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On her bench, Shadow lifted her head to watchI shot her a reassuring s point

Eli wanted me to keep my head down, do my job to the letter only, and I couldn’t bla that, because that’s what the old Scarlett would have done The Scarlett who’d been going through the h choices I’d never chosen my job, for example--I’d beenit after her death because I didn’t knohat else to do It wasn’t like I’d ever drea lies to cops

I hadn’t picked the job, but it had crept up on me, bit by bit, and noell, if not loved it, at least , and s I’d done had helped sohts and taking vas Oh, I wasn’t a born do-gooder, like Jesse I’d never been one of those people who’d co to make the world a better place What I’d wanted was to have a place in the world

But now that I had that, I found rateful that part ofa balance After what Olivia had done to me, and what several others had tried to do since then, it felt good to right wrongs

I thought about Molly, and the way she’d looked cru over what she’d been forced to do And then I res he’d done to young woain So to pick up his ht Maybe Dashiell and the others hadn’t actually wantedme, either

Chapter 25

Forty-fivedoith Ji place had been a challenge--it had to be sos would visit, but where a biker wouldn’t look so completely discordant that everyone re platforht in front of the pond At least it was close to his apartment, so he was able to stop at home for a shower and clean clothes

It was late afternoon, but there were plenty of people walking dogs, jogging, or strolling while they talked on cell phones There were also several lumpy islands of dirty blankets--homeless people, buried under layers to avoid both stares and the cool wind

When Jesse reached the viewing platfor at a soupy cup of ice creaht with hioatee ent by the nah Jesse didn’t know if that was his actual name or an MC moniker Rod seemed jittery, which Jesse sort of expected in a CI, but there was some exciteured out why

"Hey, uy said right away, keeping his gaze focused straight ahead of the around the pond "I didn’t want to do this meet, you know, but I couldn’t resist the chance to have you sign my copy" He pulled a battered hardcover out of the equally battered knapsack at his feet and slid it over to Jesse

Jesse had to o, but the fandoreasy-looking biker who couldn’t lace his work boots withouteyelets Rod also didn’t look like much of a reader, but that was probably unfair

Jesse left the book on the bench between the "In a minute," he said "First I’d like to knohat happened this afternoon at the condo in Sylmar"