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37

The MGD bottle slipped froers and crashed to lass shards

Shit

I considered grabbing another beer froive it a rest for the night Instead, I began drunkenly counting the e the tabletop, lost count, started over, lost count again, then decided that I had drunk a shit-load of beer tonight

I had murders, child molesters, broken arms, dead cats, suicides and death threats on my h to drive any ain I never needed much reason to drink

Cindy ith her sister-in-law tonight, Francine They got together once every other week and gossiped about their men, football and the nature of God in society since Francine was a religious studies instructor at Calabasas Junior College near San Diego

That left ht Just me and my beer

I automatically reached down for another beer Stopped halfway Put ether

Good boy

The night was cool; a soft breeze swept over my balcony Traffic was thick on PCH I could sers

On its own accord, my hand reached down for another bottle I stopped it just as it brushed a cold bottle cap

The bone had snapped loud enough for birds to erupt in surprise

My knuckles still ached froave Peterson The assemblyman&039;s solo vehicle accident had made the local papers Neither I nor Sanchez were ed Peterson&039;s limp body down the incline and stowed him in the driver&039;s seat I placed a call via his cell phone to 911, pretending to be Peterson, gasping for pain Hell of a perforh I noted he looked a little sick and pale

A horn honked fro Main Street, followed by a short outburst of obscenities

I would have killed Peterson if Sanchez hadn&039;t pulledevery rabbed another beer This ti ood, so very, very good

38

"How&039;s the case going?" asked Cindy

She had just sat down in front of me at the Trocadero, a Mexican place across the street fro a casual business suit, and her hair was down She looked three years my junior, rather than the other way around Her lipstick was bright red, which was good since I was color blind Seriously She wore the bright red for me

"Other than the fact that I have no idea who killed Amanda, just swell"

The waiter took our drink orders An apple martini for Cindy and Coke for ht," she said "Twice"

"I know," I said, "and I called you this es"

She let her unspoken question hang in the air: so why didn&039;t you pick up? I let it hang in the air as well I still felt like shit froht before I had drunk the entire case A new record forwell?" she asked

"Just great"

"Bullshit Your eyes are red and you look pale" She opened her purse and reister "Amanda Peterson&039;s father was in an accident A bad accident A broken arm Three broken ribs A broken collar bone And a broken jaw Jesus Christ, Jim"

"Like they said, a bad accident"

"It was no accident"

"No," I said, looking at her "It wasn&039;t; it was a ave to a son-of-a-bitch to reinforce the idea that he is to never, ever touch his faot off easy His wounds will heal The dae he inflicted may never heal"

"Did your point hit hoht have been sarcas to the accident story So he&039;s scared As he should be"

The waiter came around and took our order Salmon for Cindy and two Super Mex chicken burritos for uaca to kill yourself before your tryouts," said Cindy More sarcasm?

"I&039;ht"

"Isn&039;t there a healthier way to gain weight?"

"Is that an oxymoron?"

"I&039;m serious, Jim I&039;m concerned about you About us"

She wouldn&039;t look me in the eye, and sipped her martini faster than nor it and s?" I asked

"I can&039;t keep doing this"

"Youyour napkin?"

"No I s We had had this conversation before

"Last time, I convinced you to stay," I said "Talked until I was blue in the face Do you reain?"

"Yes," she said "You said you wouldn&039;t try to stop me the next time"

"Yes"

The napkin asted, rendered perfectly useless She pushed it aside and drank deeply from her martini So deeply, in fact, that she finished it I said nothing There was nothing forthis conversation with her I loved Cindy with all ofshe did not want to do

The waiter saw her elass and came over

"Another?" he asked

"Yes, please"

She still hadn&039;t lookedvery un-Cindy like Small, jerky movements as she tapped on the now empty cardboard coaster She wiped her

"Jesus Christ, Ji Your life has been threatened by a hired killer A dead cat shows up in your office Cut in fucking two And now you&039;re drinking again It&039;s not that you&039;re drinking, really It&039;s that you are getting drunk, and doing it in secret, whichAnd, ulti

"You didn&039;t answer the phone last night because you were passed out"

Her second appleour food The food was placed before us; it went ignored

"And now you&039;re trying out for the Chargers in a feeeks What if you make the team? I would never see you I know that&039;s selfish of me, but it&039;s true You would throw your whole life into it, like you do everything else, and the NFL would own your heart and soul Would there be any room left for me?"

She drank herShe spilled some of the drink, and used the shredded napkin to clean up The napkin only ed to s to say anything?"

I said nothing