'Just say it.' I kept my voice low and level.

'There's been a complaint.'

I waited.

'I feel terrible about this.' He studied his cup a few more seconds, then raised his eyes to mine. 'It's about you.'

'Me?' I was incredulous.

He nodded.

'What did I do?'

'The complaint cites unprofessional behavior of a nature sufficient to compromise the investigation.'

'Such as?'

'Entering the site without authority and mishandling evidence.'

I stared at him in disbelief.

'And trespass.'

'Trespass?' A cold fist was closing around my gut.

'Did you poke around that property we talked about?'

'It wasn't trespass. I wanted to talk to the owners.'

'Did you try to break in?'

'Of course not!'

I flashed on myself prying a shutter with a rusty bar.

'And I had authorization to enter the crash site last week.'

'Whose?'

'Earl Bliss sent me there. You know that.'

'See, here's the problem, Tempe.' Larke rubbed a hand across his chin. 'At that point DMORT hadn't been requested.'

I was stunned.

'In what way did I mishandle evidence?'

'I hate to even ask this.' The hand went back to the chin. 'Tempe—'

'Just ask.'

'Did you pick up remains that hadn't been logged?'

The foot.

'I told you about that.' Stay calm. 'I made a judgment cal.'

He said nothing. 'Had I left that foot, it would now be coyote dung. Talk to Andrew Ryan. He was there.'

'I'l do that.' Larke reached out and squeezed my arm. 'We'l sort this out.'

'You're taking this seriously?'

'I have no choice.'

'Why is that?'

'You know the press are snapping at my backside. They're gonna jump on this like a hound with a one-eyed hare.'

'Who made this complaint?' I blinked back tears.

'I can't tel you that.'

He dropped his hand and stared off at the mist. It was lifting now, revealing the landscape in a slow, upward peel. When he turned back, there was an odd expression on his face.

'But I wil tel you that powerful people are involved.'

'The Dalai Lama? The Joint Chiefs of Staff?' Anger hardened my voice.

'Don't be mad at me, Tempe. This investigation is big news. If problems develop, no one's going to want to own them.'

'So I'm being set up in case a scapegoat is needed.'

'It's nothing like that. I just have to go through proper procedures.'

I took a deep breath.

'What happens now?'

He looked straight at me and his voice softened.

'I'm going to have to ask you to leave.'

'When?'

'Now.'

It was my turn to stare into the mist.

===OO=OOO=OO===