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Lev grows pale at the suggestion "Ohio?" The thought of hos a scorpion’s nest of emotions neither one of them are ready for, but Sonia’s antique shop is in Akron If there’s ive it to thele, and a stone-faced deputy saunters in, his eyes i the room While Connor and Lev were absorbed by the news article, two patrol cars had pulled up out front, and officers are all over the stolen Honda

"You look like a deer in headlights," Connor whispers to Lev "Stop it"

"I can’t help it" Lev lowers his head so his hair hangs over his face, but that looks just as conspicuous as antelope eyes

Sure enough, the deputy zeroes in on them and makes a beeline across the diner--but to Connor’s surprise, their waitress gets to the table first and says, "To like that and you’ll burst out of your jeans"

Connor is a little slack-jawed as the deputy arrives, but Lev pulls out of road-kill et fat, just like your dad"

"It’s in the genes," says the waitress, nota beat "Better be careful!"

The deputy turns to the waitress "You know these boys, Karla?"

"Yeah, this is my nephew, Tommy, and his friend Evan"

"Ethan," says Lev "You always get "

"Well at least I knew it started with an E"

Connor nods politely to the deputy and looks at the waitress "Your burgers are just too good, Aunt Karla So if I get fat, it’s your fault"

Satisfied, the deputy turns to Karla, concluding that Connor and Lev are so about that car out there?" he asks her

Karla looks out theand says, "A couple of kids pulled up, irl I noticed them because they looked to be in a hurry"

"They come in?"

"No, they just ran off"

"I’m not surprised--the car was stolen down in Phoenix"

"Joyriders?"

"Maybe Could be AWOLs A bunch of them escaped from that old air force base in Tucson" He jots her state else, you be sure to let us know"

Once the deputy is gone, Karla winks at Connor and Lev

"Well, Tommy and Ethan, your meal’s on the house today"

"Thank you," Connor says "For everything"

She winks at him "Least I can do for my favorite nephew" Then she reaches into her pocket and, to his amazement, puts a set of car keys in front of Connor, rabbit’s foot key chain and all "Why don’t you do me a favor and drive my car ‘home’ for me today It’s out back"

Lev looks at Connor, astonished, which isn’t hts look For a nize who they are, but he realizes this is not about recognition It’s about the randoer

"I can’t take these keys," Connor whispers

Karla lowers her voice tothat clunker off my hands Even better--why don’t you total it when you’re through? ’Cause I could use the insurance money"

Connor takes the keys from the table He doesn’t even kno to say thank you for so tione so far out of their way to help him

"You need to know that not everyone’s your ene out there People are changing It ht not be all that obvious, but it’s there, and I see it every day Why, just last week a trucker ca all about how last year he picked up that Akron AWOL kid at a rest stop and gave hiot arrested for it too, but still he was bragging, because he kneas the right thing to do"

Connor suppresses a s about Josias Aldridge, with the grafted card-trick ar her all about it

"There’s ordinary people out there doing extraordinary things" Then she winks at theiven me the chance to be one of those extraordinary/ordinary people, so I should be the one thanking you"

Connor rubs the rabbit’s foot between his fingers, hoping that his own luck has finally changed "It’s too suspicious if you don’t report it as stolen"

"I will," Karla says "Eventually" Then she stands up and starts stacking their ee is on the way," she says "It’s like a plump old peach, ripe and ready to drop" Then she offers the tables "You take care now"

Connor and Lev take a few hts Then they head out and around back to find a classic red Charger with soe Not exactly a show car, but no clunker, either They get in, Connor starts it, and it purrs like a waking lion The car sed-woman accessories everywhere, but that’s okay Connor doesn’treminded of ordinary/extraordinary Karla