“Cross my heart.” She made the gesture over the light green cotton of her very large shirt. I felt as if I were invading her privacy and looked away. “I need Linn or someone, because you can’t stake out a place by yourself, and be prepared to follow any of the tenants if they leave.”

“Oh.” I finished my beer. “You’ll find somebody to do it.”

“What, no volunteers?”

“I’ve proved that I get in trouble if you let me out of your sight.”

This time it was my face she was looking at. “If I thought you’d done it on purpose, I’d give you free room and board in jail until this business was over.”

“No, you wouldn’t. Just think, there I’d be within reach of the corrupt mystery cop. He might do me in to keep me from interfering.”

“I haven’t been that lucky.” She finished her beer. “And I don’t think you get in trouble on purpose. I think it’s pure natural aptitude. But do you think you could maybe curb it for a few hours at a stretch?”

“Excuse?”

“Don’t be thick. I hereby invite you, grudgingly, to share my stakeout.” She took up both bottles and carried them to the counter. Then she turned back and gave me a look that felt as if she’d grabbed the front of my shirt with both hands and picked me up. “But before you get puffed up about it, listen to me: This is not a God-damned Hardy Boys adventure. This is all live fire and real trouble, and more people’s safety than just yours on the line. You do what I tell you, and if you do one thing more than that I swear I’ll drop everything to deport you under police escort back to the World.” I was at a loss for what to say. “Your line,” she said grimly, “Is, ‘Yes, Ma’am.’ “

“No,” I said at last, “I don’t think that’s it.”

Her eyebrows went up. “Come again?”

“That’s not how you and Linn work, is it?”

“Linn is an experienced professional. I know what to expect out of him, and he knows what to expect from me. We have a couple of years’ worth of shorthand that allows us to react to surprises as a team. You don’t have that, and if I were to count on you as if you did, I might as well stay home and play Russian roulette.” I didn’t think I reacted, but she was looking at me, and added, “Sorry. But that’s the truth.”