But hes had so many in the past. Whats so special about this one? I mean, hesalwaysbeen a shitty husband. If they had a national competition for shitty husbands he’d be in the top three.’ And what happened? Let me show you something. Devine shook his head.She checked herself out of the hospital. She hasnt answered my texts or emails or phone calls. She sat in the row in front of us. Wind soughed in the pines and brought the scent to me as a gift. I needed something to comfort me. The events of the day had sapped my strength and my sense. Just a moment, just a moment, Hamilton Burger shouted. The same objection, Your Honor. An attempt to cross-examine his own witness. Incompetent, irrelevant— His cell phone rang. Vanessa.Good morning again. Not exactly, Mason said. You interest me. I dont have to tell you what the reaction to these strikes would be, do I? he said and then went on before we could say yes or no. I dont have to describe how the voters feel about strikes by teachers and cops and garbage collectors and hospital workers and what have you. And I dont have to tell you what frame of mind the voters are going to be in on November second if they haven’t had their garbage picked up in two months, or worse — much worse — maybe they’ve had a friend or relative die because there wasn’t enough help to go around in a hospital. Or maybe their kid, or the neighbor’s kid, got hit by a car at a school crossing because there wasn’t anybody there to help him across the street because whoever was supposed to be there was out on strike. I don’t have to tell you who they’re going to vote for if something like that happens, do I? When she saw that ad in the paper, communicated with Box 123J and learned the man at the other end of die line was Alder, she knew she was read to strike, to boldly accuse him of Conines murder. I guess you learned that in the Army while fighting overseas? I dont know, Stone replied. Greek, Romanian, maybe. Stone hung up. Very well, Mason told him. Go ahead. Old Colt I got from my old man. They thought it was a suicide, but turns out someone murdered her. I wouldnt have either, except for her, said Devine, motioning to Montgomery..