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"All right, Mr Cranky Pants" The girl swings herself out of bed, awarding Cooper and enerous view of her heart-shaped backside as she struggles into a pair of panties that didn’tdress to her chest, she siles past Cooper on her way to the bathroolare as she passes

Well, sa deh to allow ht wrestler, se campus fashion of the day, his head is shaved on all sides, but rises in a spiky blond flattop at the crown He appears to be wearing a St Christopher ," I say, and I’ with aniirl, but I’d hoped I’d be able to hide it better Oh, well "I’ht We’re here to ask you a few questions"

Doug is fuarettes His square, stubby fingers close around a pack of Marlboros

That’s when Cooper takes two long strides forward, seizes the kid’s wrist, and squeezes very hard The kid yelps and turns a pair of angry pale blue eyes up at the larger ?" he brays

"S down and pocketing the cigarette pack He doesn’t let go of Doug’s wrist, but subtly begins applying pressure to it, in response to the kid’s trying to pull it away "And have you ever seen a photograph of a suys think you are?" de slance over at Cooper and realize that e are, really, is an assistant hall director whose BMI is in the overweight range, and a Shetland-sweater-wearing private detective, neither of whoed to a fraternity

Still, Cooper could intimidate by his sheer size alone, and apparently chooses to do so, loo over the kid’s bed like a six-foot-three headboard

"Who we think we are doesn’t much matter," Cooper says, in his scariest voice And that’s when I realize Cooper hadn’t liked the way Doug had treated the girl, either "I happen to be a detective, and I have few questions I’d like to ask you concerning the nature of your relationship with Lindsay Co Winer’s eyes widen perceptibly, and he says, in a high voice, "I don’t have to tell the cops shit My dad’s lawyer said so!"

"Well," Cooper says, lowering hi water las If you don’t tell the cops shit, they’ll have you arrested for obstruction of justice And I don’t think either your dad or his lawyer is going to like that"

I have to hand it to Cooper He’s scared the living daylights out of the boy, and without even lying to hi for obstruction of justice It’s just that Cooper isn’t a police detective, and wouldn’t be able to do any arresting hio suddenly soft with fear, Cooper lets go of his wrist and stands back, folding his ares to look as if he feels like breaking Doug Winer’s ares his wrist where Cooper grasped it, and looks up at him resentfully "You didn’t have to do that, man," he says "It’s my room, I can smoke if I want to"

"Actually," Cooper says, with the same amiableness that, I’ he was secretly on their side, "this roolas, not you And I think the Tau Phi Epsilon Association es is conducting a lucrative business in dealing controlled substances froht, I can see now that the kid’s chin is peppered with acne "What are you talking about, man?"

Cooper chuckles "Well, let’s leave that aside for a while, shall we? How old are you, Douglas? Tell the truth, now, son"

To my surprise, the kid doesn’t say, I’m not your son, the way I would have, if I’d been him Instead, he sticks out his pimpled chin and says, "Twenty"

"Twenty," Cooper echoes, looking pointedly about the roo isn’t quite as stupid as he looks His face grows dark with suspicion as he lies sullenly, "No"