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“I had no idea You see, that’s the point, girlfriend”

I started laughing for the first ti while

“So as I’uy’s brain has been slowly peeling off the ceiling — it falls and sht behind my ear”

She slapped her neck to show uffaw

“Like I said, waro?” she asked me

“How did which go? The intervieith your patient’s devil spawn? Or thewith the mayor?”

“Both of ’eht, thanks to your bird friends filling up ain”

“Well, Vetter first, short and to the point,” I told Claire “He lawyered up, pronto Got nothing to say But when he does get around to saying so, I’ll bet you a hundred bucks he says his buddy tortured and killed all those people and he just watched”

“Won’t really ets the needle Plus, you witnessed hi this poor woman”

“Me and thirty other cops But for the sake of the victi them all”

“And yourwith the mayor?”

“Hah! First Conklin and I get the high fives and Jacobi alonna pull our horrible criround floor’ — when the whole conversation devolves into which jurisdiction has the first bite at Vetter since the killings took place in Monterey and San

ta Clara Counties as well as — Claire? Honey? What is it? What’s wrong?”

Claire’s face had twisted in pain She dropped her scalpel, and it rang out against the stainless steel table She grabbed her belly, looked at me with shock in her eyes

“My water just broke, Lindsay I’m not due for three weeks”