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“I’m sorry”

The line crackles “We’ll talk later This has been a long ordeal I’d like some rest now”

My heart pitter-patters “I do have a question for you”

“Yes?”

I feel the sharp blade of his teh the phone line I inhale…then let the breath out “I need the location of the safe’s key You know—”

“The only one Yes, I know What for?”

“For hi him pain”

“Injured in the fall, then?”

“I’m not sure when”

“Weren’t you there?”

“Well, yes But—”

“Is it an old wound or a new one?”

I bristle, as I almost always do in the past year e speak “Likely old Truth be told, I didn’t ask”

“What do you need the safe for?”

“Well, for the controlled substances For the pain I’d hoped to give a bit of so”