“What is it? What did you say to Dan, to make him tell you to fuck off? He hardly knows you. If he did, I could understand.”

“Look, something’s happened. You know that environmentalist guy? The one who wants to save the creek?”

“No.”

“Spender. Samuel Spender. Didn’t I tell you about running into him when I went over to the sales office the other day?”

“Oh yeah, I remember. That’s when you asked me about those other names. Benny something, and Carpington. So?”

She still had a tone. I said, “That’s right.” I took a breath. At my feet, Spender’s battered head slowly listed to the left. “The thing is, I’m down by the creek, I was doing my walk—”

“Must be nice.”

“And I found him here. In the creek. He’s dead.”

Sarah paused. “What?”

“He’s dead. I just dragged him out of the water. He’s dead, Sarah.”

“Is this another one of your tricks? Because if it is, I swear to God, I don’t know what the hell you’re trying to prove this time.”

“It’s not a trick. I’m standing here, right over him. He’s dead like I’m a jerk.”

I heard Sarah breathe out. “Whoa. Have you called the cops?”

“No. I called you first.”

Sarah didn’t question that.

“Okay,” she said. “I’ll send someone out, and a shooter.” Photographer. “Call the cops as soon as you hang up, but you should write us something, freelance, about six hundred words, what it’s like, finding a body, how you discovered it, how—”

“I know the drill, Sarah.”

“Okay.” A pause. “You’re okay, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. Call me back when you can.”

I hit the “end” button and then punched in 911. I told the operator what I’d found, where I was, and promised to stay put until police arrived. Moments later I heard a siren, then car doors opening and closing beyond a ridge of trees. “In here!” I called.

There were two officers who responded at first. A male-and-female team. The woman, decked out in full uniform and belt and gun, with dark hair tucked up under her official-looking hat, took me aside.

“I’m Officer Greslow,” she said. “You found the body like that?”

“No,” I said, and explained.

“So you moved the body.” I nodded. Officer Greslow didn’t look very happy with me.

“His face was in the water, I was afraid maybe it had just happened, so I pulled him out. But once I had him out, I could see that Mr. Spender was, you know, dead.”

“Mr. Spender? You knew this man?”