第16部分(第2/7 頁)

　probably　smearing　bright

pink　lipstick　all　over　his　face。　？Let？s　make　a　lunch　date　sometime　next　week。？

？Um；　I？ve　got　school　all　day　every　day　next　week；　but　I　get　out　at　three…thirty。？

？School！？Rusty　screamed。　？You？re　socute　！　We　can　do　tea　then。　Call　my　office　and　have　Buckley；

my　assistant；　set　it　up。　Oh；　fuck　me！？　She　clasped　Dan？s　arm　with　a　clawlike　hand。　Her　fingernails

were　at　least　three　inches　long　and　painted　orangey　pink。　？There？s　someone　here　you

absolutelymust　meet。？

Rusty　let　go　of　Dan　and　held　out　her　arms　to　receive　a　frail…looking　girl　with　a　long；　sad　face　and

dirty　blond　hair。　The　girl　was　wearing　only　a　see…through　light　pink　slip　over　her　gaunt　frame　and

her　lank；　waist…length　hair　was　unbed；　as　if　she？d　just　gotten　out　of　bed。　？Mystery　Craze；　this

is　Daniel　Humphrey。　Daniel；　this　is　Mystery；？　Rusty　purred　loudly。　？Mystery；　honey；　you

remember　that　poem　I　gave　you　to　read？　The　one　you　said　。　。　。　Oh；　fuck　me。　I？ll　letyou　tell　him

what　you　said。　Now　if　you？ll　excuse　me；　I？m　going　to　go　lick　my　favorite　designer？s　ass　so　he？ll

give　me　some　new　free　clothes。　Love　you　both。　Ciao！？　she　added；　before　striding　away　in　her

five…inch　black　stilettos。

Mystery　blinked　her　huge；　tired　gray　eyes。　She　looked　like　she？d　been　up　all　night　cleaning

floors；　like　Cinderella。　？Your　poem　saved　my　life；？　she　confided　to　Dan　in　a　low；　husky　voice。　A

tall；　narrow　glass　of　something　bright　red　was　wedged　into　her　frail　hand。　？It？s　Campari；？　she　said

when　she　noticed　him　looking　at　it。　？Want　a　taste？？

Dan　never　drank　anything　that　wasn？t　caffeinated。　He　shook　his　head　no　and　tucked　his　black

notebook　under　his　arm。　Then　he　lit　a　Camel　a