“Cops. Detectives. Is there a difference?”

Frank seemed taken aback. He closed the bag of coffee beans and put it in the refrigerator. “So you had reported your husband missing?”

“No. I was going to. And then they just showed up. They were looking for Wally, too.”

“Why?”

“They said they were investigating a car accident. Last night.” Quinn choked up. “No one was hurt, but it was a hit-and-run.”

“Really?” Frank said. “And you told them . . . ?”

Emily could envision Frank operating like this in a courtroom, questioning a witness on the stand. Trying to get the information he wanted without seeming to lead, even when it was his own client and he was taking them through an orchestrated set of questions they’d rehearsed.

“I explained to them that he went to an auction yesterday and didn’t come home. They wanted to see his car, but I told them it wasn’t here. They asked if they could look in the garage.”

“And?” Frank asked.

“What was I supposed to do?” Quinn said, straightening and scowling at Frank. “Tell them to get lost? The car’s not here, so why not let them look? I didn’t want them to think I was lying.”

“It’s a felony to lie to the police, but here’s the thing,” Frank said. “They can lie to you. They make things up to get you to reveal—”

“Reveal what? So you don’t think they came here to investigate a hit-and-run?”

“I believe that’s the reason they gave you, but I have no idea what they really came for, and neither do you,” Frank said. “Alls I’m saying is cops can lie to you, but you can’t lie to the cops. Which is why we often advise people not to say anything.”

“Well, I didn’t have your sage advice. I told them the truth. Wally’s car’s not here. He didn’t come home last night. I told them I hadn’t reported him missing because . . .” She picked at a loose thread in her leggings. “Well, because he sometimes gets back very late. I told them I was about to call the police when they showed up. Right after I talked to Emily.” Her voice turned shrill. “And that’s the God’s honest truth.”

“All right, all right.” Frank put up his hands. “You don’t need to convince me. What else did they say?”

“That someone would get back to me.”