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

Beingahomicidedetectivewasdangerous,exhaustingwork.Butsomeoodoit.Hisoldcoll

Hehadnomoney,nofamily.Sowhatdiditmatterwherehelived?Thisoldapartmeohimbyhisparents,wasstillstanding.Aslongasthepowerstayedon,theroofdidn''''''''tleak,andnoonecametoevicthim,hewouldstayhere.Maybeuntilthedayhedied.

lition.Theirjagged,soot-stainedrooftopsofthesecrumblingstructureshuogetherinthecrampedskyline,dwarfedbythesapphire-blueskyscrapersglitteringiaheirgssmonolithsglitteringlikegemstones.

Thosewhocouldaffordabetterlifehadlongsincemovedawaywiththeirfamilies.Mostunitsinthisbuildingwerehollowshellsnow,inhabitedonlybystraycats,dogs,ortheoccasionalchildbraveenoughtosneakin.Homelessdrifterssometimessquattedfhtortwo,buthemstayed.

Hefoughtcrime,upheldjustice,hadadetfadrightastheycame.Sowhycouldn''''''''thendagirlfriend?Atleastifhediedinthelineofduty,theywouldburyhimiyrs''''''''cemetery.Thegoverwouldcutaheftycheck—forthefamilyhedidn''''''''thave.

Itwasn''''''''tthatLuhadhoughtaboutsettlingdown.Itwasthatnowomaninherrightmindwouldwanthim.

TheapartmentitselfwaslikearottingbamboosliptossedamongapileofDVDs.Outofpce,fragile,quietlywhisperingitsownhistory.

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

Eventually,hegotusedtoit.

Moxioftenteasedhim:"Ifyou''''''''dbeensmart,youshould''''''''vegorafficorpatrol.Anythingbuthomicide."

Sure,younggirlswouldgushoverhim,callinghim"BrotherLu"withthatmixofaweandgirlishfantasy.Butthatwasallitwas—fantasy.Noonewasfoolishenoughtothemselvestoamanlikehim.Womeoosmartforthatnow.

OnlyLu,thehomicidecaptain,remained.

Whenhewasyounger,Luhadhalf-heartedlytrieddating.

Weird,hethought.Evensecurityguardsflirtingwithnannieshadbetterluckthanhim.

Andreally,whocaredabouthistoryanymore?