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She turned and walked slowly to the street. The sky was dark now, and she knew that thinking of a place to sleep was no longer a topic for idle speculation. It was an immediate necessity.
For once, Carly thought about shelter without a feeling that it was only her own stubbornness which was making this a problem. When she'd first arrived in town, a month before, she'd met Danny in a bar the first night and had gone home with him. He'd fallen hard, and she could have stayed in his apartment until that had worn off, but it was the intensity of his feelings which had forced her to move out, even though it had meant living on the streets. But there had been times, usually several each day, when she'd thought how easy it would have been to give in, to move back into Danny's apartment.
She hesitated in the entrance to the alley, suddenly thinking that she should go back to Danny's body and take his keys. Then she could stay in his apartment. The idea made her queasy, so she thought about it until she realized what was wrong with it.
The body would be found. The lack of keys would be noted. The apartment would be checked out. And the girl staying there would be arrested. Oh, well.
She thought of her friend Joan. Joan had an apartment, and usually made it clear that it was too small for two (unless the second was one of her lovers, of course), but Carly had an awful thought. Joan was, for all her sleeping around, quite a romantic, and Carly thought that she could manipulate grief over Danny's death into a place to sleep for at least one night. Not a pleasant idea, but it was better than any of the alternatives.
Plus, she thought happily, Joan had the duffel bag which held the few items of clothing that Carly didn't have on, the few things she'd taken when she'd moved out of Danny's apartment. She flexed her toes. Clean socks would be nice. She started out, again trying to look like she had someplace definite to go.
She walked with great determination, not noticing the tall figure which appeared out of the doorway nearest the alley and followed her.
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