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“Maybe I will at that”

Keira asked, “Do you need to call your office first?”

Callahan shook his head “I already thought of it, but I’m not on duty until to, lots of bar fights, and lots of people on the road too drunk to drive and too stupid to know better There’s also a big Memorial Day party at the VFW hall in town on Monday That’s why I scheduled myself on duty for the whole three-day weekend” He sed “It’s my job”

“Mehtfully “Do you think it has anything to do with this?” he asked “Do you think there’s so down on Monday?”

Callahan considered the question “Anything’s possible But Steve indicated trouble wasn’t i” He paused, his face hardening “But now he’s dead So, yeah Anything’s possible”

He headed toward the bed, but stopped when Keira touched his arm “What did youlook she explained, “When Cody stated any proof your neighbor had, died with him, you said, ‘Not quite’”

“Right” His glanceeIt’s true Mandy and I couldn’t do anything to save Steve, but heto me before he died” The harsh lines of his face showed his frustration “I just don’t knohat it means”

“What did he say?” Cody asked

Callahan pinched his lips together with a forefinger and thumb as he contemplated how to put it “It sounds funny, I know, but he said so like, ‘Vay-nee, vee-dee—’”

“Veni, vidi, vici,” Keira said, pronouncing the Latin words with a classical w sound instead of a v, then added, “It’s also pronounced with a v—veni, vidi, vici”

“That’s it, that’s exactly what he said”