"Hell no," Lula said. "You're a professional. Although, I gotta say, you haven't got no cool bounty hunter shirt like they do."

"She can't have gone far," Joyce said. "Everybody out to the car."

Mrs. Nowicki searched through her pockets, found a cigarette and stuck it in her mouth. "Maxie's long gone. They'll never find her."

"Just out of morbid curiosity," I said. "What's this all about?"

"It's about money," Mrs. Nowicki said. Then she and Margie laughed. Like that was a good joke.

MORELLI WAS SLOUCHED in front of the television when I got back to the house. He was watching Jeopardy, and there were three empty beer bottles alongside his chair.

"Bad day?" I asked.

"To begin with . . . you were telling the truth about your apartment. I checked. It's a big black cinder. Ditto for your car. Following along in the same vein, word has gotten out that we're living together, and my mother expects us for dinner tomorrow at six."

"No!"

"Yes."

"Anything else?"

"The case I've been working on for the last four months collapsed."

"I'm sorry."

Morelli made a disgusted gesture. "It happens."

"Have you had anything to eat?"

An eyebrow raised, and he looked at me sideways. "What did you have in mind?"

"Food."

"No. I haven't had any of that."

I went to the kitchen and said hello to Rex, who was sitting on a small mound of assorted dinner treats. Compliments of Morelli, Rex was feasting on a grape, a miniature marshmallow, a crouton, and a beer nut. I removed the marshmallow and ate it, so Rex wouldn't run the risk of requiring a filling in his fang.

"So what do you want?" I asked Morelli.

"Steak, mashed potatoes, green beans."

"How about a peanut butter sandwich?"

"That would be my second choice."

I made two peanut butter sandwiches and brought them into the living room.

Morelli looked at his sandwich. "What are these lumps?"

"Olives."

He opened the sandwich and looked inside. "Where's the jelly?"

"No jelly."

"I think I need another beer."

"Just eat it!" I yelled. "What do I look like, Betty Crocker? I didn't have a great day, either, you know. Not that anybody asked me about my day!"

Morelli grinned. "What about your day?"

I slumped onto the couch. "Found Maxine. Lost Maxine."

"Happens," Morelli said. "You'll find her again. You're the bounty hunter from hell."

"I'm afraid she's getting ready to bolt big time."

"Can't blame her. There are some scary guys out there."

"I asked her mother what this was all about, and she said it was about money. Then she laughed."

"You saw her mother?"

I filled Morelli in on the details, and he didn't look happy when I was done.

"Something has to be done about Barnhardt," he said.

"Any ideas?"

"Nothing that wouldn't get my shield taken away."

There was a moment of silence between us.

"So," I said, "how well do you know Joyce?"

The grin returned. "What do you mean?"