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Canavan’s not falling for my fibs, but he’s apparently too fed up to questiontioes on "See you at the wedding, if not sooner, e bring you down to the station for questioning"

I’ve opened the car door and a out, but now I pause with one foot on the pave?"

It’s not that I don’t like Detective John Canavan But I purposely did not invite hi because every time I see his face, I’m reminded of multiple crime scenes from my past at which he was present, memories I don’t particularly care to think about on the day on which I pledge eternal love to Cooper Cartwright

"Sure," Canavan says, checking out his mustache in the rearview ht a new dress and everything She’sme rent a tux, so the food at that reception of yours had better be good We’re talking steak, right? I’ out a hundred bucks for a tux to drive all the way into the city on a weekend and sit there and eat godda you and I have been through togeth--"

"Don’t worry," I say, froritted teeth "The choices are prime rib, lobster tail, and salmon"

Furious, I slam the door before he can reply, then whirl around to stomp toward the front stoop of the pink brownstone Cooper and I are going to pledge to share together forever in onebehind athered on Cooper’s stoop

"Who’s that?" Nicole, Cooper’s youngest sister, pops up to ask, eyeing the Crown Vic as it begins to pull away "Was that a police car?"

"Of course it wasn’t, dummy," her twin sister, Jessica, says laconically She stays exactly where she is, draped across several steps like a fashion uar--too lazy to move "Police cars are black and white Or blue and white And they have the word ‘police’ written on them Don’t be such an idiot"

"It looked like a police car," Nicole says suspiciously, "painted not to look like one And those guys in the front seat looked like undercover cops Why were you riding around in a car with undercover cops, Heather? Is everything okay?"

I glance at Hal, who seems to have shrunk in on hi twins said the word "cop" Cops are not well liked a many of Cooper’s friends, for reasons I’ve always been too wise to ask about

"I’ave me a ride home from work"

Nicole looks surprised "Don’t you work a block fro out once ere down here shopping for the baby She said it’s that one with the blue-and-gold New York College flags in front of it She said the cafeteria used to be a ballrooht the building and did a renovation on it and now it’s super crappy and filled with cockroaches and--"

"Ohher head back so that her long, dark hair puddles onto the step behind her "Shut up, Nicole Can we please go inside, where it’s air-conditioned? I’ to die, it’s so hot out here Plus, I have to pee like a racehorse I’o in the street between two parked cars before you pulled up"

Nicole looks nervously up at Virgin Hal, who hasn’t said a word "She was," she assures me, in a whisper "But I told her it wouldn’t be appropriate in front of hi of her sliotta go"

"U the odd threesome "I’uys I think Cooper’s friend Vir--Iwith Cooper, so irls came back some other time"

"Oh, Cooper isn’t here," Nicole announces Unlike her sister--though the girls are twins, they’re far fro auburn and twisted into Princess Leia buns pinned to the sides of her head, her su In fact, it appears on closer inspection to be soarood in

Only what salesperson would be so cruel? Nicole looks like an upside-down ice creaal myself, I kno difficult it can be so that fits well, but I also know better than to buy so just because soood onhi up"

Hal uncrosses his haet my attention

"Hey, Heather," he says in a voice that’s surprisingly soft for soh I know froin Hal’s shy demeanor is deceptive Those arms have apparently crushed skulls like water to worry about, but he asked s around the house"

As soon as Hal says the words "nothing to worry about," I know I need to start worrying If Cooper isn’t picking up when his sisters call--and he hasn’t texted in Hal over to "check on a few things around the house," so to tell entleman’s code" he and the rest of Cooper’s friends have with one another I’ll have to wait until Cooper gets hohtly "As you can see, ladies, this isn’t the best ti down to lift the enorht your bridal-shower gift all the way down here!"