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of the night just passed。
He touched her only when they had stepped out of the the shower and were hurriedly toweling dry。 He leaned close； kissed the corner of her mouth； and said； 〃What have I gotten you into； Holly Thorne？〃 Later； while Jim hurriedly packed a suitcase； Holly wandered only as far as the upstairs study； which was next to his bedroom。 The place had a disused look。 A thin layer of dust covered the top of the desk。
Like the rest of the house； his study was humble。 The cheap desk had probably been purchased at a cut…rate office…supplies warehouse。
The other furniture included just two lamps； an armchair on a wheel…and…swivel base； two free…standing bookcases overflowing with worn volumes； and a work table as bare as the long…unused desk。
All of the two hundred or more books were about religion： fat histories of Islam； Judaism； Buddhism； Zen Buddhism； Christianity； Hinduistn； Taoism； Shintoism； and others； the collected works of St。
Thomas Aquinas； Martin Luther； Scientists and Their Godsù the Bible in several versions …Douay； King James； American Standard； the Koran； the Torah； including the Old Testament and the Talmud； the Tripitaka of Buddhism； the Agama of Hinduism； the Zend…Avesta of Zoroastrianism； and the Veda of Brahmanism。
In spite of the curious pleteness of that part of his personal library； the most interesting thing in the room was the gallery of photographs that occupied two walls。 Of the thirty…some 8 X 10 prints； a few were in color but most were black and white。 The same three people featured in all of them： a strikingly lovely brunette； a good…looking man with bold features and thinning hair； and a child who could be no one but Jim Ironheart。
Those eyes。 One photograph showed Jim with the couple…obviously his '； parents…when he was only an infant swaddled in a blanket； but in the others he was not much younger than four and never older than about ten。
When he'd been ten； of course； his parents had died。
Some photos showed young Jim with his dad； some with his mom； and Holly assumed the missing parent had always been the one with the camera。
A handful included all three Ironhearts。 Over the years； the mother only grew more striking； the father's hair continued to thin； but he appeared to be happier as time passed； and Jim； taking a lesson from his mother； became steadily better looking。
Often the backdrop of the picture was a famous landmark or the sign for one。 Jim and both parents in front of Radio City Music Hall when he'd been about six。 Jim and his father on the boardwalk at Atlantic City when Jim was four or five。 Jim and his mother at a sign for Grand Canyon National Park； with a panoramic vista behind them。
All three Ironhearts in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle in the heart of Disneyland； when Jim was only seven or eight。 Beale Street in Memphis。
The sun…splashed Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach。 An observation deck overlooking the faces of Mount Rushmore。 Buckingham Palace in London。 The Eiffel Tower。 The Tropicana Hotel； Las Vegas。
Niagara Falls。 They seemed to have been everywhere。
In every case； no matter who was holding the camera or where they were； those in the shot looked genuinely happy。 Not one face in one print was frozen in an insincere smile； or caught with one of those snap…the…damn…picture expressions of impatience that could be found in abundance in most family photo albums。 Often； they were laughing instead of merely smiling； and in several instances they were caught in the middle of horseplay of one kind or another。 All three were touchers； too； not simply standing side by side or in brittle poses。
They were usually shown with their arms around one another； sometimes hugging； occasionally kissing one another on the cheek or casually expressing affection in some fashion。
The boy in the photographs revealed no hint of the sometimes moody adult he would bee； and Holly could see that the untimely death of his parents had changed him profoundly。 The carefree； grinning boy in the photographs had been lost forever。
One black…and…white particularly arrested her。 It showed Mr。
Ironheart sitting on a straight…backed chair。 Jim； maybe seven years old； was on his father's lap。 They were in tuxedos。 Mrs。 Ironheart stood behind her husband； her hand on his shoulder； wearing a slinky sequined cocktail dress that emphasized her wonderful figure。 They faced the camera directly。
Unlike the other shots； this one was carefully posed； with nothing but a piece of artfully draped cloth as a backdrop； obviously set up by a professional photographer。
〃They were wonderful；〃 Jim said from the doorway。 She had not heard him approaching。 〃No kid ever had better folks than them。〃
〃You traveled a lot。〃
〃Yeah。 They were always going somewhere。 They loved to show me new places； teach me things firsthand。 They would've made wonderful schoolteachers； let me tell you。〃
〃What work did they do？〃 〃My dad was an accountant at Warner Brothers。〃
〃The movie studio？〃 〃Yeah。〃 Jim smiled。 〃We lived in L。A。 Mom…she wanted to be an actress； but she never got a lot of jobs。 So mostly she was a hostess at a restaurant on Melrose Avenue； not far from the Paramount lot。〃
〃You were happy； weren't you？〃 〃Always。〃
She pointed to the photo in which the three of them were dressed with glittery formality。 〃Special occasion？〃 〃Times just the two of them should have celebrated； like wedding anniversaries； they insisted on including me。
They always made me feel special； wanted； loved。 I was seven years old when that photo was taken； and I remember them making big plans that night。 They were going to be married a hundred years； they said； and be happier each year than the one before； have lots more children； own a big house； see every corner of the world before they died together in their sleep。 But just three years later they were。 。 。 gone。〃
〃I'm sorry； Jim。〃
He shrugged。 〃It's a long time ago。 Twenty…five years。〃 He looked at his wristwatch。 〃e on； let's go。 It'll take us four hours to reach the farm； and it's already nine o'clock。〃
At the Laguna Hills Motor Inn； Holly quickly changed into jeans and a blue…checkered blouse； then packed the rest of her belongings。
Jim put her suitcase in the trunk of his car。
While she returned her room key and paid her bill at the front desk in the motel office； she was aware of him watching her from behind the wheel of his Ford。 She would have been disappointed； of course； if he had not liked to watch her。 But every time she looked through the plate…glass window at him； he was so motionless； so cool and expressionless behind his heavily tinted sunglasses； that his undivided attention was disconcert。
She wondered if she was doing the right thing by going with him to the Santa Ynez Valley。 When she walked out of the office and got in the car with him； he would be the only person in the world who knew where she was。 All of her notes about him were in her suitcase； they could disappear with her。 Then she would be just a woman； alone； who had vanished while on vacation。
As the clerk finished filling out the credit…card form； Holly considered phoning her parents