"You've already had one nameless agent from an unspecified government agency on one of your cases; another one wouldn't raise as many eyebrows," Jack says, flatly. "Trust me, I know the risks too. And it doesn't matter if you sign up to take them or not, you end up just as dead.

"When I saw you come in wearing that," nodding at her sweater, "the only thing I could think of was that my wife had the same bloodstain on her shirt, after she'd been shot in the chest by someone I trusted."

He'd started out angry, but his voice had gone hoarse all of a sudden as the mental image of Teri slumped in the chair hit him again.

"She died because I wasn't there, and so have other friends of mine. I'm not losing another friend for the same reason."