“Did Lemuel not settle your problem with the first two thugs this Eggleston sent?”

Bobo flushed deep red. “Yes,” he said. “Lemuel and . . .”

“Lemuel and Olivia,” the Rev said. “And do you not suspect that it was Lemuel and Olivia who went over to Marthasville and burned down Eggleston’s house?”

Bobo became even redder. “I don’t know that,” he said.

“But you believe it’s so.”

Manfred looked from the wizened old minister to the big blond man, trying to absorb all these new ideas. “So,” he said cautiously, “you’re telling Bobo that Eggleston wouldn’t have resorted to kidnapping Fiji if Lemuel and Olivia hadn’t been so drastic in their reaction?”

“I am saying we’d have a much better chance of getting her back unharmed.”

“Okay, point taken,” Bobo said. “But what now?”

The Rev looked almost approving. “Good. The right spirit will lead you into the paths of righteousness,” he said. “We must find where he has taken her, and we must rescue her, because the police will not be able to do this.”

“But won’t we have to take measures as drastic as the ones you’re condemning?”

The Rev said very patiently, “Now is the time to take measures. Her welfare is at stake. It’s not the answer to every problem. It is the answer to this problem.”

“If you’re a hammer, every problem looks like a nail,” Manfred said suddenly. He’d just caught on.

“Exactly. And Lemuel and Olivia are hammers.” The Rev nodded, glad now that he felt they were all on the same page.

“Lem will be up soon,” Bobo said, glancing at a clock.

“It’s too bad you’re not a tracking creature,” the Rev said. “But Lemuel will do his best.”

“Olivia’s not here?” Manfred was looking all around him in furtive glances, worried that Lemuel would pop up out of nowhere and scare the shit out of him.

“No, she’s gone.” The Rev looked sad, whether because he missed Olivia, thought she would be useful if she were here, or regretted whatever cause had taken her away, Manfred could not decide.

“Should we get Chuy and Joe?” Manfred said.

“No, they need to stay here,” the Rev said, without any hesitation.

“Teacher?”

“No, he would not come,” the Rev said. “Better not to ask him.”

Manfred wondered how the Rev knew all this, and how the oldest resident of Midnight had been tacitly acknowledged leader of the Fiji rescue expedition—but since Manfred himself was not qualified to take control, he was not about to ask out loud.

“What are we going to do?” Bobo asked impatiently.

“We’re going to find Fiji and get her back.”

“Great. How?” Bobo snapped.

The Rev looked up at Bobo, but Bobo didn’t relent.

“As soon as Lem is up, we’ll go. We’ll take the cat.”