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"Productive?" Dan asks

"Can’t tell Maybe"

"Maybe’s better than not at all A good day’s work for a nice Clueish boy"

- - -

There’s a jogging path in don Cleveland that runs along the marina on Lake Erie It curves around the Great Lakes Science Center and along the back side of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where the memories of those who are notorious for rebellion far hipper than Lev’s are is past it every Sunday afternoon, wondering what it must be like to be both famous and infamous, yet more adored than hated, more admired than pitied He shudders to think what type of museum exhibit would feature him, and hopes he never finds out

It’s relatively warm for February Te, and a dreary afternoon drizzle instead of flurries Marcus runs along with hi in puffs of steam

"Do you have to run so fast?" he calls after Lev "It’s not a race And anyway, it’s raining"

"What does that have to do with it?"

"You could slip and lose control--there are still slushy spots"

"I’h a slush puddle, splattering Marcus, and grins while his brother curses Years of fast food and endlessly hitting the books in law school has left Marcus not exactly flabby, but certainly out of shape

"I swear, if you keep showing me up, I won’t run with you anymore I’ll call the feds back in They always keep up with you"

Ironically, it had been Marcus’s idea that Lev begin an exercise routine once he was released into his brother’s custody In those early days of recovery, when his blood was still poisoned, just getting up and down the stairs in Marcus’s town house was a workout for Lev--but Marcus had the vision to see that the rehabilitation of Lev’s soul was closely tied to rehabilitating his body ForLev to cover just one an, there were G- him At first they escorted him everywhere on his Sundays out, perhaps to show that there was no leniency to house arrest Eventually they began to trust the tracking chip and allowed Lev to be out without an official escort, as long as either Dan or Marcus ith him

"If I have a heart attack, it’ll have your name all over it!" Marcus calls from farther back

Lev was never a distance runner Once upon a time, he was all about baseball; a real team player Now a ets heavier, he stops, only halfway through the run, and lets Marcus catch up with him They buy Aquafina from a die-hard vendor outside the Rock and Roll Hall of Fa bottled water and Red Bull as the world is ending

Marcus catches his breath as he drinks, then ot a letter from Cousin Carl yesterday"

Lev holds his reaction inside, giving no outward indication that this is any big deal "If it ca et"

"No," Lev says a bit coldly "Tell et"

But Marcus doesn’t have to, because Lev knows exactly what he means

The first letter from Cousin Carl was a complete e fro ency or another, it was the only way Connor could get hiure it all out One arrives every few months, always postmarked from someplace different, so it can’t be traced back to the Graveyard

"So what does he say?" Lev asks Marcus

"It’s addressed to you Believe it or not, I don’t read your mail"

When they arrive home, Marcus hands the letter to him but holds it out of reach for afunk where you sit and do nothing but play video games for a week"

"When do I ever do that?"

Marcus just gives hi under house arrest leaves Lev with little to do to occupy his tiets hi sends hio

"It’s a part of your life you need to leave behind you," Marcus re, " Lev tells him He doesn’t try to explain himself, because he’s not even sure what he means, except to know that it’s true He opens the letter The handwriting is the same, but he suspects it’s not Connor’s, to prevent it froulfs them has no end

Dear Cousin Levi,

A belated birthday card for you I know fourteen s you’ve been through The ranch has been busy The big beef co to take us over, but it hasn’t happened yet We got a business plan that could save us from that, should it come to pass

Hard work since I took over the ranch, and not hbors Wish I could just up and leave it, but who could handle these ranch hands but me?

We know of your current situation, and how you can’t co on around here Best to stay away and hope for the best