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He stood up when I entered his sed me He patted my shoulder and asked after Joe I told him what the doctor had said: “We have to wait and see”

When ere all seated, I asked about Connor Grant

“He’s in a cell by his lonesoish white-blond hair with his fingers and took a long, cold pull fro

Then he said to me with a voice still faintly colored by a Southern drawl after all these years, “Git talkin’, Boxer Don’t leave anything out”

CHAPTER 8

IT WAS ALMOST two in the h the front door of the apartment I used to share with Joe It’s a rooh, and the kitchen is open to the main room, which is furnished in leather and neutral tones, and has tall est and south, facing Lake Street

Tonight hoood

Martha, ed across the floor, her barking waking Mrs Rose, our saintly nanny, who’d been asleep in Joe’s big chair

Martha also awakened Julie Anne, age twenty-two months, who called out for me

“Mommmmeeeeeeeeeeee”

“Be right there, sweetie,” I croaked

“You need some honeyed tea for that throat,” Mrs Rose said I followed her into the kitchen, and as I washed ed

She said she would pray for him, and after shehad had their needs addressed, I walked her through my front door and across the hall to her own domicile

We hugged, and I said, “See you in theUm See you in six hours”

Back inside, I went to Julie’s buttercup-yellow roo up in her crib with her hands up for a hug—which I gave her in full