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She’s late,about punctuality, which ru for and how long Nina says if I were less proreeable co to that On the other hand, if you say you’re going to be in a specific place at a specific ti a watch, I’d be tapping the face with er by now Only I had no personal possessions on e short-sleeve jail scrubs and a pair of ill-fitting canvas tennis shoes furnished by the Ralanced atnot to He leaned forward until his head was pressed against the steel mesh curtain that separated the backseat fro to prison … never let us out…"

"You say so?" the deputy asked

"No," Skarda said--that was his na about hi, I kneasn’t actually headed for prison, at least not yet He wastransferred fro to be tried in Grand Rapids, about 180 miles north of the Twin Cities, since he coinally been conveyed to the Ramsey County jail in St Paul after he was apprehended as a convenience to the ATF and the FBI, which wanted to question hi at the time of his arrest If he had been s he knew But he wasn’t and he didn’t

Deputy Ken Olson--I wasn’t supposed to know his name, either, yet I did--drove effortlessly, like a man who had spent hway 169 as it hugged Lake Mille Lacs going north There were far better, faster routes that led from the Cities to Grand Rapids, yet none of thele lane in just the right spot

"What tiain

"Why?" Olson said

"Lunch I hear they serve a nice buffet in the Itasca County jail"

The deputy thought that was funny "Relax," he said

"Relax, relax," Skardathe action unfold through his rearview A red Honda Accord ca wide despite the double yellow line, and passed hihed as it pulled ahead

"A blonde," he said "Soh to pass a police car illegally, and look at this--she’s going fifteen miles over the speed limit If it weren’t for you two, I’d have me some fun"

"Don’t e forward Itasca County was in the process of retiring its fleet of Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors in favor of the --if he had put the pedal to the metal, as the cowboys say, there would have been no contest I saw Olson’s eyes flicker down and to his right, and for athe blonde’s license plate on his onboard laptop But then he sighed deeply, the Charger slowed, and he brought his full attention back to the road