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Hal, who’s announced he’s staying the night--and possibly the next few nights--is sleeping in Cooper’s office downstairs The contents of his duffel bag turned out to include several changes of clothes, a toothbrush, and the book he’s currently reading, as well as uest room instead of the couch--which folds out but isn’t as comfortable as a bed--but he thanked me politely and said he preferred Cooper’s couch Cooper later informed me this is because his office has the best view of the street, so Hal can see anyone who ht come up the front steps
"Wouldn’t it h the back?" I asked
Cooper shook his head "That’s what the alaruised as a pizza delivery Only none of us ordered pizza, and pizza’s not what’s in the box"
"Now you guys are being ridiculous," I said, rolling er ate a lot of pizza, and look what happened to hi to be any convincing Cooper that anyone could easily have snuck up behind Caled him--he sits with his back to the door of the Express’s office, typing with earbuds in his ears--so I let it drop Let Hal stare at the front porch for uised as pizza deliveryer fish to fry
"So is Hal here," I finally ask Cooper, when his lids have becoet the truth fro aton with myabout the pillshim fuzzy-headed "What do youout to lightly run a finger down his cheek It’s already rough with razor stubble, and likely to get rougher as the days go by With a broken ankle, cracked rib, and fat lip, he won’t be bothering to shave "I know you weren’t in a car wreck Sammy the Schnozz squealed"
"See if I ever do hienuine bitterness "You just can’t trust people anymore, Heather"
"No, you can’t, can you? Cooper, I believe I asked you to leave the thing with my mother alone"
"And I believe I told you that as a licensed private investigator, I couldn’t Heather, don’t you get it? I couldn’t not follow her"
"And look where it got you!" I’ve sat down on the bed beside hied ankle and ribs "This is what she does She ruins everything she touches"
He captures one of ently so as not to hurt his badly bruised lips
"Not everything," he says, with a lopsided sht," I say, sarcastically "So this ti me, she hurts you That’s so much better, Coop"
"Come on, Heather You think this is bad? Believe me, I’ve had much worse In a couple of weeks, there won’t be a scratch on ht!" I cry again