Lafferty, Mur by Playing for Keeps [html] Read Free Book Online Page A

shower.
    Dressing was a quick affair, pausing only to run a comb through her hair and realizing she had not, in fact, used conditioner. Swearing, she shoved a ball cap on her head and left her apartment.
    Outside her door, she paused for a moment. She hadn't locked a door since her powers had manifested, but last night proved that there are more reasons for someone to break in than to steal things. She pulled out her key ring and fumbled around, looking for the right one. Her apartment key was shiny and unused.
    Keepsie scanned the sky as she walked. This was her normal habit, looking intently like a teenager searching for zits to stress about. Today was different, though, as she scanned the sky in slight fear that she would be followed, chased, captured or attacked.
    The apartment buildings in Seventh City stretched four and five stories high, blotting out much of the sky. Keepsie was used to seeing the occasional hero on patrol, or even the occasional villain fleeing a heroic pursuit. These things happened every day.
    She sidestepped kids playing on the street and people returning from the corner grocery store. Some called a greeting to her, but she only managed to return a tight smile and a wave. She was not in the mood to chat. The sky was gray with clouds that threatened nothing but casting a dour mood on the day.
    Keepsie scowled at them.
    Although the diner was only a three-block walk through residential neighborhoods, Keepsie's hands shook by the end of the walk. She gripped the door tightly, feeling the metal knob slide under her sweaty grip. Pausing to collect herself, she pushed the door open.
    Her friends waited for her at a corner booth. The restaurant was crowded with Saturday morning customers lounging with coffee and their papers. The booths flanking her friends' each contained a solitary man immersed in his newspaper.
    The perky hostess smiled at her. "M'am, are you waiting on a table or would you like to sit at the counter?"
    "My friends are over there," Keepsie said, pointing. Michelle waved.
    "Then feel free to join them," she said. Keepsie hated her at that moment. So cheerful, so unafraid.
    Peter, Ian and Michelle all looked better rested than she felt. They even managed to smile at her. She hated them too.
    Ian slid into the booth to make room for her. "Keepsie, you look like shit." She glared at him.
    Michelle kicked him. "Did you sleep at all?" she asked Keepsie.
    "Not well," Keepsie said, appropriating Michelle's coffee and taking a swig. She made a face. "God, don't you use any sugar?"
    "Not when I'm making it for me," Michelle said, grinning.
    Peter signaled for the waitress and ordered Keepsie a large coffee while she stared miserably at the menu. The waitress looked down at her. "The usual, Keepsie?"
    Keepsie looked up. "Oh, hi Wanda. Yeah, the usual would be good."
    The older woman waited for a moment, her hand on her meaty hip. "You must be in a mood today or something, Keepsie."
    "Huh?"
    "You're messing it all up. You know, you ask me, ‘Hey Wanda, when are you going to come work for me?’" Wanda's voice hit a falsetto that didn't sound like Keepsie at all. "And I say, ‘When I divorce the owner of this joint and marry you, Keepsie,’ and we all laugh."
    Keepsie forced a smile. "Sorry, Wanda, I'm distracted today. But you know, if you ever chose to leave, you have a job waiting for you at Keepsie's Bar."
    "Sure, when I divorce the owner of this joint and marry you!" Wanda said, chortling, and took Keepsie's order to the kitchen.
    Ian watched Wanda waddle away. "OK, that was weird."
    "Wanda’s OK," Michelle said. "First Wave, perfect memory for everything, but it makes her a little too attached to rituals. The old jokes are the best ones in her mind."
    "Oh. What the hell is she doing waiting tables with a power like that?"
    Michelle's voice dropped low. "She's not terribly bright. She can remember anything but she doesn't process well. She fell in love with Larry in high school and wanted