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"Soht say that your behavior is evenfor aand assault, but to do it so openly? To bring it into your office? In front of witnesses? Soht think you were putting hih none of you look like you haveme here?"

Muehlenhaus carefully opened the leather folder in front of him He looked down on the white sheets of typed paper therein as he slipped a silver fountain pen from his pocket and prepared it to write I couldn’t recall the last time I had seen one When I was a kid at St Mark’s Ele it would help us learn to write with a graceful hand, except I kept breaking off the nibs

Muehlenhaus said, "You were a member of the St Paul Police Department, respected, decorated, poised for promotion, until you killed a perpetrator--"

"Suspect," I corrected him "They only say perpetrator on television"

"Suspect, thank you You killed an armed suspect in a convenience store robbery There was so the use of unnecessary force--you killed hiun You have, in fact, killed severalhit of anger flared in his eyes, but passed quickly I don’t know if he disliked being interrupted or if he expected to hear a "mister" in front of his na the details of my life

"You quit the police force in order to collect a reward for recovering money stolen by a rather industrious embezzler named Thomas Teach-well I knew Thomas I remain astonished by his audacity The finder’s fee amounted to several million dollars, which you have since doubled due to sohtful investments Very ih it was misplaced For practical purposes, I was financially illiterate All htful investments had beenin a houseboat on the St Croix who played the market the way so favors for friends," Muehlenhaus continued "We are aware of your dealings with the so-called Entrepreneur’s Club, for exa"

"Do you have a point, Mr Muehlenhaus?" I don’t knohy I used the " to frighten ether and returned it to his pocket He hadn’t written a word He closed the leather folder and folded his hands on top of it It was a clever ploy,to think he was clever in other ways, too

"You are currently perfor a favor for the first lady," he said

It wasn’t a question, so I didn’t answer

"You met with her this afternoon"

I had no reason to deny it

"You are friends" Muehlenhaus made the word sound like an accusation

I stood slowly, trying to maintain the same bored expression Norman did the same Despite the bloodstained handkerchief he held to his nose, he looked like he was perfectly willing to go another round I gestured toward the Picassos on the wall

"Gentlemen, do I need to break est of the four estured toward ize for the cluht you here today," he said, but there was neither reret in his voice "We were all quite anxious to speak with you and to judge for ourselves your capabilities"

"Capabilities?"

"Indeed," Muehlenhaus said

"I’ues"