If he dropped the package way up in Hialeah, he probably drove in from Key West to do it, I said.

I know that, goddamn it, she snapped. But what the hell else am I supposed to do?

I don’t know, I admitted. But doesn’t the guy from Washington get here today?

We don’t know anything about him, she said. Just because Kyle is good, doesn’t mean this guy will be.

She apparently didn’t remember that Kyle had not shown himself to be particularly good, at least in public. He’d done nothing at all, in fact, except get himself captured and have his finger nipped off. But it didn’t seem politic for me to comment on how good he was, so I simply said, Well, we have to assume the new guy knows something about this that we don’t know.

Deborah snorted. That wouldn’t be too hard, she said. I’ll call you when he gets in. She hung up, and I got ready for work.

Dexter 2 – Dearly Devoted Dexter

CHAPTER 17

A T 12:30 DEB STALKED INTO MY MODEST RETREAT OFF the forensics lab and threw a cassette tape on my desk. I looked up at her; she didn’t seem happy, but that really wasn’t much of a novelty. From my answering machine at home, she said. Listen to it.

I lifted the hatch on my boom box and put in the tape Deb had flung at me. I pushed play: the tape beeped loudly, and then an unfamiliar voice said, Sergeant, um, Morgan. Right? This is Dan Burdett, from uh— Kyle Chutsky said I should call you. I’m on the ground at the airport, and I’ll call you about getting together when I get to my hotel, which is— There was a rustling sound and he obviously moved the cell phone away from his mouth, since his voice got fainter. What? Oh, hey, that’s nice. All right, thanks. His voice got louder again. I just met your driver. Thanks for sending somebody. All right, I’ll call from the hotel.

Deborah reached across my desk and switched off the machine. I didn’t send anybody to the fucking airport, she said. And Captain Matthews damn sure didn’t either. Did you send somebody to the fucking airport, Dexter?

My limo was out of gas, I said.

Well then GODDAMN it! she said, and I had to agree with her analysis.

Anyway, I said, at least we found out how good Kyle’s replacement is.

Deborah slumped into the folding chair by my desk. Square fucking one, she said. And Kyle is . . . She bit her lip and didn’t finish the sentence.

Did you tell Captain Matthews about this yet? I asked her. She shook her head. Well, he has to call them. They’ll send somebody else.