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She looks at Doug with a will take you to her and I suppose I'll be seeing all of your bright, shining faces toentlemen"

Hammond turns her back on us and I have to restrain round, and strangling the breath out of her I want to pin her dorap my hands around that scrawny neck, and choke her until she turns first red, then blue I want her to fear imminent death and see the look in my eyes that I won't save her, and then I want to bend down and whisper to her, "You see, bitch This is what it feels like to be dying Now tell me that if you had a letter opener in your hand you wouldn't swing it at en?"

Instead, I merely fantasize about that and watch as she pulls the door shut behind her, giving Doug and me a few moments of privacy

"So we'll be tried together?" I take a guess

"Looks that way," he says "It's a in for theet two bites at the apple so to speak, and while they'd be ecstatic to have the jury believe you tere in on it together, they'll be coly convicted"

"Well isn't that a fucking junk punch," I say, and then ientle hard to help me

"I knohat you'll probably say, but I do have to throw this out there, Beck If you took the stand and testified against Sela, the chances would be much better for you"

"Not going to happen," I grit out

"Didn't think so, but I have to give you the advice regardless," he says kindly "And I' it up to you"

"Duly noted," I say

"All right," he says, laying a hand onout today, but I don't see any reason why Judge Reyes won't grant her the saet some money transferred and ready to put down on her, and ohshe'll need so nice to wear tomorrow in court"

I nod, feeling utterly exhausted and helpless at thisis waiting and she jerks her head down an opposite hallway for Doug to follow her I head back to the reception area, out of the police station, and cross the street where I'm parked half a block down

As soon as I' into traffic, I call Dennis

It's more than time

By h calculations, he should be in Pana in soet his voicebehind so to verify my alibi the day of JT's death

"Dennis, it's Beck I need you to call me ASAP Sela and I are in a world of trouble We need help"

I disconnect, knowing thatto knock the breath out of hi beer with his buddies and figuring JT was in theout of the business and Sela would be having a long-overdue chat with the police about her rapist

He's in for one hell of a surprise

I don't head hoested I make my way to Belle Haven instead because I need to have a very immediate and important talk with Willia the news quickly and he does not need to be finding out this crap on TV

He's been kept fully in the loop on what's been going on, and I've talked to him a few times over the last few days when he calls Sela to check in I know he doesn't owehis full support behindin Sela andto do with JT's death

That's going toready to tell him extremely difficult

As I navigate h the rush-hour traffic, I take a deep breath and dial Williao but I've never called hinize my number

I'

"It's Beck," I tell hi bad has happened and I need to talk to you about it"

"Where are you?" he asks briskly, not bothering to pump me for information

"I can be at your house in about an hour," I tell hi from Sausalito"

"Assu you won't tell me over the phone, because I can hear it in your voice that it's really bad, meet me instead at the Starbucks in Millbrae; it's on Broadway We can both be there in about half an hour"

"Got it," I say