gotten it under control. Knox’s cheek was bandaged where the glass had cut it.

 

Rogers stood over Myers’s body.

 

Davis sat down in a chair. “Did she tell you I was lying?” Puller nodded. “And

that you had a gun. We thought you’d gone in there to get it out and then ambush

us.” “No, I just really had to pee. But I didn’t know that Myers was armed. When

I heard the shooting I pretty much knew what was happening, though.” Knox looked

at the dead man in the bed. “She said this was the real Ballard. Why did she

kill him?” “Because he’s not the real Ballard. Like I told you, he’s dead.” “How

are you so sure?” asked Puller. “Did someone tell you?” “Josh brought me on to

play the part of companion to Ballard. The real Ballard. He knew I—well, he knew

I was used to skirting the rules just like him.” “Wait a minute, you were

babysitting the real Christopher Ballard?” said Knox.

 

Davis nodded. “Then he just died. Nobody shot him. I lied about that.” She

glanced at Rogers, who was staring directly at her. “I tend to lie as my first

instinct on things.” She smiled and Rogers smiled back at her. “This was about

eighteen months ago. I went into his bedroom one morning to bring him his

coffee. And there he was stone cold dead. I called Josh. And he called Jericho.

And they came out and had a powwow over what to do.” “And they decided on a

replacement?” said Puller. “Two, actually. A spare, just in case. You see,

Ballard had Alzheimer’s. Before he died he didn’t know his own name. So it

wasn’t like the replacements would need to carry on a conversation.