Deborah’s little house was lavishly decorated in I-have-no-life modern. Her living area generally looked like a cheap hotel room that had been occupied by a rock band and looted of everything except a TV and VCR. There was a chair and a small table by French doors that led out to a patio that was almost lost in a tangle of bushes. She had found another chair somewhere, though, a rickety folding chair, and she pulled it over to the table for me. I was so touched by her hospitable gesture that I risked life and limb by sitting in the flimsy thing. Well, I said. How long has he been gone?

Shit, she said. About three and a half hours. I think. She shook her head and slumped into the other chair. We were supposed to meet here, and—he didn’t show up. I went to his hotel, and he wasn’t there.

Isn’t it possible he just went away somewhere? I asked—and I’m not proud of it, but I admit I sounded a little hopeful.

Deborah shook her head. His wallet and keys were still on the dresser. The guy has him, Dex. We gotta find him before— She bit her lip and looked away.

I was not at all sure what I could do to find Kyle. As I said, this was not the kind of thing I generally had any insight into, and I had already given it my best shot tracking down the real estate. But since Deborah was already saying we it seemed that I didn’t have a lot of choice in the matter. Family ties and all that. Still, I tried to make a little bit of wiggle room. I’m sorry if this sounds stupid, Debs, but did you report this?

She looked up with a half snarl. Yeah, I did. I called Captain Matthews. He sounded relieved. He told me not to get hysterical, like I’m some kind of old lady with the vapors. She shook her head. I asked him to put out an APB, and he said, ‘For what?’ She hissed out her breath. For what . . . Goddamn it, Dexter, I wanted to strangle him, but . . . She shrugged.

But he was right, I said.

Yeah. Kyle is the only one who knows what the guy looks like, she said. We don’t know what he’s driving or what his real name is or— Shit, Dexter. All I know is he’s got Kyle. She took a ragged breath. Anyway, Matthews called Kyle’s people in Washington. Said that was all he could do. She shook her head and looked very bleak. They’re sending somebody Tuesday morning.

Well then, I said hopefully. I mean, we know that this guy works very slowly.