"So when she asked you if we were a couple what did you say?"Wait, how did she know what Tabitha asked? Didn't matter, although I hada sneaking suspic...ion it had nothing to do with her gifts."I told her that we were going to the dance together." That's not much of an answer, Erin." She didn't sound happy with myanswer but I expected that. Tabitha didn't like it either."That's the only one I can give you right now, Kaylee," I saidtruthfully."Well, I'm sure you two will be happy." What do you mean. ”“Um ... uh ... Lowen ... Lowenstein,” I managed to get out. How did Mavis figure any of this was her fault? It was Lowenstein calling me the Kinkade of draped nudes. Telling me he was disappointed. Me knowing that my happiness had destroyed my art and then sacrificing my happiness to paint again. Me. It was all about how I responded.“You can take criticism, Artie. You know that not everyone sees the same things you do. You know people’s tastes differ,” she said.Well, yes, I guess so. I know. Probably high on God knows what. Normally not in a nice neighborhood like this.”As I talked with the Sargent I kept one eye on the Finklestein’s house. The living room light was on, and a police officer was approaching the porch. Even in the night, I could tell it was Alika Kirkwood. She was the only black person in the precinct, the only woman in the precinct, the only homosexual in the precinct, and the owner of the most extreme set of curves in the tri-county area.“I could watch her walk all. Luckily, she too was at home on her own, and we could talk freely.She had just got back from their family summer holiday on the North Wales coast near Abersoch, and we had been out of touch for most of the time as they hadn't been on the phone. She had phoned me a few times when she got a chance, but had mostly got either no answer, or left a short message with Mum.It was the first opportunity that we had ever had to talk really dirty to each other on the phone, and there were a lot of awkward.