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Ha
It was barely seven in the morning when Charlie and Ryan parked Ryan's truck in front of the design studio. Approaching the elegant entry with its potted trees and theatrical displays, the two women looked out of place indeed dressed in their old, worn jeans and wrinkled boots; but neither cared, nor did Ha
Locking the door behind them, Ha
"You are a gem!" Ryan said. "I'm starved."
"You're always starved. Come sit." Ha
"You sure you want to do this?" Charlie said. "Sell me rugs with no markup? Your rugs…"
"It's a fair trade. I take no markup. You let me ride Redwing whenever you don't have the time. Now, while you two fill your tummies, I'll just flip through the rack, find a few pieces you can study while you're eating." Rising, she began to slowly swing the metal arms of the ceiling-high rack that occupied the far wall, bringing the handmade rugs into view one at a time. Charlie could hardly eat for admiring the bright, primitive patterns. She wanted them all; she was asking Ha
"What?" Ryan and Ha
"Don't turn around, Ryan. She's looking right in here. I can't believe this."
"Who?" they chorused. Ryan paused with her cup raised, glancing up sideways. Ha
"Chichi Barbi," Charlie said. "Across the street in front of the drugstore, sitting on that bench. Staring right across at us, bold as brass. Staring right in! How much can she see, in here?"
"Can't see much, with no lights," Ha
Charlie nodded. "I… We think… Wilma and I think she's casing the shops for burglaries. We… My God, Ha
Ha
"What?" Charlie said.
Ha
Ryan said, "She's making notes." She looked up at her sister. "Dallas and Max have gotten a call, one of those anonymous calls, that she's casing the more expensive shops. They think she might be part of the jewelry store bunch, that they could be pla
"Chichi Barbi is part of that?" Ha
"They're working on backup," Ryan said. "Contacting other districts, to borrow officers. You know Uncle Dallas and Max! They'll have more men than they need, never doubt it."
Ha
"Dallas would have your hide," Ryan said. "Putting yourself in that kind of danger."
"We're not Dallas and Scotty's little girls anymore." Ha
"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Ryan told her. "Can you imagine their rage, or Dad's, if they caught you hiding out in your own shop waiting for armed robbers-or if you got shot?" But as the two talked, Charlie's attention was no longer on Chichi but on the dark little shadow crouched on the roof above her as Chichi made her mysterious notes.
Kit had been sitting on the roof for some time, intent on Chichi, who, in turn, was intent on the shops across the street, particularly on Ha
In Ha
"I wonder if that's her real name," Ha
Ryan shrugged, and said nothing.
"Well, she has your back up," Ha
Charlie said, "It was more than an hour between di
Charlie left the shop with Ryan, having selected three beautiful primitive rugs that would set her back a bundle, even at wholesale prices. Picking up her own car, she headed up the hills to inspect a new job and a new cleaning crew. Pulling out into light village traffic and turning up into the north hills, she was glad she'd have little, wizened Mavity Flowers to oversee the two new crew members.