Chapter 11. I fumbled with the lock on the office door. Whatever strikingly

lifelike simulation of a wide-awake person I had been briefly shocked into becoming, it was

starting to fade quickly. Sabian had left Officer Cindy Lou down in the car, which was probably

good as I was deeply

conflicted as to whether I ought to date him, mock him, or shoot him, and in the face of such

apparent conflict, it was very likely that I would have chosen all of the above, which almost

never works out well.

I had driven my own car, in spite of Sabian's offer of a ride. Never let a cop on the job

drive you anywhere that you don't want to come back from in a taxi cab. They have a way of

remembering that they're really very busy guys and don't have the time at all to take you home

even though it's three or possibly four in the morning.

Besides, if one feels beholden to a guy like Sabian for a ride, it really takes the wind out of the sails of your banter.

I had to shake my head and remember that Ted Holm was dead.

None of this seemed real, and I hadn't entirely discounted the possibility that someone

was pulling my leg,

except that Sabian wasn't famous for his lively sense of humor or his zany pranks, and the

entire thing would have been so desperately unfunny that not even Jack could possibly have engineered

this. I swore under my breath as I dropped my keys on the floor with a rattle. I leaned over and picked him up clumsily and glared daggers at Sabian in advance of any comment he might like to make.

Everything okay there, he said, not picking up his cues at all.

Shut up, Sabian, I frowned. I'm not even in my body yet.

Uh-huh, he said sagely as I unlocked the office door. Next time your partner

shoots somebody, have him do it in the afternoon. I pushed open the door and flicked on the lights.

...