The platter in front of him held a crisp, brown turkey quarter, chunky cranberry sauce, okra, collard greens, a sweating heap of macaroni and cheese. A side plate hosted biscuits the size of baseballs, sodden with what looked like redeye gravy. Leave your Louisville Slugger at home, the turkey leg would be a fine substitute.

Milo said, “Thanksgiving came early, Irv.”

Wimmers said, “My philosophy, celebrate anytime you get the chance. So how’s it going, City Boy?”

“It’s going.” Quick handclasps. Milo introduced me.

Wimmers said, “I heard about you, Doc. Ever think of coming over to the county side? We’re the one’s really out for truth, justice, and the American way.”

I smiled.

“Unspoken like a true shrink—sit down, guys. Want me to order you half a bird?”

“Quarter’ll do fine, Irv.”

“Each?”

“Both.”

“On a diet, Milo?”

“God forbid.”

Wimmers rumbled amusement. “What’re you drinking? The iced tea’s good, they throw in some pomegranate juice, supposed to be healthy, slow us down from rusting.”

“They’re outta that,” said Milo, “I’ll take WD-40.”

Wimmers lumbered to the counter, returned with a pair of twenty-four-ounce glasses of red-brown tea. “So you’re thinking this crooked C.I. had something to do with Bobby Escobar?”

“I can’t prove it, Irv, but I’m certain she wiped away a semen stain because it belonged to her boyfriend. And Bobby’s specialty was monkeying with evidence, meaning he coulda been sharp-eyed, seen something.”

“From what I hear, Milo, he was definitely sharp-eyed. Back when he worked as a C.I., he used to get on people’s nerves for being a little too gung-ho, you know? The kid in class who points out the teacher forgot about the test?”

Milo said, “How far was his office from that fridge-closet where they stack up the tagged bodies?”

“Right across the hall,” said Wimmers. “Hmm, ain’t that cute? So let’s frame this: I told you Bobby didn’t have a set schedule but before I drove here I called his wife and she said between school and a part-time job at a medical lab, it wasn’t unusual for him to come in at midnight, stay for a while. Which is exactly what he was doing the morning he got killed. Same for the two days preceding, which was the period when Rieffen would’ve done her tampering. So maybe she sneaks in late to do her mischief, figures no one’s there. But Bobby’s in his office, behind a closed door, typing on his laptop. She goes into the fridge, does her bad thing, just happens to encounter Bobby as he pops out.”

Milo said, “She was official, had a badge, someone else might’ve ignored her. But Bobby got curious.”

“Only problem, Milo, from what I’ve learned about Bobby, he sees something hinky, he reports it. There’s no record he ever did.”