Part 3 (2/2)

animals had taught her much in reading the signals they gave off. Especially those between predator and prey.

He pulled a folded piece of paper from his back pocket. ”I just want to talk to

you.” He unfolded the paper and flashed a picture at her.

It was her mother, there was no doubt about that. Talia felt her knees give a little. She didn't have a picture of her. As far as she knew there was no one

alive who had ever known her mother. If there had been, she wouldn't have been left to the sisters at St. Evangeline's when she was six years old.

Her head began to swim. She looked just like her mother. The powerful punch-

in-the-gut connection she'd wanted so badly for so many years had finally been made. Distant memories of her mother swam to the surface of her mind.

For years she'd carefully pulled out the few she had, but they were like worn

storybooks with pictures faded from too many readings.

”Eleri, we must talk.”

It was hearing her mother's name again that yanked Talia from her nearly

trancelike state. She jerked her gaze to the man called Archer. This man had known her mother. ”I'm... I'm not-How did you know-?”Archer scanned the room behind her. ”We need to talk, but not here. Is there somewhere more private?”

She realized she had to act before he made a scene. She turned toward the residents, pasting a smile on her face even as her mind was reeling. ”I'll be right back,” she said, hoping she sounded rea.s.suring. She sure didn't feel it at the moment.

Colonel Rosewall started to stand, obviously ready to put his forty-seven years of military experience to use if she needed his aid. He couldn't move faster than a snail and had less strength than a puppy, but the gesture warmed her heart. ”It's fine, Colonel. I'll be right back.”

But it wasn't fine. Talia turned to the two men, a million questions filling her mind, but her tongue hopelessly tangled. She started to lead them into the lobby, when all of a sudden Archer froze and yelled, ”You!”

She whirled around just in time to see Jimmy leaping toward her. Before she had time to think, Jimmy grabbed her, and with a strength she hadn't thought he was capable of, he spun her around and locked his arm around her neck, twisting her other arm behind her back for leverage. Her heart was drumming, her mind spinning, unable to comprehend what was happening.

”You're too late. She's mine, Archer. I got here first.”

”Too bad you weren't the last, Dideon.” Archer launched himself over the chair between them.

Talia instinctively closed her eyes and flinched against the expected impact, but instead Jimmy stumbled back away from Archer, tripping over someone's walker, sending them all sprawling. His grip relaxed slightly and Talia immediately fought her way free. But Jimmy was already rolling to his feet and racing for the door, shoving through the chairs, knocking several of the residents aside in his haste. Archer was fast on his heels.

Talia crawled to her feet as the melee erupted in full. Dideon? He'd called Jimmy Dideon. ”But Jimmy's last name is Mason,” she mumbled, to no one in particular. She spied the old man in the flowing robes, who now had the scruffy dog tucked under his arm, being carried out with the crowd, and headed after him.

It was complete chaos. Canes were waving, there was swearing and shouting, dogs barked, Marble screeched, walkers banged into each other. The scene was topped off by a wheelchair logjam in the doorway as Archer raced out, hot on Jimmy's heels.

The whole group spilled into the foyer. Talia managed to shout to the desk manager as she raced by to please help calm everyone down. But those who were mobile were all giving chase-at varying speeds, of course. The entire scene came to a tangled halt just past the courtyard at the edge of the parking lot, when Jimmy made it over the rear wall and disappeared into the wooded area behind the main building.

Archer was walking back toward her, breathing hard and cursing quietly. The mob of residents moved closer, ready to rescue her. If she hadn't been so dumbfounded by the whole situation, she would have laughed. If they could only see themselves. This was the most animated they'd been since that morning Mr. Lambert had been found dead, with a smile on his face, in Mrs.

Zambini's bed.

”It's okay, everyone,” she called to them. Had Jimmy really tried to hurt her? Or had he just been scared and she'd been a convenient target? I found her first. She s.h.i.+vered at the memory of his words, the look in his eyes. But it made no sense. ”Show's over,” she called out, trying to sound confident.

”He chased that sweet Jimmy,” Miss Helen cried, cat hair sticking straight out all over her sweater. She pounded her cane on the sidewalk and waved her sticky roller in the air. ”I say let's get him!”

”Your 'sweet Jimmy' tried to choke our Talia,” the colonel barked. ”I say we

call the police!”

”It's okay, Miss Helen, Colonel. I'll find out what's going on. Please, could you all go back inside and help Tom round up the animals for me?”

Worry for their furry friends all left behind in the stampede immediately filled their faces, as Talia had hoped it would. She knew the desk manager had likely rounded them all up at this point, but they wouldn't have thought of that.

They all shuffled back toward the building. All except for Colonel Rose-wall.

”Young man, I'll have it from you now.” He rapped Archer smartly on the chest with the handle of his cane, as if lie were running inspection and Archer had failed it. Miserably. ”Why in blazes did you come in here like the fourth cavalry charging a hill when a simple question or two would have sufficed?

I'm certain whatever the situation is with young James, it could have been handled more discreetly. ”

Archer nudged the cane handle aside. ”Sorry, Commander, this really doesn't

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