Of course, Gloom was bound to notice Connor sooner or later. I'll just point out that it's only four days, she thought. Four lousy days for really good money, we check on Daisy and Pepper, we finish up somebody else's movie, we go home, no harm, no foul-

Off to the west, the helicopter grew closer, flying very low, just above the winding Savannah River. All around were brush and trees.

garnished with swamp and probably full of predators. "The low country, " Connor had called it, as if that were a good thing instead of a euphemism for "soggy with a chance of alligator." And now a helicopter-

Lucy rocked back as fifty-some pounds of five-year-old niece smacked into her legs at top speed, knocking her off balance and almost off her feet.

"Aunt Lucy!"

"Pepper!" She went down to her knees, inhaling the Pepper smell of Twizzlers and Fritos and Johnson's baby shampoo as she hugged the little girl to her, trying to avoid the binoculars slung around Pepper's neck. "I am so glad to see you!" she said, rocking her back and forth.

Pepper pulled back, her blond Dutch Boy haircut swinging back from her round, beaming face. "We will have such a good time now that you're here. We will play Barbies and watch videos, and I will tell you about my Animal of the Month, and we will have a party!" Her plain little face was lit with ecstasy. "It will be so, so good!" She threw her arms around Lucy's neck again and strangled her with another hug, smashing the binoculars into Lucy's collarbone.