Ronin’s shoulder was warm meat under Archie’s palm. Archie could see the veins in Ronin’s biceps rise as they engorged with blood. Ronin’s fist tightened around the fork. Archie had a brief vision of the fork going into his neck. He did not doubt for a moment that Ronin could do it if he wanted to. Archie wondered what it would feel like.

“You don’t want to do that,” Karim said softly in his British accent.

In the same instant that Ronin’s shoulder relaxed slightly, Henry went for his weapon. He leveled it, two-handed, at Ronin’s head. “Drop it,” Henry said.

No one flinched. Jack looked on, detached. Karim was watchful. Apparently someone drawing a gun at breakfast was not all that extraordinary.

“Drop it,” Karim said, picking up his cup.

Ronin’s hand opened. The fork stood for half a second, balanced on its tines, and then toppled over onto the plate, splattering fragments of scrambled egg onto the table.

Archie kept his hand on Ronin’s shoulder, the ribbed black tank top under his fingers. “She’s dead,” Archie said between his teeth. “She was sexually assaulted. Are we going to find your sperm on her?”

Ronin met Archie’s gaze with his golden eyes. “I guess so.”

Archie shook his head in disgust. “Where?” he asked.

Ronin’s mouth turned up in a smile. “In her stomach.”

Archie let go of Ronin and sat back in his chair. His head was pounding. His hand had left a red print on Ronin’s shoulder. Next to him, Henry holstered his weapon, his face flushed. Jack was still standing behind Karim’s chair with his arms crossed. Karim was sipping his tea. “We’re going to need a DNA sample,” Archie said.

Henry lifted a small black case out of his pocket, opened it, and pulled out a long Q-tip. “Open up, Romeo,” he said to Ronin. Ronin looked again to Karim, and Karim nodded and Ronin opened his mouth. Henry swabbed the inside of Ronin’s cheek and bagged the Q-tip.

“When was the last time you saw her?” Archie asked.

Ronin crossed his arms. “I let her in around nine-thirty. Didn’t see her after that,” he said.

“So you didn’t see her leave?” Archie said.

“No,” Ronin said.

Archie looked over at Jack. “I want to review the footage from your surveillance cameras,” Archie said.

Jack smiled indulgently, like Archie had suggested that they strip down to their socks and cannonball into the lake. “That’s not going to happen,” Jack said.

Archie rubbed his hands over his face. He knew there was very little chance of talking Jack into going along with his request, but he had to give it a shot. “I talked to this girl last night. In your house. And today she was found dead on your neighbor’s dock. Whatever else you were up to here last night, it doesn’t concern me.”