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"You told , what sin he committed, but you didn’t tell hteen I eful person, and Maura wouldn’t have wanted you to do it"

The priest was right, of course "My father sanctioned it, called itpresent I hadn’t wanted to, but it wasn’t open for negotiation Permission to kill hi me a favor"

"What other favors did your father do for you?"

Vincent shook his head "I don’t think there are enough hours in the day to tell you it all"

"I have ti as you’re finished by Sunday hed at that

"Co toward the confessional "We will do this right"

The candle still flickered, and Vincent gazed at it before following him The moment he sat down in the confessional, the words flooded fro he had done in his life--the men he had murdered, the places he had robbed, the people he had hurt Every shameful act, every scornful word Vincent didn’t stop until it was all out in the open

"How do you feel?" Father Alberto asked when he finished

How did he feel? He felt relief He felt at ease He felt as if a burden had been lifted fro on his chest He felt freer, lighter He felt forgiveness He felt peace "I feel like painting a door blue today"

Shifting uncoeat the world outside It was close to dusk and dozens of kids wandered the street in costu at houses with their colorful buckets for candy She watched the and carefree, ignorant to the dangers lurking a few feet from them She had never known that type of innocence When she was their age, the monsters in her life had been real

"Hey, Twinkle Toes"

She turned at the unexpected voice and saw Do an orange pumpkin-shaped lollipop froroaned fro to his o

"She can barely keep soup down, and you’re giving her candy?"

Douardian? She’s her ooman Let her have a sucker It won’t kill her"

"Whatever," Car real to eat"

"Yeah, you do that, Martha Stewart," Dominic said "Go knit her a scarf while you’re at it Maybe some booties, too"

"Vaffanculo," Carmine hollered as he walked out

Dominic turned to her "That boy needs to chill before he bursts a blood vessel"

"He’s trying to help," she said "Give hi to help, but that’s no excuse to deny someone candy on Halloween"

"Thank you for it," she said, pulling off the wrapper and sucking on it "I didn’t realize it was Halloween until I saw the treatsters"

He sat on the arhed "They’re called trick-or-treaters"

"Oh" She looked back out at the kids in costumes "I didn’t know, since I’ve never been I didn’t have a normal childhood"

"Normal is a relative term," he said "Besides, it’s never too late to trick-or-treat Maybe we’ll go one of these years"

She s Doood to see you I would’ve come sooner, but Tess lad you’re here It’s nice to see friendly faces again"

He nodded "So, how are you holding up? Can’t be easy losing a month of your life"

"I’m alive," she said "That’s more than I can say for some people"

"Nicholas," he said quietly "He didn’t deserve what happened He was a good friend, always had a joke for anyone ould listen"

"He did" Tears for away at her "It’s du about the last joke he told ot to say the answer"

"Yeah? What was the joke?"

"What’s black, white, and red all over?"

Doive a different bullshit answer every tiuin with sunburn or a zebra with chicken pox The real answer is a newspaper, though It’s black and white, and read all over"

"Oh" She sat there for a h escaped her lips "I like that one"

"It’s not stupid to think about it He’d be honored to be relad you’re up andaround Everyone’s been worried, but I never doubted everything would turn out all right"

"I wish I was as sure"

"As hard as it is, you have to have hope Remember I told you before? What my brother did sucks, but if I was in his shoes, I would’ve done the sa, and I know you would, too So ive Cars out, and it won’t be the ideal fairy tale, but when is life? Especially for the two of you"

"You’re right"

"Anyway, I should go" Do his throat "Daular ol’ Betty Crocker these days"

"I didn’t etable soup "I just poured it"