portrait
mostly in the darkI told him about seeing my
right arm and handThen seeing the two dead girls
at the foot of the stairs and passing outBy the
time I finished, we'd waded back out of the water
and walked to where Elizabeth was snoringWireman
began to clean her tray, sweeping the refuse into
a bag he took from the pouch hanging on one arm of
her chair
"Nothing prada replica handbags else?" he asked
"That isn't enough?"
"I'm just askingI slept like a baby until six
o'clockThen I put you - the painting of you - in
the back of the car and drove down hereWhen
you're ready to see it, by the way-"
532
"All in good timeThink of a number between one
and ten
"What?"
"Just humor me, muchacho
I thought of a number
He was silent for a moment, looking out at the
GulfThen he said, "Nine?"
"Nope He drummed his fingers against
his chest for a few moments, then dropped them
into his lap"Yesterday I could have told youMy telepathy thing - that little
twinkle - is women's santos 100 replica goneIt's more than a fair trade
Wireman is as Wireman was, and Wireman says muchas
gracias
"What's your point? Or did you have one?"
"I didThe point is you're not going crazy, if
that's what you're afraid ofOn Duma Key, broken
people seem to be special peopleWhen they cease
being broken, they cease being specialYou're still broken, so you're still
special
"I'm not sure what you're getting at
533
"Because you're trying to make a simple thing hard
Look in front of you, muchacho, what do you see?"
"The GulfWhat you call the caldo largo
"And what do you spend most of your mens gucci watches time
painting?"
"The Gulf
"And what is painting?"
"Painting is seeing, I guessAnd what is seeing on Duma
Key?"
Feeling like a child reciting a lesson of which
he's not quite sure, I said: "Special seeing?"
"YesSo what do you think, Edgar? Were those dead
girls there last night or not?"
I felt a chill up my backI think you saw the ghosts of
her sisters
"I'm frightened of them I said this in a low
voiceI don't think ghosts can hurt people
"Maybe not ordinary people in an ordinary place,"
I said
He nodded, rather reluctantlySo what
do you want to do?"
534
"What I don't want to do is cc chanel logo earrings leav
