As Raymond descended in the elevator, he tried to calm himself, but it was difficult since his headache had only gotten worse. This unexpected, unwanted visit was just the kind of turn that was making his life miserable. He had no idea what these people wanted to show him, although he guessed it had something to do with how they were going to deal with Cindy Carlson.

“Good evening, Doc,” Franco said as Raymond appeared. “Sorry to trouble you.”

“Let’s just make this short,” Raymond said, sounding more confident than he felt.

“It will be short and sweet, trust me,” Franco said. “If you don’t mind.” He pointed up the street where the Ford sedan had been pulled to the curb next to a fire hydrant. Angelo was half-sitting, half-leaning against the trunk, smoking a cigarette.

Raymond followed Franco to the car. Angelo responded by straightening up and stepping to the side.

“We just want you to take a quick look in the trunk,” Franco said. He reached the car and keyed the luggage compartment. “Come right over here so you can see. The light’s not so good.”

Raymond stepped between the Ford and the car behind it, literally inches away from the trunk’s lid as Franco raised it.

In the next second, Raymond thought his heart had stopped. The instant he glimpsed the ghoulish sight of Cindy Carlson’s dead body crammed into the trunk, there was a flash of light.

Raymond staggered back. He felt sick with the image of the obese girl’s porcelain face imprinted in his brain and dizzy from the flash of light which he quickly realized was from a Polaroid camera.

Franco closed the trunk and wiped his hands. “How’d the picture come out?” he asked Angelo.

“Gotta wait a minute,” Angelo said. He was holding the edges of the photo as it was developing.

“Just a second longer,” Franco said to Raymond.

Raymond involuntarily moaned under his breath, while his eyes scanned the immediate area. He was terrified anybody else had seen the corpse.

“Looks good,” Angelo said. He handed the picture to Franco who agreed.

Franco reached out with the photo so Raymond could see it.

“I’d say that’s your best side,” Franco said.

Raymond swallowed. The picture accurately depicted his shocked terror as well as the awful image of the dead girl.

Franco pocketed the picture. “There, that’s it, Doc,” he said. “I told you we wouldn’t need a lot of your time.”

“Why did you do this?” Raymond croaked.

“It was Vinnie’s idea,” Franco said. “He thought it best to have a record of the favor he’d done for you just in case.”

“In case of what?” Raymond asked.

Franco spread his hands. “In case of whatever.”

Franco and Angelo got into the car. Raymond stepped up onto the sidewalk. He watched until the Ford had gone to the corner and disappeared.

“Good Lord!” Raymond murmured. He turned and headed back to his door on unsteady legs. Every time he solved one problem another emerged.