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Assistant district attorney Dan Fielding had a growth on his left shoulder. It had a purplish hue and a mole-like texture, and it was almost shaped like an H. It had been there since he was a child, and it was considered benign. He didn’t know what it was, his parents didn’t know what it was, even the doctor didn’t know what the hell it was. Judge Harry Stone thought he knew exactly what it was.
“Dan, you know that… thing, on your shoulder?” Harry asked at the cafeteria table, before the others sat down. He was never one to mind his business, but he didn’t like to stick his nose where it didn’t belong. He liked to gently poke it where it didn’t belong.
“The… Oh, right, sir, that. Yes, why?” If it were anyone else, Dan would have told them to buzz off. But above all, he was a suck-up, and he worked in Harry’s courtroom.
“Well, I know what it is,” Harry turned his chair around and leaned his head on his hand, looking at Dan for a response. Dan had to keep himself from rolling his eyes.
“Come on, Harry, get real. Not even my doctor knew what it was.”
“Remember when I talked about that spiritualist, who said I was 900 years old?”
“Harry.”
“I went to her for a reason, you know.”
“Sir.”
“I wanted to find out about a thing I’ve got.”
“Your Honor.”
“It’s a growth on my shoulder, Dan. I wanted to know about a growth on my shoulder.” This got Dan’s attention just enough to make him stop talking.
“Okay, okay, what growth?”
“It looks just like yours, except mine is shaped more like an… R than like an H. You know what she told me, Dan? She said that means my soulmate is someone whose first name starts with an R.”
“What, you really believe that old cliché?” Dan scoffed. Harry perked up.
“No, no, it’s true, really! Probably,” Harry’s face fell a bit. “But I guess the only person I know with a name starting with R is… well, Roz, but I don’t think me and her are soulmates.” Dan froze, realizing something.
“Oh, yeah, sounds great Harry, gotta go, bye!” Dan stood and frantically scampered off.
For quite a long time, Dan had been keeping a huge secret. He knew that if anybody found out, especially his coworkers, they would never let him live it down. His real name was Reinhold. Which starts with an R. He knew it was ridiculous, but if Harry’s little fantasy did have any merit, that meant the two of them were probably soulmates.