Max started with the day that Lyle Voight showed up at his cabin. He told about Tate Bolger’s refusal to look into the disappearance of Sandy Voight, which, in a way, led to everything else.

“It almost seemed like Bolger was looking the other way on purpose,” Max said. “You need to bring the BCA in on this.”

“You think Tate Bolger would cover up for a murderer?” Bennet asked. The question seemed more accusatory than curious.

“There’s a definite conflict of interest. He and Reed have been tight since high school. They were patrol deputies together. Because of that, Bolger flatly refused to see this for what it was.”

“I know Tate, and I can tell you that you’re barking up the wrong tree.”

“Just consider it,” Max said. “That’s all I ask.”

Max continued, but didn’t mention that Niki had pinged a phone number for him, nor did he mention breaking into Peter’s house. He simply said that surveillance of Reed had led them to Peter Molinar. When Bennet asked what that meant, Max smiled and said, “We were watching Reed very closely.” That didn’t seem to satisfy Bennet, but he moved on.

When Max came to hauling Reed Harris out of Canada, Bennet gave a rare smile and said, “I suspect the good people of Canada will thank you for that one.”

Max had just finished his first run-through when a deputy stuck his head in the door and motioned for Bennet to come out. When Bennet returned he said, “It appears… they’ve found a body in the Hill River Forest… just like you said. I’m going to the scene. Can you stick around here for a while?”

“Do you have a cot or something? I could use some sleep.”

“I’ll have one brought in.”

Bennet left the door unlocked, which was a good sign, but had he locked it, he would have had to read Max his Miranda warning. The line between a voluntary interview and an in-custody interrogation is thin.

Soon a deputy brought a cot and a blanket. The room was small, and Max had to push the table to the side and stack the chairs on it to make room. Once he had the cot laid out, it took no time at all for Max to fall asleep.

Just before two o’clock, Max awoke to the door opening. It took a second for Max to remember where he was and why. He was hungry, and groggy, and curious. He rubbed the sleep from his face as a woman in a black suit entered. She introduced herself as Agent Edith Miller of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Duluth office. Max sighed his relief.

Agent Miller carried a legal pad and a briefcase. On the legal pad were several lines that Max couldn’t read, but he assumed it to be notes of the story he had told Bennet. Max folded up the cot and reset the table and chairs for his second interview.

He told the story exactly as he had, again remaining vague on how they had linked Reed Harris to Peter Molinar. When he told her that it was simply good detective work, she asked that he explain that to her. He tried another dodge, saying that a good magician doesn’t give away his secrets. She shook her head and said, “I’d really like to hear how you did that.”