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“Right.”

“Any reason you’re asking me?” Jackie asked. “You don’t think I have anything to do with it, do you?”

I blinked. “What? No!”

She shook her head. “Plenty of people have tried to lie to me in this chair. It’s okay if you did.”

“To be fair, I don’t think it’s really you.”

“If it was, you’d know.”

“You’d quit your job?”

“No, I’d still do hair sometimes. But I’d go to Hawaii. I’d probably try to buy more land for Mollie and Cain, or spoil my grandkids.”

“Are those your big aspirations?”

“I’m a simple woman.” She tilted her head to the side. “But the grant owner? Not so much.”

“They must get one hell of a tax write-off.”

“Sure, but they don’t do it for that.”

“You think so?”

“Oh, I know so.” Jackie’s smile was easygoing as she worked through my hair. “Whoever did this is going after not only what we need, but also what we want. That’s not someone who wants a write-off.”

“Then who do you think it is?”

“I couldn’t begin to guess. I think it’s someone who knows us very well. Someone who’s very special. And someone who’s very, very selfless.”

4

GABRIEL

Strawberry Springs Neighborhood Watch

Mark Bell: So . . . do we talk about it?

Comments:

Jade Clark: I will cut you.

Mark Bell: All right. Cool. There’s nothing to talk about.

SherriffMike Finch: Jade . . .

Jade Clark: Do you wanna try me?

SherriffMike Finch: Carry on.

I nearly fell over when Atticus walked through the door. “Oh,” he said. “This is . . . something.”

“It’s not blood,” I rushed to say. “It’s ketchup.”

He stared. “It’s everywhere.”

“I’m making a painting!” Agnes said as she slapped more onto Beatrice, who only laughed.