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Etch forced hiht about Ana in that hospital bed, the uneven bleep of the hearthilass vial

"Thanks for the atole," he told Santos "Maybe we’ll play a few holes some time?"

The old medical examiner nodded, his eyes cautious "I’d like that, Lieutenant"

As Etch drove across the da on his back porch, two cups of atole stea on the rail in the afternoon cold

DECEMBER 1986, THE SAME CHRISTMAS FRANKIE White murdered his third victim, Etch’s abuela, the ninety-two-year-old matron of the family, had died of a bad heart What was left of the Hernandez clan came unraveled

Etch’s parents had died three years before--his father staring down the barrel of his old military service revolver, hispills Etch’s siblings drifted away to other states His cousins stopped going to hborhood, to a nondescript little house on the near West Side where he could do his target practice in the surrounding fields

His abuela’s funeral hit him harder than he expected He finally realized he was alone No fa but his job, and not ues disliked him Everyone complimented Etch on his efficiency Most of them trusted him to watch their backs But nobody invited hiout with him

Except for Lucia She went to the funeral with hi of the casket

Afterward, they sat on her porch swing and drank tequila while inside the Spanish AM radio played old-fashioned rancheras

"You should take the sergeant’s test," Lucia told him "I can see you as a supervisor A lieutenant, even"

For a moment, Etch was too surprised to speak "I’m a career patrolman, like you You understand that"

She poured another shot of Cuervo

She earing a charcoal dress, silver earrings, even lipstick Her hair was freshly washed and curled She smelled like jasmine

"People make a wide arc around you," Lucia said "They sense you’re not one of the guys That’s okay You’redetached You’re a born coths"

A Santiago Ji played on the radio, the sounds of accordion and basso guitar pulsing through the screen door

Lucia’s daughter, Ana, was home froh after basic training Etch could hear Ana inside, talking on the phone to a friend A lot of twenty-one-year-old catch-up talk--No way Oh ! He did what?

Etch tried not to resent Ana’s presence

Lucia looked good tonight It felt right to just sit next to her

He’d thought, once Ana was grown and out of the housefor so long, building up his courage for the eleven years they’d worked together They spent every day together In the field, they could read each other’s body language perfectly, finish each other’s sentences Yet off duty, she still acted distant Every ti her how he felt, she seemed to sense it and pull away

"Lucia, I couldn’t work a job where you weren’t my partner," he said finally

She smiled, but there was sadness behind it "You should do s better than the brass we got now, for sure You’re a good man"

"No, I’

"I know everybody in our beat," Etch said "I know their kids and grandkids And I’ve still got no one I just can’t--"

"Get close," she supplied, when he faltered "It’s like somebody stole that part of you--the part that lets you connect"

There was no need to answer She described him as perfectly as the day she’d named hier’s He reached over and rested his hand on her knee She didn’t object She laced her fingers on top of his

Then Ana flew out the door, breathless "Mom, can I borrow your car?"

Gently but firmly, Lucia brushed away Etch’s hand

Ana took a step back "Oh--"

"It’s all right, honey" Lucia forced a s for special police?"

"That’s great" Etch tried to sound enthusiastic, though his heart felt like crushed paper "You thinking about civilian law enforcement some day?"

Ana studied hie Then apply to SAPD"

She said it just like any twenty-one-year-old--as if life plans were carved in stone It was hard for Etch to believe she was the sae as a monster like Frankie White

"UhMoht you told "

Lucia rolled her eyes She was only drinking to co was fine

Car keys were provided

Ana promised not to be out too late

Etch tried not to resent the look Lucia’s daughter gave hi her mother drink As if that was the only way Lucia would ever hold hands with hione, Lucia and he sat on the porch a while longer, but thehands had passed

A news break ca an update on Julia Garcia’s murder The witness who’d provided the description of a possible suspect had now turned upherself Police would not say if they had other leads

Music came back on, a ballad about love in the desert

"Who was it?" Etch asked

Lucia frowned "Who ho?"

"The guy who broke your heart What’d you say: ‘stole a piece of your soul’?"

Lucia crossed her ankles "That was a long tio, Etch"

She drank her tequila