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  “Yes, they can.”

  They sat in silence for a long time, gazing out at the lake in contentment. Finally Eve sighed and said, “It’s very late. I suppose we should go in.”

  Jane shook her head. “That makes too much sense. I’m tired of being reasonable. It seems all my life I’ve forced myself to be practical and sensible, and I’m not sure I haven’t missed a heck of a lot by not letting in a little whimsy. My roommate, Pat, always told me that if your feet are planted firmly on the ground then you’ll never be able to dance.” She smiled at Eve. “Hell, let’s not go to bed. Let’s wait for the dawn and see if it comes up silver.”

  BOOKS BY IRIS JOHANSEN

  COUNTDOWN

  BLIND ALLEY

  FIRESTORM

  FATAL TIDE

  DEAD AIM

  NO ONE TO TRUST

  BODY OF LIES

  FINAL TARGET

  THE SEARCH

  THE KILLING GAME

  THE FACE OF DECEPTION

  AND THEN YOU DIE

  LONG AFTER MIDNIGHT

  THE UGLY DUCKLING

  LION’S BRIDE

  DARK RIDER

  MIDNIGHT WARRIOR

  THE BELOVED SCOUNDREL

  THE MAGNIFICENT ROGUE

  THE TIGER PRINCE

  LAST BRIDGE HOME

  THE GOLDEN BARBARIAN

  REAP THE WIND

  STORM WINDS

  THE WIND DANCER

  COUNTDOWN

  A Bantam Book / June 2005

  Published by Bantam Dell

  A Division of Random House, Inc.

  New York, New York

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved

  Copyright © 2005 by Johansen Publishing LLLP

  Bantam Books is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc., and the colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.

  Visit our website at www.bantamdell.com

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Johansen, Iris

  Countdown / Iris Johansen.

  p. cm.

  1. Duncan, Eve (Fictitious character)—Fiction. 2. Facial reconstruction (Anthropology)—Fiction. 3. Women art students —Fiction. 4. Women sculptors—Fiction. 5. Adoptees—Fiction. 6. Louisiana—Fiction. I. Title.

  PS3560.O275 C68 2005

  813'.54 22 2005046403

  Published simultaneously in Canada

  eISBN: 978-0-553-90141-2

  v3.0