Six minutes of sound. That was the legacy of Patrick Edison, the last anyone would ever hear of his voice. But now they would be able to catch his killer, and keep any others from being killed.
They later arrested one Bret Jackson, a jock who had been kicked out of the labs for destroying the work of other students. He had been placed on academic suspension and lost his scholarship, and he had blamed the �nerds� for all his troubles.
The case had bugged Jim the whole time. After the arrest, he and his partner had gone home, glad that the ordeal was finally over. That night, Jim stood out on the balcony in the crisp autumn weather, looking out over his city. Blair came out behind him, not worried that he would startle the Sentinel. He was, however, worried about Jim�s
seeming withdrawal. �Hey, Jim.� The big man grunted in acknowledgment. Well THAT was encouraging. �What�s wrong?�
�I couldn�t do anything, Chief. The guy was so thorough that even I couldn�t get a bead on him.�
�Hey, it�s not like anyone else could either. We got lucky. Patrick�s machine was the only clue we needed.�
�Yeah, but what would have happened if Jackson had come at a different time? I was useless for the whole case!�
Blair sighed. �Jim, your not Superman. You�re human, just like the rest of us. You won�t be able to catch every bad guy. That�s just the way it is, even for a Sentinel.�
Jim groaned and leaned back on the brick work of the building. �You have no idea how much that scares me, Chief. What if the next one isn�t just going after some college students? What if he goes after you?�
�We�ll burn that bridge if we get to it. For now just remember that sometimes the victim can speak for himself. And sometimes that�s enough.�
Jim looked at his Guide. He was right. He wasn�t God, to see every sparrow�s fall. He couldn�t fix everything. But he didn�t have to like it.
