“You done your’n fine,” said Thibodeau. “Those detectives gave you enough to think about. Ain’t likely they would’ve been generous with that information anyway.”

Ricci kept looking neutrally at Megan.

“You told me the cops found blood at the animal shelter.”

“Yes, I did.”

“That it might be Julia’s.”

“Yes.”

“What makes them think she’s not a third murder victim?”

Megan stabbed a look at him, her shoulders rising a little.

“Let’s not try to be too delicate.”

“I was asking a question.”

“About the boss’s daughter. And my good friend.”

“I have to know what there is to know,” Ricci said. “You don’t like my way of phrasing things, I’m sorry.”

But he did not sound apologetic. Megan’s posture remained very straight, her eyes green fire in a face pale with strain.

“There was blood at the shelter,” she said. “And, yes . . . it’s believed to be Julia’s. But Erickson suggested that whatever took place in there seems of a different nature from the violence that occurred at the house.”

“Any concrete reasons?”

“He wasn’t about to submit an itemized evidence list to me, and I didn’t press my luck. We could profit from a good relationship with him if he doesn’t shy away.”

Ricci studied her a moment.

“You find out what line those cops are working, or decide that was out of bounds, too?” he said.

In her anger, Megan could have balled her hands into fists until the knuckles were white, dug her fingernails into her palms. She held her composure and folded them on the table instead.

“Nobody broke into Julia’s SUV. There was nothing stolen from the shelter, or the house where the mother and baby were killed. Nothing to indicate robbery was a motive,” she told him. “I heard a lot of words from Erickson about processing the crime scene, looking at the evidence, reconstructing what happened without assumptions. But you were a police detective. Do you actually believe they would come right out and tell me they think Julia Gordian was abducted? Right now Julia’s status is a question. She’s a phantom. A ‘whereabouts unknown.’ I don’t even know that we’ve reached the time period when she can be officially declared a missing person.”

“Doesn’t effect what we do, except maybe giving us the chance to get a jump on the feebs,” Ricci said. “Once this gets ticketed a kidnapping they’ll be all over it.”

“I can’t see how that’s bad,” Megan said. “It’s not us against them. They have resources. Expertise in the field—”

“And we know how their main office loves sharing intelligence,” Ricci said.

He was quiet and still. The silence was like a knot bunched in tightly around his thoughts.

“Won’t get us anywhere to sit here talking,” he said at length. “I’m heading out to the scene while it’s warm. Before it gets too worked over.”

Megan wanted to catch Thibodeau’s eye but knew Ricci would not miss the slightest glance. She chose to wait, and Rollie didn’t disappoint her.