A series of phone calls had revealed that Teenie’s dentist, Dr. Kerry, was out of town for the next four days. The body could only be identified in Little Rock. Sheriff Branscom had called the state crime lab, and they’d said as soon as they got the body they’d confirm the identification first thing, before they did their full work-up. Since the Arkansas crime lab is notoriously behind, that was a good concession. Branscom had a copy of Teenie’s dental records to send down with the body.

We wouldn’t get a check from Sybil until the body was declared to be that of Teenie Hopkins, so it looked like we’d be stuck in Sarne at least twenty-four hours. Twenty-four hours with nothing to do. We spend a lot of time waiting, but it’s not easy.

“The motel’s got HBO,” Tolliver said. “Maybe we can catch a movie we haven’t seen.”

But after we’d reviewed the movie list and discovered we’d already seen the ones we were at all interested in seeing, Tolliver left to pursue the waitress from the diner. Not that he spelled it out for me, but I figured.

I was too restless to read, and I’d warmed up enough to discard the crawling-into-bed plan. I’ve gotten into doing my fingernails and toenails, just to have a hobby. So I got out my manicure kit, and I was painting my toenails a deep, almost golden red, when Hollis Boxleitner knocked on my door.

“Can I come in?” he asked. I leaned sideways to look past him, checking to make sure he wasn’t in a police car. Nope. Though he was still in his uniform, he was driving his own vehicle, an electric-blue Ford pickup.

“I guess,” I said. I left the door open to the beautiful day, and the big deputy didn’t protest. Hollis Boxleitner sat in one of the two chairs. I took the other one, after offering him a can of Fresca that was chilly and wet from the ice chest. He popped the tab and took a gulp. I propped my foot up on the edge of the table and continued my pedicure.

“You want to go down to the restaurant, have some chicken-fried steak?” he asked.

“No thanks.” It was a little past one o’clock, so I should eat something, but I wasn’t feeling too hungry.

“Not the calories, is it? You could use some more flesh on your bones.”

“No, not the calories.” I stroked the brush very carefully from base to end of my big toenail.

“Your brother’s already down there. He’s having a conversation with Janine.”

I shrugged.

“What about the Sonic?” I darted a glance at him, but he only looked mildly inquiring.

“What do you want?” I asked. I don’t like being maneuvered.