D.D. WAS SURPRISED by the midmorning knock on her front door. Her gaze went automatically to Phil and Neil, who sat across from her in the living room. Both had notepads on their laps, not to mention the enormous flipchart, propped up in the center of the space and now covered in black marker.

“Want me to get it?” Phil offered.

“No, I can handle it.” She got to her feet slowly, removing the bag of ice from her left shoulder. Alex had left her bright and early to teach his morning classes at the academy. Afterward, he planned on swinging by his parents’ and picking up Jack. This was the longest they’d been away from their son, and both missed him terribly.

Now D.D. approached her front door with growing trepidation. She’d made Alex leave behind his Glock 10, fully loaded. She could fire it one-handed. Maybe not with her best aim, but as long as she went for center mass, she ought to be able to hit enough to slow her opponent. Then it was simply a matter of continuing to squeeze the trigger. Her friend and former sniper, Bobby Dodge, might believe in one shot, one kill. D.D. didn’t really care, as long as she was the person left standing.

She arrived at the door. No gun in hand, because she had two trained police officers at her back, but still, flexing the fingers of her right hand nervously as she brought her eye to the peephole and carefully peered out.

Dr. Adeline Glen stood on her front porch.

Surprise, surprise, D.D. thought, and went to work on the bolt lock.

“Sorry to bother you,” Adeline said without preamble. “But I just came from visiting my sister, and I was hoping to speak with you.”

“You talked to your sister without us?”

Adeline’s gaze went past D.D. to the family room, where D.D.’s squad mates sat in plain sight. D.D. tried not to flush guiltily.

“We’re trained investigators,” she said defensively, because for her and her fellow detectives to continue investigating without Adeline was clearly different than Adeline continuing to investigate without them.

“Oh? Your shoulder’s better? You’ve been cleared for duty?”

“Ah hell.” D.D. gave up. “Come on in. Yes, we’re comparing notes on last night’s murder, and no, I’m not on the job, though I swear that’s not why Phil and Neil decided to pay me a visit. Has nothing to do with my lack of official capacity. Coffee’s simply better here, right, guys?”