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My mind was cycling on a short loop.
What the hell had I been thinking?
And what did I want?
I found the stairwell and was leaning heavily on the banister, making my way down to the squad room, when I saw Jacobi coming up the other way.
“Warren, you’re not going to believe this.”
“Let’s get out of here,” he said.
We took the stairs to the ground floor and out onto Bryant, heading toward the Flower Mart.
“Tracchio called me last night,” Jacobi said as we walked. I looked up at him. Jacobi and I have never had any secrets from each other, but I read pain on his face, and that jolted me.
“He offered me the job, Lindsay. Your job. But I told him I wouldn’t take it unless it was okay with you.”
The rumble under my feet was surely the Caltrain coming into the station, but it felt like an earthquake.
I knew what I was supposed to say: Congratulations. Brilliant choice. You’ll be great, Jacobi.
But I couldn’t get out the words.
“I need some time to think, Jacobi. I’m taking the day off,” I sputtered.
“Sure, Lindsay. Nobody’s going to do anything unless —”
“Maybe two days.”
“Lindsay, stop! Talk to me.”
But I was gone.
I jaywalked across the street. Got my car out of the lot and drove down Bryant to Sixth, and from there got onto 280 South, heading toward Potrero Hill.
I jerked my phone off my belt and autodialed Joe’s cell phone as I drove, listened to the ring tone as I floored my Explorer and took it into the fast lane.
It was one p.m. in Washington.
Pick up, Joe!
The ring went into his voice mail, so I left a message: “Call me. Please.”
Then I phoned San Francisco General.
I asked the operator to put me through to Claire.
Chapter 25
I WAS HOPING TO HEAR Claire’s voice, but Edmund answered the phone. He sounded as if he’d spent another night sleeping in a chair.
“How is she?” I asked through the crimp in my throat.
“Having another MRI,” he said.
“Tell Claire we got the shooter,” I said. “He confessed, and we’ve got him locked up.”
I told Edmund that I’d check in with Claire later, then I dialed Joe again. This time I got the voice mail at his office, so I tried him at home.
