Arthur Smith looked at her with a lot more interest. “Think about it, Ms. Cavanaugh. She comes here to live with him, she vanishes, her body turns up in a riverbed close by. He didn’t report her missing right away. We might think his reasons are understandable, but the Hamiltons don’t. He admits he didn’t search for her. She’s the widow of a white supremacist. You know those men Mr. Bernardo’s attackers claim are missing? They’re white supremacists, too. Though Green and Spratt call themselves ‘patriots,’ it’s clear they’re in the same boat politically.”

“But he thought she’d gone all on her own,” Fiji said stubbornly. “Why would he look for someone who’d kicked him to the curb?”

“On the other hand, who else had reason to want her dead?” His eyes were intent on her face.

“Given the company she kept . . . the, ah, associates of her husband . . .” But she couldn’t say anything else without revealing information she wanted to keep quiet—more importantly, information that Bobo wanted to keep quiet. She found herself on her feet, feeling a little wobbly but practically bursting with things she wished she could say.

Smith said, “Just because she hung out with a crowd we consider over the political edge doesn’t mean her death was anything but personal. Or even accidental. The medical examiner’s still looking at her.”

Manfred said, “Fiji, don’t worry, they’ll find out who did it, and that person won’t be Bobo. Sheriff, thanks for coming by to let me know about those guys. If you need me again, you know where I am.” He was all smiles and geniality as he walked Sheriff Smith to the door, but when the door closed behind him, Manfred turned to give Fiji a very grim face.

“From the way you’re looking at me, I screwed up,” she said.

“Of course you did,” Manfred said. “You acted like you were defending your kid from a bully. Bobo’s a grown man. He can look out for himself. The more you go on the defensive, the more Smith’s going to think there’s a great reason you’re protecting Bobo.”

Fiji muttered, “Aside from the fact that I’m an idiot?”

“I know you’re not. I know you’re his good friend.” Out of mercy, Manfred did not say, Because you’re clearly nuts about him. Also, he had no desire to be frozen into a statue for an indeterminate length of time.

“So, you’re going to the Cartoon Saloon with me, right?” Fiji said.

“Wait, are we police? No, we’re not going there.”

“But we have to find out more. Why didn’t the other guy in the fight press charges?”