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"Have solass "You probably need it Running all over the place like an idiot You know, Kara won’t thank you for butting in"

Relief made his knees want to buckle; he willed hi had said Kara wouldn’t thank him, which sounded an awful lot like the canny for to share "I won’t thank you," he said quietly, "if so happens to her because I’m not there to help

Especially when you knohere she is"

"I don’t know exactly, I only have a guess I didn’t have ti annoyed, "and that’s the only reason I’ht she had the whole story, I wouldn’t say shit and there wouldn’t be a thing you could do about it, pretty boy"

"Warn her?" he asked sharply Definitely don’t like the sound of that, oh no

"I wasn’t here when Krystal left with her Kara can take care of herself, but Krystal’s a snake and snakes bite everybody, even snake handlers"

Mystifying, but interesting Jared nodded encouragingly

"I was about a day away fro her skinny ass out of here She was trouble froh, what she’s done She’s trouble because she likes it I can’t put up with that Won’t"

Well Any wo didn’t like definitely bore watching Suddenly realizing how thirsty he was and realizing he wasn’t going anywhere until Mag had her say, he drained his water glass and gagged on the le sighed and he had aready to do things that went against everything she had ever learned She was going to trust a stranger, she was going to help that stranger interfere in street business and she was as -time sins, where she and Kara had come from

He didn’t care Concern for Kara drove out consideration for Mag’s moral dilemma If he had to, he’d throttle the inforet in his way

"I don’t know for sure," Mag said at last "But there’s a warehouse Carlotti’s been using lately Krystal was busted there last week, but the cops only hauled her in, nobody else in the gang You ht want to try there It’s down by the waterfront Third and Lancaster You can’t miss it, it takes up the whole block"

"Goodbye," he said, putting down his glass and turning to leave Mag reached out, flash-quick and snagged his elbow Jared was astonished at the sth He could have broken her hold, but it would have taken effort, as well as precious time

"Freeze, Doctor Doofus Do you have a plan? Ishot in the face?"

"No That was prettyoff the circulation"

"You in the market for soirls They get sick a lot Too , you know?"

Jared nodded He did know Prostitutes were easy prey for just about any bug that ca Many of them were afflicted with chronic colds, viruses and the tunnel honeys developed ely short ti, "they don’t like to go to the clinic The wait’s long, they have to sit through lectures from people who don’t know shit about the life and if you don’t have insurance it’s…"

"A nightmare of paperwork and bureaucratic indifference," Jared finished "How about I make some housecalls for you? Maybe two or three ti hiht their drinks reappeared She was actually, Jared noticed, er than early teens He didn’t want to think about the circumstances that had led her to a hoot those boxes left over froht’s supper?"

"In the alley"

"We also need to borrow one of your birthday presents The one I got you for a joke"

Dara aler,to leave

"Assuet killed, doc--which you probably will--I’ll expect you here a week froirls a checkup"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence"

"I don’t think your presence willwent on ruthlessly, "but you never know If nothing else, you est you do…"

CHAPTER NINE