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The shape drew near and then squatted down next to hiht, but the shape held it so close that he couldn’t see anything

"You’re hurt," the shape said The voice was flat It was a statement, not a question

"I…I’ve been…shot"

The shape reached out one rasped Tony’s shoulder, and carefully rolled hirunted and coughed more blood He was amazed that he still had any left to lose

"I’ve been shot," he said again

"Uh-​huh I can see that"

"Could you…helpfor a few seconds, then murmured, "I could Sure, I could help you" Still, he did not move He just squatted there on his ha very hard for Tony to think Why did the guy just sit there? he wondered "I need help," he said again, raising a weak hand and trying to grab the th in his arm failed and the hand fell away

"Uh-​huh"

"Did you…" he began and then had to stop until another fierce coughing fit caain his voice was faint, even to his own ears, as if he were listening to it through an old plaster wall "Did you come…to help me?"

"No," said the shape, and reached for hi to work out so to say The mayor went to the coffee station and poured hiive hiar and creaone completely dry When he turned back to face the cops his face betrayed nothing, but he stared hard at Ferro for a long time

Ferro waited it out, used to this kind of reaction, having already gotten it from Chief Bernhardt, his officers, and the two cops from the other towns Everyone reacted like this: how could they not? The hthouse had hout much of the world Two books had already been written about the aDon Cheadle and Colin Farrell

"Howup a Caraved on it

Terry’s throat was as dry as paste as he sipped the coffee "Just what everyone else in the world knows," he said "Soroup of senior citizens ere visiting the lighthouse in Cape May Forced thehthouse and then cut thees on all the walls Soh tere supposed to have actually been tortured to death before being cut to pieces"

"That’s the gist of it"

"I thought no one kneho did that I rave and even a little secretive "This is all South Jersey PD and the FBI, but some of it kind of spilled over into ative teaer for months now, but it’s one of those situations where they know more than they can prove Most of it comes from hearsay--one ex-​con said this and a hooker from Atlantic City said the other--but lately a lot of people seeer did the job It isn’t known if he did it alone, or if he masterminded it, or what One theory is that soer as the hitter"

Gus was appalled "Why would anyone pay soh his nose "It’s co the fa cancer nineteen o and, since he didn’t have any sons, everyone who thinks he has a clai story short--"

Terry held up a hand "Detective Ferro, as fascinating as this all would be to another police officer, I personally don’t care even a little bit about the dynamics of Philadelphia cri to impact my town"

Ferro’s mouth snapped shut with a click and for the first time he looked off-​balance Terry could see that he was used to always being in charge and probably enjoyed the scope and draht now Terry’s head was pounding and listening to what amounted to a recap of the last four seasons of The Sopranos was not going to help any

LaMastra stepped in and suer was hired to do a hit on relatives of one of the crime lords, and he overdid it"