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A full shost smile, dark scowls and intense stares, I was so stunned that my breath faltered And then I smiled back, and even if he couldn’t quite see my mouth I knew the crinkles around my eyes replicated those around his, the darker blue of ray-blue "Maybe I did a hammer-fist strike and bloodied his nose before he could do all that grueso the warm sht

"You are fond of that hammer-fist strike"

"Maybe not as fond as Erin is of all things groin strike related"

He laughed again and leaned to kissaround His s to do al it back "Text me when you’re done this afternoon?"

I nodded "I will"

I wasn’t sure what I would find when I googled Lucas’s naivepoint, which I found Like ive a clue to how she died No "in lieu of flowers please send a donation to" with the naoogled her na--but o The titles knocked the breath fro so hard I could feel the individual beats--while I wished these commentaries were about someone else’s mother Someone I didn’t know

TWO DEAD IN MURDER-SUICIDE

Authorities have confirmed the horrific details of aan apparent ho on Tuesday Police say that Darren W Smith, a local handyman, broke into the hoh a backaround 4 a Dr Maxfield ay on business After restraining her son in his roo her throat Cause of death was massive blood loss from multiple sharp force injuries Smith then fatally shot himself Weapons found at the scene included a seven-inch hunting knife and a 9 roup of contractors working on the Maxfield home earlier this summer There appears to have been no other connection between Smith and the Maxfields, despite surveillance-type photos of the faators at Smith’s home Police believe that Smith are of Dr Maxfield’s absence froet in touch with his wife or son by Tuesday evening, Raymond Maxfield requested that family friends Charles and Cindy Heller check on them At approximately 7 pm, the couple discovered Rosemary Maxfield in her bedroom, covered in blood, with Sunshot to the head The minor child was taken to County Hospital and treated for dehydration, shock, andto the restraints, but was otherwise unharmed

Hellerthat the press and the community allow Maxfield and his son privacy to process the shocking manner in which they lost their 38-year-old wife and mother "I was in the army Special Forces I’ve seen so I’ve ever co ht," Heller said The Hellers and Maxfields have been close friends for sixteen years "Rose was an adoring wife andand wonderful friend She’ll be terriblyme outside office hours" I took a deep breath and sat, hands clenched inI need to know about hiether "I’e If it’s of a personal nature, you should probably ask him"

I was afraid he’d say this, but I needed to know ht had been the catalyst for the scars on his wrists, or if there was so more "I can’t ask him It’s about… what happened to his h I’d sucker-punched him "He told you about that?"

I shookfor her obituary When it didn’t give a clue how she died, I googled her name Yours was in the article I found"

He scowled "Ms Wallace, I’ to talk about what happened to Rose Maxfield just to appease someone’s morbid curiosity"

I took another shaky breath "This isn’t curiosity" I scooted to the edge of the chair "His wrists--they’re both scarred I’ve never known anyone who tried… that, and I’ You’ve known him all of his life I’ve only known him a feeeks, but I care about hiht for aat ine that this soft-spoken, doughy ine he’d been the one to discover one of his closest friends, savagely murdered

He cleared his throat, and I didn’t rad school We were both PhD-track, but while I planned to go theroute, Ray was bound for a more lucrative, non-acade at the horad, living at ho--all dark hair and dark eyes--so when she passed through on her way to the kitchen, Ray got up with an excuse to get ice, and I followed He was irl like that It was every man for himself" He chuckled softly