Jonathan Kellerman: Self-Defence

He cried some more, softly, then snapped out of it. Drying his eyes, he took my hand in both of his. "How selfish of me- so much work to be done. Always hunger."

I returned to the packing line.

Lucy's hands moved like a weaver's at a loom. She was trying to smile but her mouth wouldn't cooperate.

"Thanks for coming," she said. "Guess I'll be seeing you at the beach tomorrow."

"Here, too," I said. "I think I'll stick around for a while."

Jonathan Kellerman is one of the world's most popular authors. He has brought his expertise as a child psychologist to numerous bestselling tales of suspense (which have been translated into two dozen languages), including thirteen previous Alex Delaware novels; The Butcher's Theater, a story of serial killing in Jerusalem; and Billy Straight, featuring Hollywood homicide detective Petra Connor. His new novel, Flesh and Blood, will be published in hardcover in fall 2001. He is also the author of numerous essays, short stories, and scientific articles, two children's books, and three volumes of psychology, including Savage Spawn: Reflections on Violent Children. He and his wife, the novelist Faye Kellerman, have four children.