“No. A man has to draw the line somewhere.”

“Well, for starters, I heard the police are looking for her.”

“Where did you hear that?”

“From a sheriff’s deputy at the Patriot Center.”

“Elgin,” Nick said. “He’s a nice guy, but he needs to learn to keep his mouth shut.”

“It would have been public knowledge in another day or two.”

“But you’re planning to make it public before that.”

“That’s my job. News is all about timing. Get the story a day early and it’s news; get it a day late and it’s history. It’s a lot like your job if you think about it.”

“How do you figure that?”

“There might be a serial killer around here somewhere. Maybe he’ll have a change of heart and confess; maybe he’ll get tired of all the publicity and turn himself in. But you’re not willing to wait for that to happen, are you? You want to figure it out now, whether he’s ready to talk or not.”

“There’s a slight difference,” Nick said. “I’m trying to dig up dirt on the bad guy—you’re doing it to the people in charge. People can get hurt that way.”

“Is that what you think happened to the cadaver dog trainer?”

“Why would you think that?”

“Doesn’t it seem like an odd coincidence that she disappeared the day after she did that interview with me?”

“You did that interview?”

“That’s right.”

“Tell me something, Decker. Did the FBI give you permission to interview her?”

“Are you kidding? They gave me permission to stand in their nice little playpen and ask polite questions. You don’t get a story that way.”

“But you might get the facts, if you’re interested in that sort of thing.”

“I love facts—when they make a good story. I understand she was staying at the Skyline Motel, where you are.”

“I believe that’s public knowledge.”

“And she disappeared the day after the interview—right after she found all those graves. Think she went on a bender somewhere?”

“It’s possible.”

“But she left her dog behind.”

“Maybe he’s not a party animal.”

He smiled. “You know, I like you. You and I are a lot alike.”

Nick pushed his plate away. “There goes the rest of my appetite.”

“You didn’t like her, did you?”

“Who?”

“Marge—that’s what they tell me you called her. I’ll bet she loved that.”

“You should hear what I’ll call you when you leave.”

“Can you think of anybody else who didn’t like her?”

“I’d talk to the dog if I were you—he had means, motive, and opportunity.”

Decker paused. “Then you think she’s dead too?”