Page 43 (1/2)

"I don’t know"

Mrs Rogers stared atthis?" she asked suddenly "Why do you need to learn who killed , I didn’t Yet somehow it’s become very important to me"

"Perhaps you were sent by God to finally put the estion made me nervous

"Why do you doubt it?"

"If God needed help, I’m sure he could find someone more competent than I Besides, I haven’t prayed, really prayed in many years"

"Since your mother died"

I nodded

"The Lord works in mysterious ways, wondrous to behold"

"We’ll see"

"I should tell you before you pursue this any farther, Mr McKenzie, that while I wish you well, I have already forgiven the person who killedstate into the parking lot of Fit to Print to allow a young woh School letterman’s jacket to cross the street in front of me There were six patches sewn to her left sleeve representing basketball, speech, debate, band, scholarship, and track and field When I was a kid she would have been labeled an overachiever These days kids are expected to be Renaissance e, play an instruebra That’s a lot of pressure More than I greith Still, I suppose it beats wasting their tiaht as she passed my car, even with the anxious expression etched across her face I didn’t look to see whatvehicle to pass before wheeling into the lot I silenced the Audi and opened the door

The as so loud and expressive that I was sure it wasmen, both dressed in jackets with A-1 Auto printed on the back, were blocking the wo in front of her, for the sidewalk

I recognized theement to Brian Reif in the Rainbow Cafe The names stenciled over their breasts told me they were Mitch and Steve

"You like those bean burritos, don’t you," Mitch said "You like those chili-shitters"

Steve lifted the woman’s ponytail She slapped at his dirty hand like it was a hed

"Does he wear Hispandex to bed?" Steve said, laughing at his oeak joke "Does he go to the Latrino?"

They’re hassling her because she’s seeing a Hispanic, my inner voice said Well

I called to theh school Spanish as I approached "?Oyen, chicos! Por favor ?Dejen de irl