How you woo a woman so quickly is a mystery to me. My daughter wasn’t the needy, insecure type.”I flexed my fist and Cina realized the pain she wa...s inflicting on me. A bit of blood slipped between her fingers. She grinned at my pain for a moment. Cina seemed to register the inappropriateness of it and lightened her hold, but didn’t release me. Her body language was like a warship radiating betraying emissions before a blast of weapons fire.“Listen to me!” Cina demanded, drawing my eyes from her. She embraced you with her smile. She had hardly ever smiled after her mother's death three years ago."What time is Carter calling on you?" What time is it now?"She was checking herself in the hall mirror, making sure that everything was just right for when her boyfriend called upon her."A few minutes to eight." He should be here any minute."She was a ravishing spectacle. Barker loved when she wore her hair up on her head like it that.She looked so much like Nora when she arranged her hair on. Phelps?" Yes. He paid his bill a while ago and was preparing to move his boat from the marina." Was he a guest of the hotel?" He hasn't been, but he was a guest last month." Last month? How old a guy is this Phelps?"Craig looked at Sam with genuine alarm. "Mr. Phelps is middle-aged. He's a rather distinguished-looking man." There was a lengthy pause. "Actually, Sam," the hotel manager said, "I guess Phelps kind of meets the description. I think he might have been a guest here when... I'm sorry,. The morning news shows had no choice but to mention the story. Most were firmly attached to the mayor’s wagon but their viewers would expect the story to get some play. Channel 3 was the most vocal, of course. Their news director had worked on the mayor’s campaign and the station owner was one of her biggest supporters. The station came out with a full-fledged denial of the mayor’s activities. The news director went so far as to put forth an editorial calling for the public to wait for the.