“Thanks, Frank,” Mendez said. “Can you send a unit over to the Warwick woman’s residence? We’ll canvass that neighborhood as well. Hicks and I will be heading over there next.”

“They’re already there.”

“Great. Thanks.”

Farman shot another disapproving glance at the still-growling dog and went back into the cottage.

Petal settled on Jane’s feet, grumbling. Thomas patted her big square head. “Good girl, Petal.”

Mendez raised an eyebrow. “You know Frank?”

“I know his wife, Sharon. She’s a secretary for Quinn, Morgan—the same firm Karly was going to work for. In my humble opinion, her husband is a condescending, misogynistic ass.”

He dismissed the remark. Frank being a chauvinist was not news. Farman was old-school and had been vocal in his objection to the idea of hiring female deputies. He had hardly been alone in his opinion. Law enforcement was traditionally the bastion of men. A lot of them wanted to keep it that way.

He left Jane Thomas with Petal the pit bull and drove with Bill Hicks a mile or so across town to the home of Lisa Warwick for their second search of the day.

The address they had been given by the personnel office at Mercy General was a beige stucco side-by-side duplex a few blocks from the hospital in one direction, a few blocks from the college in the other direction. The landlord met them with the key.

“I can’t believe Lisa is the woman those kids found in the park,” the man said as he opened the front door.

Donald Kent, professor of economics, was a neat, distinguished gentleman with a Colonel Sanders goatee and a blue-striped yellow bow tie at the throat of his buttondown shirt.

“How well did you know Miss Warwick?” Hicks asked.

“Enough to say hello, to chat about nothing.” He had the kind of well-modulated voice that belonged on public radio. “A very nice young woman. Never a problem. Always pays—paid—her rent early, if you can imagine that. She told me she had family in Sacramento.”

“They’ve been contacted,” Mendez said. “They’re driving down today. In case they contact you, they won’t be able to come in here until we’re through with the investigation. The place will be sealed.”

Kent seemed troubled at the idea. “I’m sorry for them. I think if I lost someone so suddenly, I would take some comfort being in their surroundings at least.”

“I think it’s going to be difficult for them to take comfort in much of anything, considering,” Mendez said.

“How did she die?”

“I’m not at liberty to say.”

“Were you aware of Miss Warwick dating anyone, having company over?” Hicks asked.

The professor shook his head. “I didn’t see her that frequently. I live in another building on the next block. She wasn’t one to talk about her private life, though, and I’m not one to ask.”