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"How long do I have to stay here?"

"You’ll have to stay in here for thirty days, but you’ll be safe"

And sober,ork out," G K said "Only no more statements, okay, Merodie?"

Merodie nodded

"I want you to promise not to talk to anyone except me and McKenzie here Okay?"

"Okay"

G K leaned back in the plastic chair and studied her client froaze, looking at everything but G K’s face

Merodie was hiding so about Priscilla St Ana Maybe about everything I wanted to learn what it was, but not now Let her get straight first, I told myself A few days of sobriety have been known to workthe silence

"If the county had enough to charge you, they would have done so by now," G K said "Personally, I don’t think they have much of a case, at least not for h, and he’s a sneaky little prick and he’s up for reelection, so"

"No, Ito take care of Eli?"

G K said she didn’t know but would check on it for her

"Can I be there for the funeral? I have to be there"

"I don’t think they’ll let you out"

Merodie hung her head again, and for aInstead, she said, "He was such a good-lookingto be one Like everyone else I’ve ever loved Gone, gone, gone"

"Did you kill hi her one last time

"I don’t think so," Merodie replied

G K slapped the table hard with the flat of her hand The loud, unexpected noise not only startled the woman, it caused me to jump as well

"Just say no," G K shouted The walls repeated her words

Merodie rose slowly to her feet and looked straight at G K Her voice was firm "No, I didn’t kill his always happen to me?"

G K fluffed her hair off the back of her neck with both hands, cooling it We were both perspiring freely in the heat as we moved around the corner from the front door of the Anoka County Correctional Facility and eeks said we could expect lows in the eighties and highs approaching a hundred degrees for the rest of the ithout even a hint of rain During winter, we actually long for this

"About Priscilla St Ana," G K said

"I’ll look into it"