They were both quiet for a couple minutes.

“Sarge, I think he incinerated Robyn and the others with that rotten wood. Now all those people, they’re part of a highway somewhere.”

“Can we tie him in?”

“We can. We’ve got his statements corroborated by circumstantial evidence tying him to the Blood Bath case. For the gang killings with the.40, we have the confession he made to me. Not to mention motive and opportunity. I’ve got ATF trying to raise the serial number off the gun. And let’s not forget, he tried to kill me with Ray Figgs as a witness.”

Mooney tried to smile. “Hope that prick-of-misery Darget dies.”

Alves sat with Mooney as the late afternoon sky lit up orange with the setting sun. He watched his sergeant drift in and out of sleep. He wasn’t sure if he wanted Connie to live and face justice or to die. He thought about something he hadn’t thought about since he was a kid. How a prayer was like a wish. And how you got just one.

In the quiet room humming with the machines that kept Wayne Mooney alive, Alves put his folded hands on the clean, smooth white blanket, bent his head and said a prayer.

Of course, thanks to my writers’ group, Lin Haire-Sargeant, Peggy Walsh, and Candice Rowe, for their unflagging encouragement, support and hard work during the early drafts.

Once again, special thanks to Boston Police Sergeant Detective Kevin Waggett for his enthusiasm. Not a day goes by without a call or email from my good friend offering suggestions, insights and tips.

Thanks, too, to everyone who assisted me: my mentors Judge Bob Tochka and Peter Muse; Paul Treseler and Matt Machera, my #1 fans; my friends Sarah Richardson, Terry Reidy, Kevin Hayden and Rahsaan Hall; Boston Police Sergeant Charlie Byrne (Ret.), Deputy Superintendent Earl Perkins, Lieutenant Bob Merner, Detective Mike Devane, Sergeant Mark Vickers, Sergeant James O’Shea, Detective Marty Lydon, Sergeant Michael Fish, Senior Criminalist Amy Kraatz, Criminalist Kevin Kosiorek, Jim Hassan, Kevin Reddington, Truesee Allah, Judge Dave Poole, Frank McCabe, Liza Williamson, Eric Breckner, and Sammy Kamel for their technical assistance.

Thanks to Jessica, Chris, Nolan, Russell, and Castin for keeping me on track.

For their wisdom and guidance, thanks to Mark Tavani and Simon Green.

And thanks to Candice, for without her there would be no Sleep.

RAFFI YESSAYAN is the author of 8 in the Box. He spent eleven years as an assistant district attorney in Boston. Within two years of becoming a prosecutor, he was named to the Gang Unit, ultimately becoming its chief. He recently left the DA’s office to go into private practice. He and his wife live in Massachusetts.