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A deputy crouched beside me, and I stiffened automatically when I saw that it was Marcus Ivanov For a stupid instant I wondered if the guy was stalking ht as completely retarded I hadn’t even seen hione to breakfast St Edwards Parish wasn’t very big, which meant there weren’t that many road deputies It made sense that I’d see hiht sel, I need you to tell me as much as you can remember about the accident"

I let out a breath and forced myself to chill I was the victi into an interrogation? "Sure, though there’s notI came around the curve and saw a tree in the road I hit it"

His eyes narrowed "Did you see anyone?"

I hesitated "I thought the tree was a person at first Then I realized it was only a branch sticking up Why?"

He pursed his lips briefly and looked back toward the tree that was still partially in the road "It looked like sohway There are footprints and scuff aze to me "And dirt on the van door"

My pulse thudded asto anyone about the zo, for obvious reasons But if there was physical evidence that soet suspicious if I didn’t say anything?

"That’s fucked up," I finally ed "I’oing the other way I figured it fell or so" I shook my head, and I didn’t have to fake the wince the ht after it happened, y’know? Maybe the dirt was froave a helpless shrug "I dunno It had to be randoht? I h "Unless they wanted to steal the body so they could hter, if that was even possible "It was probably so stupid," he said Then he took a deep breath as if forcing himself cal later on, that’ll help us find out who did this"

"Fuckers," Ed muttered as he jotted notes on his pad "You could have been killed"

"The whole situation is fucked," Ivanov said My stoht he was angry at the idea that someone else had done this, but the paranoid side of me wasn’t sure if maybe part of it was directed at ht I was somehow at fault How could he not?

I looked away and blinked quickly at the flashing lights of the aetting all weepy because this deputy ht think I was even more of an irresponsible piece of shit than I was God, I was pathetic

"Hey, dickhead, you’re upsetting entle shove to Ivanov’s shoulder "Cut it out"

Ivanov leveled a scowl at Ed "I’her standards than a jackass like you Besides, the girlfriend you already have ave a snort "Yeah, well you’re doing your angry-scary-grouchy face You keep doing that you’re going to get unsightly wrinkles"

Ivanov blinked and gave me a sharp look, then his expression softened,to be fine And we’ll find those asshole punks who did this"

"I’et uely resenity "Sorry"

Ed smacked Ivanov on the back of the head "Yeah,’cause I’ll kick his ass if he doesn’t"

Ivanov lifted a fist with a threatening snarl, and I sucked in a breath His gaze flicked briefly to rinned and lowered his fist "Sorry," he said, and now I could see the laughter in his eyes "Ed and I have known each other since ere kids He thinks he can get aith battery on a police officer, and one of these days I’onna slap cuffs on his skinny ass"

Ed et a boo-boo in the line of duty, I’ll be sure to tell the ER folks that you’re too much of aof, you need to stop dicking around and get her to the ER"