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Sanchez would be in the hospital for weeks, physical therapy for lad," I said And then, when she gaveyou to serve as best man," Erainya said "Just so you’re warned"

The sun suddenly felt a lot warmer "Me?"

"I’d ask you to be a bridesmaid, honey, but the dress would look terrible on you" Then she shouted, "Come on, Laura! Good!"

The bal made another futile loop around the field It sailed toward Jem It bounced off Maria

Erainya turned to hter No male friends he’s real y close to He kno Jem and I feel about you He wants you there Think about it"

I felt a weight onI couldn’t quite say

Jeoalie net, his hands down, knees bent--the exact position I’d told hiot whenever he was on the soccer field Saint Mark’s had only scored one goal off hiain, we’d scored zip

"Guess you’re closing the agency?" I asked Erainya

She shrugged "I can’t run it anyht"

She looked co"

I had expected this I should not feel bitter Maia Lee would be delighted

"Besides," Erainya said, "I’l be around if you need advice I ain’t going to turn it over to you just to let you run it into the ground"

"Excuseyou the Erainya Manos Agency My clients My files My fabulous resources My unpaid bil s With both ot to have one decent PI in town And if you’re s the bal in the right direction Soed to kick it to Jack

"Wel ?" Erainya asked onna disappoint one Erainya was happy

I could say nothing

But the weight was there stil , smooth and hard as a river rock

"Laura!" I yel ed "To the middle! Help him out!"

Only because it was her love interest Jack, Laura fol owed directions

Jack passed Laura kicked The bal sailed into the net

Our tea barks, taunts about Saint Mark’s being poop-butts

The ref blew the whistle

The kids swar for water and a chance to play forward

The last quarter: 1–1 Jem wanted to keep the vest

I hated the idea Saint Mark’s only needed one goal I didn’t want Jeame

Stil , nobody else wanted the job We ended with seven forwards and Je okay, chaer, squinting into the sun, like he understood he needed to prove to linted around his neck--a Saint Anthony ood Watch"

They went out on the field again

Erainya stood next to ht about how many times she’d whacked me with that hand, or cut the air at some stupid coht at the museum"

She kept her eyes on the field "Yeah?"

"They had ether, out on the roof"

"Miracle Jem wasn’t hurt"

"No miracle Stirht Je otherwise Stirman wanted to take him"

The ref’s whistle blew Saint Mark’s kicked off The bal was lost in a forest of little cleats and shin guards

Erainya looked at me the way she normal y looked at Sam Barrera--as if I was about to snatch away her last bread-and-butter contract

"So," she said, her tone careful y neutral "What do you figure he told Jem, in that one minute?"

"I don’t know," I said "Maybe he told Jeoal Their coach yel ed for their best kicker to stand ready at the penalty line

Erainya was silent, watching me

"Jem’s birth date was the same day Stirman was arrested," I said "Other than that, the adoption papers were a pretty good forgery You never went to Greece that year, did you?"

She hesitated a couple of heartbeats Then the shield she’d been trying to put up melted "Fred didn’t want uuessed "He wasn’t just threatening you

He was threatening the baby, too"

She flexed her hand, as if reht in Stiruess the shock of the gunfireI don’t know I did CPR I brought hi to lose the child after al that After I shot Fred, I sent Jem to stay with a friend of mine, lady named Helen Malski, until the trial was over"