Lucinda and Jake were grateful for each other’s company on the quiet streets. The only signs of life were feral cats that ran and hid at the slightest provocation. They talked at length about the status of the cases foremost in their mind. Would Martha Sherman be released from prison on Monday? Would Mack Rogers ever be found and arrested? Would Chris Phillips walk away from his crimes and, God forbid, end up as their elected congressman once again? Would Charley ever be cleared and how would the experience change her? They shared their hopes and fears about outcomes in each one. Jake tried to help Lucinda cope with the guilt she felt over each situation. When they ran out of thoughts to share, they sat in companionable silence until Jake broke it. ‘Lucinda, I’m not telling you what to do and it won’t make any difference to how I feel about you; but I really think it would do you a lot of good to get the final surgical procedure done.’ ‘I’ve been thinking about it, Jake. But one thing stops me every time.’ ‘What’s that?’ ‘I am afraid that after it’s done, Dr Burns will say that I need just one more.
