“And he somehow managed to get the truth from Johnson.” Hammer nodded at the morning paper on her desk. “Clearing up this notion that she’s responsible for those poor people’s deaths. Johnson’s not going to quit.”

Hammer moved over to a calamondin tree near a window and plucked dead leaves from bushy branches that always bore fruit. “I talked to her this morning,” she went on. “All this, and Brazil wasn’t even riding with us.” She stopped what she was doing and looked up at her deputy chief. “You’re right. He can’t be out by himself. God knows what he’d do if he had a uniform on. I wish I could transfer him to another city about three thousand miles from here.”

West smiled as her boss worried about spider mites and quenched a corn plant with a small plastic watering can. “What you wish,” West said to her, “is that he worked for you.” Paper crackled as she dug into her Bojangles bag.

“You eat too much junk,” Hammer told her. “If I ate all the crap you do, I’d be a medicine ball.”

“Brazil called me.” West finally got around to this as she folded back a greasy wrapper. “You know why he was behind that Radio Shack?”

“No.” Hammer started on African violets, glancing curiously at West.

Five minutes later, Hammer was walking with purpose down a long hallway on the first floor. She did not look friendly. Police she passed stared and nodded. She reached a door and opened it. Uniformed officers inside the roll call room were startled to see their well-dressed leader walk in. Deputy Chief Jeannie Goode was in the midst of briefing dozens of the troops about her latest concerns.

“All, I mean all inquiries get routed to the duty captain . . .” Goode was saying before the vision of Hammer walking toward her cut the meeting short. Goode knew trouble when she saw it.

“Deputy Chief Goode,” Hammer said for all to hear. “Do you know what harassment is?”

The color drained from Goode’s face. She thought she might faint, and leaned against the blackboard while cops stared, paralyzed. Goode could not believe the chief was about to dress her down in front of thirty-three lowly David One street cops, two sergeants, and one captain.

“Let’s go upstairs to my office,” Goode suggested with a weak smile.

Hammer stood in front of her troops and crossed her arms. She was very calm when she replied, “I think everyone could benefit from this. It has been reported to me that officers tailed an Observer reporter all over the city.”

“Says who?” Goode challenged. “Him? And you believe him?”

“I never said it was a him,” Hammer informed her.

The chief paused for a long time and the silence in the room gave Goode chills. Goode thought about the pink Kaopectate tablets in her desk drawer. The third floor seemed very far away.

“One more time.” Hammer looked at everyone. “It will cost you.”