Well, the girls, not the gentlemen.

The four young women were standing shoulder to shoulder and smiling in a professional, businesslike manner. They were in what appeared to be a city office, but they were not in the picture alone. A middle-aged African-American man stood at the left end of their line, and Councilman Nobel Wilts stood to their right. Wilts was next to Sondra, and appeared to be touching her back.

Ida tapped the African-American man.

Mr. Owen here was Sondie's boss, and this was Councilman Wilts. He was so kind to her. He told her she had a bright future.

I couldn't take my eyes off the picture. I stared at it as if I was falling into it.

I thought her job wasn't political.

Well, it wasn't, but they worked in the budgetary office, you know. The councilman stopped by for one of the bigwigs, but took time to tell them what a great job they were doing. Wasn't that nice of him?

I nodded.

He was very impressed with them, Sondie in particular. He even remembered her name that night.

I let go of the picture and watched her put it back on the credenza. She placed it perfectly onto a line in the dust.

Did she see him again that night?

At dinner.

Sondie and Wilts had dinner.

Sondie and her friends had dinner. They bumped into the councilman at the restaurant, and he was just so nice again. He told them how much he enjoyed meeting them, and he even remembered Sondie's name. I have voted for that man ever since.

When did Carrie give you the picture?

Must have been a year or so after what happened. She found it one day and thought we'd like it.

Did Marx and Munson see it?

They were long gone by then.

I studied the picture in the little forest of pictures on the credenza, and knew by the smudged dust lines it had been moved more than once.

Did Detective Bastilla see it when she was here?

Her smile grew even brighter.

She thought it was so pretty of Sondie. She asked if she could have it, but I told her no.

I took Ida's hand and gave her an encouraging squeeze.

I'm glad you told her no, Ida. It's a good picture. Let's keep it safe.

Chapter 29

THE DAY shift ended at three. Uniformed officers punched on and off duty pretty much with the clock, but homicide detectives required more flexible hours. Interviews were arranged when citizens could make the time to be interviewed; file or evidence transfers often meant sitting in traffic for hours; and reports, records, and case notes still had to be typed and logged by the end of the day.