‘I asked them about a lot of people we knew. They showed me a list on the internet. I started to go through it but I couldn’t. So many we knew are... dead.’ ‘Patty Murphy? Charlie?’ ‘Both. Patty in a pub bombing. Charlie murdered in an alley behind Lukey’s pub.’ ‘Others?’ ‘Yes. But I couldn’t read much more. I started to cry.’ Jenny reached out and picked up her glass from the table and took a long draught. The whiskey burned her throat but it was a welcome feeling. The burning quenched the tears. “I think I was testing him, because he had a vasectomy, about eighteen years ago after our son was born. He said that with his two daughters from his previous marriage, that three was enough, he felt that it was time he lived a little?” and listened and watched Tracy as she told me all this, I felt flattered because she was sharing something so personal.“anyway, he flat out refused, not a fucking chance. To use his words. So we slowly stopped being intimate, the odd cuddle, now and again, but. Actual curiosity lit his face. "Why wasn't he listed in your scan? Did he, like, disown you?" No." Then why- why were you in standby?"Renee shrugged. "I didn't have an owner, apparently." Why? What happened?"Better to just say it. She met his eyes for one brief moment. "Claude died."Sawyer exchanged a look with Zack - though a look of what, she couldn't have said."How?" asked Zack."... 'how' what?" How did he die?" Who?" she shot back."Montague," growled Zack. "Your last owner."Renee nearly. "Okay," I finally agreed, "I'll stay on temporarily." "Good," Jason smiled with relief. "Now for your next assignment, I want you to check out some alternative life-styles existing in this community. We need the information for The Report, and seeing how other families cope will be very therapeutic for you." I was frightened at first because it would be my first assignment alone since I'd started working with Gloria, but Jason had me convinced that it was for my own good. Shoving my doubts into.