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"What do you s are exactly the way they seeood dirty--"

"Oh, Heather" Cooper cutshis head, then winces when the pain stops hioes to show that your htby the size of the knife that guy pulled on me, I think she had reason to believe she was in trouble--real trouble--and needed our help, but she didn’t know quite how to ask for it, especially after the way she’s treated you all these years"

After this speech--which is a bit hard to understand thanks to his busted lip--Cooper reaches for the water glass, and takes a long drink through the straw

"Why would I help her?" I demand "Especially now! What has she ever done for et you killed today"

"I brought that on myself," he says, when his mouth is less dry, one of the side effects listed on the pill bottle "As you pointed out, I should have left well enough alone Butwell, it’s not in h: it’s not in your nature, either, Heather That’s e make such a perfect pair We’re lucky to have found each another I feel sorry sometimes for people like your ood whatever-you-were-going-to-call-her It’s that she was never lucky enough to find her soul ht be soirl likes to ad back to Detective Canavan’s unpleasant assertion that I’m a shitkicker That makes Cooper one, too So we’re a couple of shitkickers in love?

How romantic

"What about my poor dad?" I ask "Ifher, you can bet that’s what this is all about--then she’s putting Dad in danger, staying with hiers "This completely explains why she didn’t want to stay in a hotel! She knew if she used a credit card, Ricardo could find her Not that he didn’t roan and cover my eyes

"It’s not as bad as all that," Cooper says "Ricardo’s going to be in the To Then if he can’t make bail--which I doubt he will, since he resisted arrest, and you kno fondly judges look upon that--he’ll be shipped off to Rikers So wherever your ood head start on him And your dad’s fine He just ordered in Chinese food"

"Wait" I drop my hands away from my face in order to stare at him "How do you know that?"

Sheepishly, Cooper holds up his cell phone There’s a text on it frostaked out?" I cry

"Of course not," he says, as if this would be completely unreasonable "I just bribed the doorman to keep me updated on your dad’s activities"

"Oh," I say in mock relief "That’s so much better"

"See," Cooper says "This is why I never wanted you to know the details of what I do for a living, because it’s not pleasant I spy on people I’et beat up for doing it, and even when I’ on people It’s what I do, Heather And if you’re going to be et used to it"

I lean back against the pillows and eye hiing glea if I asked you to?"