68.
She landed beside the bloody heap of flesh and bone and fabric—along with a substantial amount of freshly stopped lead—that once comprised the embodiment of one Milt McQuarry.
Ducks Rowed (More or Less)
Q: Hold down a job? A: Check. Q: Pay bills (on time)? A: Check. Q: Save money? A: Check. Q: Obey the Rules of the Road? A: Check. Or, mostly check. Or, rather: Check -ish . Q: Recycle? A: Check. Q: Observe common courtesy? (Exempli gratia, holding doors open for those who follow behind, allowing others to lead the way onto or off of an elevator, giving up a train seat to those who are less steady or heavily burdened, et cetera.) A: Check. Q: Charitable? A: Check. Q: Keep in shape? A: Check. Q: Avoid junk food? A: Check. Q: Find someone to love you back? A: ... Q: Find someone to love you back? A : Pass. Q: Find someone— A: Shut up. There’s always a rub. Exempli gratia: You’ll have love, but you won’t have money. Love, but your lover’s unfaithful. Love, but you’ll be sick with AIDS, MS, or cancer. Or, they’ll be sick with fill–in–the–blank. You’ll have love, but you’l...