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minute and mess up every hand. Run along now." |
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"But this is my job," Linda protested. "You'll make me feel guilty about accepting my salaryand I need it." |
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"Very well." Mrs. Bates smiled ruefully. "You may come back"she glanced at her watch"at eleven-thirty. We won't be done before then, and by then I may want an excuse to leave if the others plan to continue playing." |
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Linda had barely left the card room when she ran into Peter, who had been looking for her. |
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"Where've you been?" he asked. "Donald said you were with my aunt, but I looked in a few minutes ago and you weren't." |
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"Mrs. Bates sent me to tell Gertrude not to wait up for her. Peter, did you see Gertrude when you dropped off those papers?" |
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"Sure. Why? Was she gone?" |
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"No, she's in bed, asleep, but the door to the suite was open." |
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"In bed? That's odd. She was yawning her head off when I went in, and I said she should go to bed, but she said Aunt Em had gone out without the key so she had to wait up for her. We had a drink together. I thought either it would wake her up or she would fall asleep on the couch. She'd hear, though, if Aunt Em knocked. But the door" Peter stopped suddenly and his lips folded tight together. After a moment, he asked, "She was all right, wasn't she?" |
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"Well, her breathing sounded normal. I didn't go in because I didn't want to wake her up. |
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