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Mallinger shook her head slowly

"There was no gunshot residue on his hand, no fingerprints on the gun The ME has classified it as a homicide Once I heard that, I reinterviewed the kids we busted the other day Did a photo array They all picked Josie as theto do now?"

"I’ve already done it I called the Nicholas County Sheriff’s Department It’s their case"

"Hoould you like to solve it?"

"What do you know that I don’t?"

"Answer the question Hoould--"

"I’d like it a lot Of course I would"

"Could you get the rest of the Victoria Seven together, all of theether in the same room?"

"You think they killed Josie?"

"Get theether and we’ll ask them"

"It’s done"

"Done?"

"They’re all over at Nick’s even as we speak, planning Josie Bloo Dr Peterson"

"Everyone except Jack Barrett"

"Let o over there"

"Before we doAbout last night"

I didn’t want to talk about last night and my reaction was probably uess," I said "You’re going to telllike that before and you’re not that kind of girl"

"I haven’t done anything like that before," Mallinger said "But apparently I a is, I’irl who does it a lot McKenzie, I’ and tenderness I needed soave ive, but"

"But it’s not going any farther than last night"

"If it does, it won’t be because I need comfort"

"Okay"

"Please don’t be offended"

"I’ht ere both using each other for the saer nodded her head, but I don’t think that was the answer she wanted to hear Which was ironic, because that wasn’t the answer I wanted to give Hell yes, I’m offended That’s what I really wanted to say, but as the point? At the first opportunity, I was leaving Victoria and I didn’t plan on co to catch the Seven," Mallinger said