“I personally came down to debrief her. She assured me she was physically fine; the blood covering her face belonged to her sister, not her. She was merely shaken, and wanted to return home immediately. She kept twisting her MedicAlert bracelet, however, so I could tell she was rattled. Of course, I questioned her further. What had happened, what had set Shana off? She claimed she didn’t know. She’d mentioned the name Donnie Johnson—”

Phil and D.D. exchanged a look.

“And Shana attacked her. The whole thing happened too fast. There wasn’t anything she could tell me. I offered her additional medical treatment, even an ambulance ride to the hospital of her choice. She declined. As a friend—” The superintendent’s voice broke slightly. She caught herself, got her chin up. “I offered to drive her home. I also suggested she contact either of you, as you all seem to be working together, in order to request additional security now that her sister was on the loose. Obviously, she declined.”

D.D. couldn’t help herself. “How long did you speak with her?”

“Fifteen, twenty minutes.”

“And you never figured out it wasn’t Dr. Glen?”

The superintendent’s dark eyes gleamed. “No.”

Phil made a sound in his throat, the one he usually made when he wanted D.D. to back off. She leaned back in her chair, adjusting her position for better comfort.

“When did you figure out the switch?” he asked now.

“Not for another forty-five minutes, when Adeline finally recovered enough to talk. I immediately activated the tactical unit, as well as notifying all major law enforcement agencies, and now here we are.”

“How did Shana get the keys to Adeline’s car?” Phil asked.

“From Adeline’s purse, which she’d stashed in the lobby locker. According to Adeline, Shana threatened to kill her unless she gave up the combo.”

D.D. considered the matter. “Okay, we have an escaped murderer, most likely now on foot, since you’ve recovered the vehicle. Plus, she doesn’t have enough experience driving to make stealing a new vehicle useful to her. We have a description of her clothing, which are really Adeline’s clothes, not to mention they’re pretty gory.”

“Yes.”

“I wouldn’t think it would be too hard for Joe Public to spot someone that conspicuous,” D.D. said, “which begs the question, four hours later, why haven’t there been any sightings?”

“She had help,” Phil stated quietly. “The person who set off the firecrackers in the parking lot. She drove down the freeway to meet him. Not so far away she’d have to drive for too long but far enough the security team or cameras wouldn’t catch her making the switch.”

“But who?” Superintendent McKinnon quizzed. “Shana doesn’t have friends or fans.”

“Oh, she may not have a friend,” D.D. said, “but I think she does have a fan.”