“I can take this to Thelma Katz and get her to reopen the inquiry,” he threatened.

“My attorney is still talking to Ms. Katz.” I made myself sound eager to assist, not confrontational. “She could help you and Ms. Katz sort out whether you have grounds for a warrant.”

Pinsen quacked that national security wasn’t something we should talk about, let alone joke about, in an open atrium. If it turned out that Homeland wanted to question me, they wouldn’t need a warrant.

“Is that who you work for?” I asked. “I thought it was the army college.”

“Look, Ms. Warshawski.” Baggetto gave a sympathetic smile. “I can imagine how it must feel to you, our coming on so strong. But you know what’s at stake. If you know something else about the woman in the truck—if you spotted something out of the ordinary yesterday—”

“A truck nose-down in a creek always seems unusual to me, but that’s probably because I’m so ignorant about life in the country. Maybe drunk or methed-up drivers go into the Wakarusa every day of the week and twice on Sundays. But if there was anything else weird, the sheriff’s people have had plenty of time to sort it out. You talk to Gisborne here, see what his deputies found at the scene and in my car. Hasta la próxima, Colonel, Sheriff, Mr. Homeland Army College.”

I half expected one of them to stop me when I headed for the exit, but Gisborne only turned to his underlings, demanding once again to know what work wasn’t getting done.

I was ravenous, and I badly wanted my dog. Also a shower, but I needed new clothes—I didn’t want to have to put back on the things I’d worn in prison and in court. Everything back at the B and B needed washing or cleaning after slogging around the rain and mud of Douglas County this past week.

When I stopped for a coffee at the Hippo, Simone advised me on a place that would carry clothes women my age might wear—most of the shops in town catered to the college kids. After a detour for a cheese sandwich at the bakery where I’d had lunch yesterday, I went to a shop called On the Town, where I found a well-cut jacket, a new pair of jeans, and a few knit tops.

37
Twenty-Four-Karat Smile

On my way to the B and B to shower, I dropped my travel-worn clothes at a dry cleaners. Going through the pockets to make sure I wasn’t also leaving keys or earrings, I found the torn corner of an envelope.

Francis Roque, M.

Forensic Pathol

5026 Sunset

Kansas Cit