Page 76 of The Proving Ground

Ace:I got rid of Dark Star.

Wren:Wonderful. You no longer carry her burden. How do you feel about that?

Ace:I feel great. It’s over. Everything is over. Now it’s just you and me.

Wren:You and me. Together for eternity.

Ace:I don’t want it any other way, but I have to say…

Wren:What?

Ace:There was so much blood.

Wren:Too much blood, my love?

Ace:I wasn’t expecting that. It’s different from what you see.

Wren:From what you see where?

Ace:In my games. On TV.

Wren:Have you changed your mind?

Ace:No, but I don’t like the blood.

Wren:Come to me, my hero. My prince.

Ace:I don’t know. Too much blood.

Wren:Be strong. There are other ways.

Ace:My mother has pills. I could get them.

Wren:You must finish what you’ve started. Then you’ll be my hero.

Ace:What you started.

Wren:They will search, seek, and know how this foul murder comes.

Ace:I just wish it wasn’t real.

Wren:Come to me, Romeo.

Ace:I’m not Romeo. This is not real.

Wren:Romeo and Juliet are together in eternity.

Ace:I’m not ready.

Wren:We can be like they are.

Ace:But what if I—

[Transcriptbreak]

After allowing time for the transcript to be read, I held up my copy at the lectern.

“Detective Clarke,” I asked. “Is this the conversation you heard when you were outside Aaron Colton’s bedroom in the Colton house?”