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"Yes," Wechter continued "She ran into soe, when I was the ADA for this county She believed a new gentleuy, followed him out the back door of the restaurant, went for a ith him in the park Ran into three of his friends," Wechter continued coolly, as if reading a weather report

"They were having a surprise party and she was the guest of honor" He had started tapping his fingers on the desk, the only sign of stress Jared had been able to find in the ht and cried and screamed and of course no one came to her aid At first"

Tap-tap "And about when the first one, the one who’d lured her to the park, was getting ready to take inity, soh to tumble him off my sister"

Tap-tap "And when my sister sat up, she saw that not only was her would-be rapist badly hurt, unconscious, but all of his friends were, too And the only person still standing was a blonde girl about her age Dressed in dark clothing"

Tap-tap "So this woirl, really--helps o to the ER My sisters says no, thank you The girl relieves all four men of their wallets Handselse into irl wishesand leaves"

Tap-tap "Andto look at what’s in her hand It’s an enor Pro, on the police report and worth close to ato see it again, or any insuranceto the vice department why he had so many snuff fil same"

Tap-tap "Isn’t that a nice story?"

"I love happy endings," Kara said obediently

Jared tried to speak, but histo process everything he had just heard…Kara had saved thisher for so long and so hard? But what did it all mean?

"Luckily I am a man who reveres the honor of his profession above all else," Wechter said with a coirl in the story had been you, Ms Jones--and what are the chances?--your past deeds can have no bearing on my duty as an officer of the court"

"What?" Jared practically screamed

"Of course not," Kara said, with a frown in Jared’s direction "Please allow uilty to whatever charges you wish to bring"

The DA sighed "Unfortunately, from an administrative standpoint, it’s just not feasible"

Jared was having trouble keeping up "What’s not feasible?"

"Prosecution I don’t think I can get a conviction"

"Daht!"

"Shut up , Jared Mr Wechter, I’ve--I’ll tell you everything you need to--"

"Who will press charges? The pedophiles? The child pornography led, every con man you swindled, most of those people are still in prison But just suppose, for the sake of arguainst you, was able to convince a grand jury that you deserved to be held over for trial I’m sure Dr Dean could find soht!" he said again, louder This was soht of But hell, his uy at Bethesda Psych And wasn’t one of his ex-girlfriends just nay Depart erprints were taken, I gave a statened my name to it It’s not that easy to disappear into the cracks"

"Certainly not in a bureaucracy," Wechter said dryly "Why, we’re able to keep track of every little thing around here Also, your fingerprints didn’t take"

"What?" Jared and Kara said in puzzled unison

"Your fingerprints We’re on a new systeet any ink on your fingers? Well, in theory, the fingerprints go right to the colitch We can’t find your file"

"And the police report?"

"Regrettably, the detectives who took your statement can’t find it They can’t even remember your na, Ms Sed

Silence, while Kara and Jared digested this Jared thought--it almost sounded like--it see their influence to let Kara go But that couldn’t be true…this wasn’t the ood people As a doctor, he saw it every day

"Mr Wechter," Kara said quietly, "I’rateful for these--"

"Bureaucratic foul-ups"

"--than I can say But it’s ti Frankly, I’lad to be done with it"