“One, Quayle’s more than a rumor. I arrested him, remember? Two, he as much as told me he killed Becky Drake. He said everything was his fault.”

“He claimed he just meant he should have apologized for his behavior at the fund-raiser. He should have taken her home and waited until she was safely inside.”

“That’s not what he meant. When he said ‘I don’t make these kinds of mistakes,’ he said it with malice. He thought he was beyond mistakes, beyond guilt. This is the man who ran when I confronted him with Bismarck, the same man I had to haul out of a tree stand.”

“If I didn’t know Bismarck was really a sweetie at heart, I’d run away, too.” I reached down to pet Biz, who was sitting at Teo’s feet.

“Don’t be fooled by Biz or Quayle. If I told Biz to attack you, he’d do it in a heartbeat. And Quayle doesn’t have to wait for my permission. You know he has a record of violence against women. That was ruled inadmissible because sometimes our laws suck, but you know it’s true. Two girlfriends moved away because they were afraid to stay in Seabank after they broke up with him. They thought he’d come after them some night. They gave interviews after his conviction.”

“I don’t want to date the guy, Teo. I’m doing an interview. I’m meeting him at Starbucks. There will be people around.”

“This time, yeah. But what’s to stop him from following you home? From following you to work? From finding you somewhere, sometime, when you’re vulnerable?”

“Let’s see.” I ticked off my answers, holding up my fingers as I counted. “The gatehouse at Gulf Sands? The fact that I work daylight hours downtown, where people are always milling around? My good sense?”

“Normal good sense doesn’t stand a chance against a psychopath.”

“It’s an interview. I’ll wear my torn-up jeans. No, better yet. I have a Lily Pulitzer dress my mother gave me that makes me look an escapee from an exclusive sanatorium. It will be perfect.”

“He may know you and I are together. He may want payback.”

“Have you been putting my name up in lights at your apartment again? I told you not to.”

“Don’t treat this so lightly.”

I put my hand over his. “I’m not. I’m sure he only knows me as someone at the Free Press asking questions. I’m going to be careful. I’ll make sure he doesn’t follow me home. This is a one-time thing. You have to let me be me if this relationship is going to happily continue.”

“I’d settle for unhappily right now.”

“Teo...”

“I don’t want to control you, Ryan. I just want you to stay safe.”

I wondered if this would be a constant theme. Cops saw criminals everywhere and journalists saw stories.

“I’ll call you as soon as I get home, okay? But that’s it, Teo. I have to do my job, just like you have to do yours.”