I got out of his car and scooped up a handful of snow. I scrubbed my face with it as I walked around to the front door. I did not want anyone to know I had been crying in the dark with Benton Wesley.

He did not drive off until I had barricaded myself inside my house with Marino, Janet and Lucy. Tucker had ordered an around-the- clock surveillance, and Marino was in charge. He would not entrust our safety to uniformed men parked somewhere in a cruiser or van. He rallied us like Green Berets or guerrillas.

‘All right,’ he said as we walked into my kitchen. ‘I know Lucy can shoot. Janet, you sure as hell better be able to if you’re ever gonna graduate from the Academy.’

‘I could shoot before the Academy,’ she said in her quiet, unflappable way.

‘Doc?’

I was looking inside the refrigerator.

‘I can make pasta with a little olive oil, Parmesan and onion. I’ve got cheese if anybody wants sandwiches. Or if you give me a chance to thaw it, I’ve got le piccagge col pesto di ricotta or tortellini verdi. I think there’s enough for four if I warm up both.’

Nobody cared.

I wanted so much to do something normal.

‘I’m sorry,’ I said in despair. ‘I haven’t been to the store lately.’

‘I need to get into your safe, Doc,’ Marino said.

‘I’ve got bagels.’

‘Hey. Anybody hungry?’ Marino asked.

No one was. I closed the freezer. The gun safe was in the garage.

‘Come on,’ I told him.

He followed me out and I opened it for him.

‘Do you mind telling me what you’re doing?’ I asked.

‘I’m arming us,’ he said as he picked up one handgun after another and looked at my stash of ammunition. ‘Damn, you must own stock in Green Top.’

Green Top was an area gun shop that catered not to felons, but to normal citizens who enjoyed sports and home security. I reminded Marino of this, although I could not deny that by normal standards I owned too many guns and too much ammunition.

‘I didn’t know you had all this,’ Marino went on, half inside my large, heavy safe. ‘When the hell did you get all this? I wasn’t with you.’

‘I do shop alone now and then,’ I said sharply. ‘Believe it or not, I am perfectly capable of buying groceries, clothing and guns all by myself. And I’m very tired, Marino. Let’s wind this up.’

‘Where are your shotguns?’

‘What do you want?’

‘What do you have?’

‘Remingtons. A Marine Magnum. An 870 Express Security.’

‘That’ll do.’

‘Would you like me to see if I can round up some plastic explosives?’ I said. ‘Maybe I can put my hands on a grenade launcher.’

He pulled out a Glock nine-millimeter. ‘So you’re into combat Tupperware, too.’

‘I’ve used it in the indoor range for test fires,’ I said. That’s what I’ve used most of these guns for. I’ve got several papers to present at various meetings. This is making me crazy. Are you going into my dresser drawers next?’