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"Just a quick look"

"Why?"

"Well now, Gene We have reason to believe that it ht have been involved in a traffic accident"

"Yeah? Who did I hit?"

Mallinger gestured tohere I was standing, oson said

"We’ll take a quick look If we’re wrong, if there’s no da your peace and be on our way"

"Yeah, I’d like to see that--a cop apologizing to me"

"Could be it’s your lucky day"

Hugoson responded with an obscenity you don’t hear on network television and slaested "Toer said

Aa bulky winter coat and thick boots Mallinger arched her eyebrows at e was clear: I told you so

"I knew you were coured Chief, there’s daotta know--Listen, Chief"--he jabbed a thuuy I never went near this guy"

We followed Hugoson into his pole barn He flicked a switch and a series of fluorescent lights blinked to life

"I adestured at the pickup and stopped talking

The truck shihts The plow blade was still attached We eased to the right side of it with Hugoson trailing behind Mallinger squatted next to the plow blade and front buht for help, she exarill, buht along the length of the vehicle There were plenty of dings, dents, and rumpled metal

"Look," she said

I leaned over her shoulder There were also plenty of dots and dashes of silver paint on the blade and truck body

"I’ll bet you a thousand dollars PDQ identifies it as Audi light silver oson claiotta be able to work this out I’ll pay to have your car fixed," he toldand a pair of tweezers that she had borrowed fro chips of silver paint out of the plow blade and side panel and dropped theoson wailed "I didn’t go after this guy, Chief You gotta believe me"

"You were correct before, Gene This does look bad"