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Dan shoved him so hard that he stumbled three steps. “Dumbasses stay here.”

“Stop calling me a dumbass. I’m starting to get pissed off.”

“Oh yeah? Well I’m pissed off too. Look at you — with your scarred hands, your busted face, your girlfriend in a pen. And the only reason you’re not in jail is because you have the best lawyer in the world, and he got you off. Well guess what — he can’t do it again. You blow this chance and you’ll rot in that jail or worse, East, the front. Is that what you want?” He shoved Beckett so hard he fell on the slick grassy slope.

Beckett, from down in the mud, asked, “Dan would you leave if it was Sarah? Would you leave?”

“I wouldn’t want to, but I hope I’d have a friend who would kick my ass to make me. Because you friend, have to get on that bus. And if you don’t leave now, you’re going to miss it.”

Luna raised her head and called across the crowd to Beckett, “Go, I’m fine. I didn’t eat very well —” She retched and heaved again.

“I can’t leave, crap, I can’t—”

Dan said, “You have to. We’ll give you updates — you have to go or they won’t allow you to come back.”

Luna wiped her mouth on her wrist. “Beckett, I have a stomach bug or something. I probably ate too many apples or. . .” She swallowed, fighting down another upheave.

Chickadee leaned into Beckett’s field of vision. “What are you going to do here? Watch Luna throw up what she ate, then sit in jail? You can’t help, so go. You’re the first to hear when she’s all better.”

Luna threw up again.

Dilly said quietly, “You have to Beckett.” She offered him her hand, helped him up, and turned him away toward the parking lot. Dan pulled beside him as escort.

Beckett asked, “You’ll call me, right? Dan? Dilly? You’ll call?”

Dan and Dilly both nodded and assured Beckett all the way to the car.

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