The lieutenant stepped closer to the screen. “Here’s what probably happened,” he said. “You got her to pull that trick at the Biltmore and come over to your place.” He smiled easily. “You needed to get your stories straight, because we all know what news I’m going to get from ballistics.” He jingled the coins in his pocket again. “So, she came over, and you asked her some questions. You wanted it to be all business, but she got teary-eyed and turned you around again.” A lewd smile played across the lieutenant’s face. “I’m guessing it ended with a roll in the hay, and you all starry-eyed,” he said. “Am I close?”

“Fuck you,” Keegan said.

The lieutenant grinned. “It won’t hold up in court,” the lieutenant said, “but I’ll take that as a yes.”

The lieutenant stepped back again and looked at Keegan through the screen a long few seconds without speaking. When he did speak, it was like the will had gone out of him. Whatever game he was playing by coming up here had lost its flavor for him. “You’re not good at this, Jimmy,” he said. “You’re good at a lot of things, but this isn’t one of them.”

Keegan thought of the tank of doomed goldfish.

“I love my job,” Moore said, “but I’m not enjoying this, Jimmy.” His voice was quiet now, the dramatic flair long gone. He put his hat back on his head and pressed it down. “My heart’s not in it,” he said. “I don’t like taking a good man down—and I still think you’re a good man.” He turned and went down the porch steps. As he closed the gate behind him, he paused with both hands on the wood, facing Keegan. “You think you know what you’re doing, Jimmy,” he said. “But you don’t.”

Keegan watched him walk around the car and open the driver’s-side door. The lieutenant stood there, looking over the car. She’s leading you down a dark alley, and you don’t have the good sense to strike a match.

“Pick up the phone when it rings, Jimmy,” the lieutenant said. “Save me the trip out here. I’ll let you know when I hear from ballistics.”

When Keegan looked down, Nora was back at his side, watching the lieutenant’s car pull away. “You good, brave girl,” he said. “It was just a false alarm.” He stooped down and scratched the dog behind her ear. “Don’t you worry,” he said. “I’ll get us through this. I’ll think of something.”