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Nicky s full-face attention Leduc’s eyes did the slide thing as if he was trying to decide where to look on Nicky’s face, because like most polite people, he didn’t want to stare at the scars Thanks to Nicky, I’d discovered that I always stared at just one eye on anyone I was giving good eye contact to, and it was always the right eye I’d tried to change that for Nicky, but he’d thought I was being weird like everyone else In the end I’d explained my discovery, and we’d both decided that I’d stare at his face the way I did at everyone else’s even if thatat his scars

“As members of the preternatural branch, we have the ability to deputize people if we think they’d be an asset on a case,” Newman said

“It’s your case, not hers, and I know you didn’t deputize someone you don’t know”

“I met him in the field on the same case where I met Forrester, Jeffries, and Blake”

Leduc looked Nicky up and down like he was taking measurements “So, what’s your specialty that makes Blake want you on her cases so often?”

“Toughso that he said it straight-faced and serious

Custer laughed from the wall

“Are youa joke?” Leduc asked

“No,” Nicky said

I smiled; I couldn’t help it

“Nicky is a goodforward instead of just watching us

“Are we a you, Blake?” Leduc asked

“No, sir”

“Then why are you s?”

“Nicky has that effect on me sometimes”