Fuzzy Navel (22 page)

I
’M MEDICATED. Something strong that makes it hard to stay awake.

People come and go all day. Doctors and nurses. Cops. People I care about.

I have nothing to offer them. Nothing to give.

My hospital room fills up with meaningless flowers. Friends. Police officers from around the country. Strangers who watched the news.

Captain Bains even shows up, offers his condolences. Tells me to take as long as I need to recuperate.

He even offers to help with the funeral arrangements.

I decline.

“We’ll get her,” he tells me. “We’ve got the Staties involved. The Feds. Every cop shop in Illinois and the surrounding states.”

His words don’t reassure me. I know they won’t get her. I know, because Alex has already gotten away.

She’s told me as much.

Before Bains arrived, one of my floral arrangements began to ring. Inside the planter was a cell phone.

I picked it up, and read the text message on the screen.

SO SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS, JACK.

I’M IN MILWAUKEE.

COME GET ME.

Along with the text was a picture. A shot of Alex, a half smile on her scarred face, standing in front of a restaurant.

I don’t share this information with the captain. Maybe I will later. I’m not sure. It depends on whether or not I’m going to stay a cop.

I look at it now. The phone. My direct link to the person who hurt me worse than anyone has ever hurt me before.

COME GET ME.

“You can bet on it, Alex. You can bet on it.”

Big thanks to the following people. You’ve helped me immeasurably, and I won’t soon forget. (Apologies to those folks I forgot.)

William E. Adams, Augie Aleksy, Tasha Alexander,

Feo Amante, Brenda Anderson, Patrick Balester, Sarah Bewley,

Dave Biemann, Irene Black, Michele Bradford, Wendy Brault,

Tisha Britton, Lynn Burton, William Conner, Gail Cooke,

Jim Coursey, Tammy Cravit, Blake Crouch, Josephine Damian,

Terri Dukes, Chris Dupee, Audrey N. Durel, Jane Dystel,

Barry Eisler, W. D. Gagliani, Miriam Goderich,

Norman Goldman, Terri Grimes, Jude Hardin, Joe Hartlaub,

Linda Holman, Kay Hooper, Adam Hurtubise, Eileen Hutton,

Bob Hutton, Steve Jensen, Cynthia Johnson, Jon Jordan,

Ruth Jordan, Richard Katz, Nick Kelly, Maria Konrath,

Talon Konrath, Chris & Mariesa Konrath, Laura Konrath,

Mike Konrath, John Konrath, Amy M. Krueger, Michele Lee,

Meredith Link, Brenda C. Long, Maggie Mason,

Joseph P. Menta Jr., Brenda Messex, Jim Munchel, David Omo,

Henry “Hank” Perez, Paul Pessolano, Barbara Peters,

Jeanine Peterson, Sharon L. Pritchard, Pat Reid,

Heather M. Riley, Terry Robertson, J. Greg Robison,

James Rollins, Marcus Sakey, Judith Saul, Terri Schlichenmeyer,

Rob Siders, Wendy K. Smith, Shaun A. Sohacki, Greg Swanson,

Linda Tonnesen, Leslie Wells, Matt Wilhite, Lloyd Woodall.

And special thanks to the many booksellers, librarians, interviewers, bloggers, reviewers, and booksellers (they deserve to be thanked twice) who have embraced my series. I owe every one of you a drink.

J.A. Konrath is the author of four previous Jack Daniels mysteries, and lives in the suburbs of Chicago.

Document ID: fbd-466343-67f9-544b-70aa-995e-6f7c-a061cc

Document version: 1

Document creation date: 31.12.2009

Created using: Fiction Book Designer software

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