“I had it with me when I went to the hospital—I thought I might write a little while I was sitting with you—not that I did, but it turned out to be a good thing, since it saved my machine.”

I asked about his other electronics. His fancy sound system was intact, along with the TV and DVD player.

He’d called the Evanston police as soon as he discovered the loss, but, from the sound of it, they’d only gone through the motions, figuring drug addicts were responsible. “But my place hadn’t been broken into. I mean, whoever did this came in through the front door with a key, and those are very good locks. Which doesn’t sound like an addict, and, anyway, an addict would have taken the portables, like the DVD.”

“So someone with sophisticated skills wanted Marcena’s files, and those only, and doesn’t care that you know it,” I said slowly.

Morrell said, “I called Rawlings, and he swears it wasn’t the Chicago police. Should I believe him?”

“This isn’t like him,” I said, “and if he swears he didn’t do it—I don’t know. He’s a cop, and we live in such a screwed-up world these days that it’s hard to know who to trust. But he’s a fundamentally good person; I want to believe he wouldn’t do it, or wouldn’t lie if he had. Do you want me to come up to canvass the neighbors?”

“I hadn’t even thought of doing that, which just shows this has knocked me off balance. No, you go on doing what you’re doing; I’ll feel less impotent if I talk to my neighbors myself. And then I’m going to buy some new jump drives and work in the university library where no one can mug me for my machine. What did you say you were doing?”

“I’m in South Chicago. I want to talk to the minister again, and also to Sandra Czernin. Maybe Josie Dorrado told April where she and Billy were running to.”

“Vic, you’ll look after yourself, won’t you? You won’t take stupid risks? You’re not in top physical shape, and—I’m useless right now.”

The last sentence came out with unaccustomed bitterness. Morrell had not uttered one complaint about his disability since he’d come home. He worked doggedly on his physical therapy, put as much energy as he had into his book and looking after his contacts, but, for the first time, I saw how hard it was for him to feel unable to help me if I got into trouble.