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Chasing River KA Tucker 18670K 2023-09-02

"What else did he say?" Duffy pushes

"He asked if I was alright," I mumble "And then he ran"

Duffy scribbles it down "Good, Amber What else? What about hair color? Eye color?"

"Green eyes" Rich, insistent green eyes "And I think he was hurt" Because he put himself in harm’s wayforelse Not until I can wrap my head around this "That’s all I can res his radio to hisoff a series of words and nu it’s police code Buzzing fills the air and several uniforers and shouts They’ll be canvassing the park and the area beyond the walls

I wonder if they’ll find him

"That’s helpful, Amber We’ll check the hospitals" He pulls a business card out of his pocket and hands it to me "Ya may re if ya do"

"They’re going to be wanting to talk to ya" O’Brien nods toward so in the distance I peek out around the back doors of the aun to trickle in, theirover the area Fortunately they’re held back by a wide perimeter of tape and I’m still hidden

I can see the headline now: American Girl Saved by Irish Good Sa this would be a story that the o viral It would certainly besure my thank you reaches hiuarantee that my dad’s first trip out of A his daughter back in handcuffs if need be, twenty-five years old or not

I pull the rim of my pink baseball cap down "Any chance we can avoid them? And keep my name and picture out of the athering crowd "They are hounds, aren’t they? Maybe we should give ya a lift so at a house on Hatch Street, just off Leeson It’s a few blocks away"

"I know the street" He radios for a spare jacket, and I use it to shield my face and upper body as they usher me to their car

THREE

River

"What’s the story, lad?" Eaht around his scraaist, his thinning white hair standing on end One long, shrewd look athty-six-year-old bones can e "Didn’t expect to see ya like this, River Your brother, of coursebut not you" His slippers scratch across the dated linoleum floor I’ve been to Dr Eamon O’Hare’s semidetached house a handful of tied The same vinyl flowery tablecloth covers the kitchen table, the sa--a worn shade of sky blue--protects feet fro roo his wife--God rest her soul--stitch still hang over the s, growing otten yourself into?" He leadsroom--a cramped room with no arfed by a sturdy wooden table and lit by a gaudy bell-shaped light frous," is all I say I don’t need to explain anydiapers and sucking on ourdiapers and sucking on his ma’s teat He’s been a friend of the Delaney faoing to the hospital isn’t an option He doesn’t ask too

"Let’s have us a look, then"

With slow, pained reen football jersey The fewallowed me the opportunity to swipe a hat and shirt from a street vendor just outside the walls of the Green I used theht

The pub T-shirt I wear to work--the first thing I grabbed frous--comes off next