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I didn’t like the fact that I was beginning to suspect he was dirty and that he’d been assigned touseful about Min He could’ve killed Maris, I realized My presence in the apartment didn’t constitute an alibi, as I’d been sound asleep in another room Maybe he hadn’t realized it would coh when I got up I’d assumed he suffered from sheer sexual frustration, but--

When I caht evoked, I realized I’dme expectantly, phone in hand

I blinked "Huh?"

"Chuch is giving us the Mustang We’ll have to take better care of it"

"Wo much money did you loan hinificant gift

He just shrugged "Doesn’t matter We’re even now"

"Do we need to find soood idea I feel bad that we--I--dragged theet this bad Like Lenny, I thought it was a kidnapping at first Calling in everything I’rand or so if they asked, but at this point I don’t think they will"

"They didn’t hurt her I think she knew them, Chance, or perhaps the people they represented" Nevera bit, and I got a good look at her face before she dropped the pewter Buddha

His long fingers drew patterns on the scarred tabletop Despite ame we used to play, where I lay on my stomach and he wrote Korean characters on e and I had a knack for such things, but when Chance put his hands on lish word I knew

"Pretty sure you’re right If we’re going to find the answers, we have to follow her trail And that seems to lead to Boys Town"

Oh, joy Was there ever such a twisted relationship? I couldn’t i out with hookers Sadly I couldn’t argue with his logic, as I’d co we learned in the zona would bring the other loose threads into the weave, show the larger pattern

Shit, I sounded like Twila

After dropping some cash for the waitress, ent back outside to wait Eva would follow Chuch in the Mustang, we’d take over ownership, and thenwell I didn’t know

That was the plan, at least Chuch turned up by himself about fifteen minutes later I climbed into the back of his Maverick Listened to the two of theue in the front

"You’re loco if you think I’ hard, priive you a car and say buena suerte when you got people trying to blow your shit up I can help--you know that I got contacts"

Chuch always said, "If your oes on, then you need a new ood idea

"I know you can" Chance sounded tired "But I’d never forgivehappened to you or Eva"

I never heard this tone from Chuch before "If they look crossways at Eva, I’ll hunt them down and cut them open Stake them out in the desert so they die slow"

"I don’t doubt it," Chance said, and I wondered what secrets hid in Chuch’s past What didn’t I know about hi her back I wish you hadn’t left her alone There was a reason I asked you to have her follow in the Mustang, and not just because I wanted to keep fros back to your house, if they don’t already knoe’re there"

Silence

The souped-up Maverick roared as Chuch stepped on the gas

Second Chances

Once we got there, Chuch ran faster than I would have credited, calling Eva’s na carrots and bopping to her iPod Chuch swept her in his arms, buried his face in her hair She patted him with a perplexed look and then extricated herself The sauce si on the stove smelled fantastic