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Carly ignored that. “Were you up-to-date on all of your immunizations?”
“Yes. And I had some the general public wouldn’t because of my line of work. Smallpox, anthrax, rabies, yellow fever, and meningitis were just a few of the ones I had.”
“Did you get a flu shot last year?”
“Yes. Always do.”
“So did I. My parents didn’t. My mom had sort of a needle phobia, and my dad just didn’t bother if she wasn’t going to do it. Do you know what company made your shot?”
“Cederna Pharmaceutical Services. They had the contract from the army for vaccinations. Why?” A small frown tugged at Justin’s lips, as though her questions disturbed him.
Carly couldn’t help but be a little smug. “Maybe there could have been something about that particular batch. Cederna made my shot, too. They sent me a receipt I was supposed to send to my insurance company for reimbursement, but I didn’t have insurance. I remember because they had that strange logo that had all of the letters twisted together.”
“Probably just a coincidence.” But he was still frowning as he said it
“Yeah, probably.” Carly decided to humor him, at least until she had stronger evidence. The vaccination theory didn’t explain the animals’ immunity, after all.
They rode in silence for a moment.
“Carly, can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“I saw your necklace last night.”
Carly had tried to keep it hidden under her T-shirt, but he would have seen it when that shirt came off. She said nothing.
“I wanted to ask you about the things you have on it.”
“What about them?”
Justin wouldn’t miss the defensiveness in her tone, just as he wouldn’t have missed the details of what she had strung on that chain. He was too damn observant.
“Will you tell me why you are keeping those things? I understand your father’s ring, but the others? What do they mean to you?”
“My apartment key is pretty self-explanatory, I think.”
“Are you keeping it in case you return?” Justin’s voice was free of inflection, but she understood why he asked.
“No, I know I’ll never go back there. It’s like keeping a piece of my home.” Carly swallowed hard around the lump in her throat.
“And the penny?”
“I found it after I shot the crazy man in Fraser.”
“I see,” he said, but she was sure he didn’t.
“It’s a memorial, in a way. Not to him, but... sort of.” She struggled for words. “It’s a memorial to the life I took.”
Justin lifted the arm of his T-shirt and showed her the three bands of lightning that circled his bicep. “I understand, Carly. Maybe better than you know.”
She nodded. Maybe he did after all.
“And the soda tab?”
“It was supposed to remind me not to... get attached to you.”
Justin was silent for a moment. “Will you take it off now? Please?”
