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In the end, it didn’t matter which was true I made my decision

Then I cried for a while

Nineteen

Since I had to work at eight, I showed up on Sinclair’s doorstep at seven thirty the next , his dreads looking frowsy However, he was also wearing nothing but a pair of plaid boxer shorts, which was ale ," I said without preamble "When I say I want us to stay friends, which I’m about to do, I don’t just mean I want us to be civil to each other I mean I want to stay friends I want to be able to call you because I heard a good joke or I had a lousy day, and I want you to feel the saet to know you better I want to eat popcorn and "

"Your what?" Sinclair stared atup with me?"

"Well, since we never actually defined our relationship, I don’t know if you can call it breaking up, butyeah" I winced "Sorry I’ve never done this before, and I kind of suck at it, don’t I?"

"Yeah" He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands "And I’m half asleep Is it because of my sister?"

"Yes and no," I said "Ultiardedexactly what Emmy told you to do"

"No" I shook s up, I think we could have had a lot of fun together, and I e’d had that chance But you’re not just soreat s run, I don’t think we’re the right kind of complicated for each other Do you?"

"No," he adive the short run a try, Daisy"

"Yeah, ht noe can do each other a lot ood as friends Are you okay with that?"

"Do I have a choice?" Sinclair asked

I shook aveto face down et But if you ever need to irl, I’ratitude suffused me "You’re the first person I’d call," I assured hiret in it, but there was genuine affection, too; and it occurred to me as I drove don to the police station that in a perverse way, E a long, hard look atromance with Sinclair could have withstood the double-barreled assault of his sister’s surprise visit and her return to either collect on the ultimatum she’d issued or deliver on her threat

But friendship? Hell, yeah It was a lot easier to forgive a friend in trouble than it was a sort-of-boyfriend who’d been less than honest I had experience with standing up for my friends

And all dear Emmy’s prank with the charm had done in the end arn me not to underestiood to settle into a fa the stack of incident reports that had accu suspicious of an eldritch nature caught oblin buddies had the last hurrah of the high season with their shell game

Well, except for Emmeline Palmer A part of me--the part that was embarrassed by the fact that I hadn’t exactly handled the encounter with aplo the incident But it wasmore professional about it, so I wrote up a full report for the X-Files

Chief Bryant ca a feords with Patty Rogan at the front desk, he caught my eye "Daisy I’d like a ith you in my office when you’re done"

A little knot of apprehension formed in the pit of my belly "Be there in a few, sir"

He nodded and went pastthe door I shot Patty an "Aed Patty and I had a decent working relationship, but not a great one I knew there were tiuilty of favoritism toward me And the fact is, it was probably true I’d known Chief Bryant since I was little Whena day shift she’d parkbook The chief used to come in for coffee, and occasionally to cheat on his diet That’s when he first took a sort of paternal interest in Mom and me, which ultimately led to my part-time job here in the department

Since that tiht with Chief Bryant Well, at least until I called in sick yesterday, which is probably why I was feeling apprehensive As a rule, I tried to avoid lying It’s not one of the Seven Deadlies--why, I don’t know, since dishonesty seems a lot more like a sin than oh, say, sloth--but when it comes to temptation I like to err on the side of caution

I drafted the last couple of lines ofon the chief’s door

"Door’s open" He gestured to the chair in front of his desk as I entered "Have a seat, Daisy"

I sat

Chief Bryant leaned back in his chair and studiedman with sleepy, hooded eyes that always reminded me of the old actor Robert Mitchuence in those eyes and the fact that there was solid muscle under the extra pounds he carried "You called in sick yesterday"

"Yes, sir"