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“Not in a real warm, fuzzy place, huh?”

My attehten theat led with the shock of his blow I tasted blood which tickled my chin as it dribbled from the corner of my mouth

He pressed ainst the stove With his face an inch from mine, he whispered, “Cooper’s landlady told me you were in his roo your little shithole apartment and tell me what you found there”

“Just some papers,” I whispered

“Nothing else? You’re sure?”

I nodded I thought about the package I hadn’t received Did it have what he was looking for?

“Wasn’t there a key with those papers?”

“What if there was?”

“Any idea what that key went to?”

“Hoould I know?”

He gritted his teeth in ahabit of answering a question with another question?”

“Really?” I said, flinching when I realized I’d inadvertently done it again

He grabbedme to look him in the eye

“So you wouldn’t have any photographs or recordings from Cooper?”

“What would I be doing with those?”