Eventually,hegotusedtoit.

Noattatsmeanthewasalwaysfree.Noparents,ives,nopressuretocarryonthefamilyline.hometoworryabout,sohecouldthrowhimselfintoeverycasewithouthesitation.

Luhadclimbedtheranksquicklyinhisearlyyears,butaftermakingcaptain,hiscareerftlined.Everyoneknewwhy:noes,nobag.Thiswasasfarashewouldevergo.

Beingahomicidedetectivewasdangerous,exhaustingwork.Butsomeoodoit.Hisoldcolleagueshadwives,kids,reasonstostayalive.Luonlyhadthecase.

Heoftengrumbledthathewasborntosuffer.Yetnomatterhowmuchhepined,hewasalwaysthefirsttein.

Apartfromtheendlesssuspedcorpses,theonlythingtyinghimdownwasthestralegirthome.

Reya—hisoruesurprise.

***

FourteenYearsAgo

LufirstmetReyawhileiigatingaserialmurdercaseoskirtsofthecity.

Backthen,hewasjustarookiecop,freshoutoftheacademy,burstingwithnaiveidealism,er,alwaysthefirsttovolunteerfrisliesttasks.

Thevictimale,nakedwomanwithaslender,elegantfigure.Heralmond-shapedeyeswerewideopen,staringbnklyatthesky.