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“In case of eh with the pleasantries, what’s going on there?”

“Ran into a bit of a snag here” Jake relayed the case developments to his father “What the hell could be on that phone and flash drive?”

“This is crazier than a raccoon onon this end In the meantime, you play it cool”

“Will do” He paused, chewed his thumbnail and spit it out the“You eat today?”

“Little of this Little of that You know chemo can’t kill my appetite”

Jake pictured the Francis Warrick of his youth Tall Strong A Lucky Strike always dangling froure he cut today Da cancer? The queen bitch

“Glad to hear it”

“Don’t need you to be glad Need you to get this case in your rearview and get your ass back here I can’t do it all, you know”

“I know”

“Good Now give Burlington a call He wants a progress report”

“Will do Bye”

“What, you’re too big to tell your old man you love him?”

“No, sir” Jake grinned into the phone Dad had been all huff and puff as long as he could remember “Love you, Dad”

“Love you too” A cough rang through the phone “Now get your ass back to work”

Jake hung up and flipped open the case file and found Burlington’s personal cell number What the hell could he tell hihter’s killer spent his free tirief Jake wished he had better information to offer than he did