“Message received. I can be there in . . . is an hour okay?”

“Two might be better. I told you, she’s out for now. And I need to figure out how to explain you showing up.”

“I’ll see you around lunch, then. Just me.”

I hit end, then text Serenity: Are you okay? She’s only upstairs, but something tells me that Dolores St. Denis might not want me barging into her room.

The reply comes in twenty seconds: D finally sleeping for real. I’m going to stay with her for now. Worried she might harm herself if she wakes alone.

I type: I just talked to FBI. They’re going to have to be involved. If only for protection, not testimony. John Kaiser will come alone. Will not pressure D. Think about how we can convince D she’ll be safe with them.

This time there’s a delay. Then Serenity types: You mean how we can lie?

NO, I answer.

We killed Cleotha Booker, Penn. We led them to her.

Serenity is obviously overcome with guilt.

She’s not dead yet, I type. I’ll talk to you in a while. Let me know if I can bring anything up.

I wait for an answer, but my phone remains quiet.

Walking back to the kitchen, I take out a cold Tab, drink half the can in one fizzy rush, then sit down and scan Rusty’s most recent messages. They seem like missives from some faraway proceeding to which I’m only incidentally connected. I suddenly realize that I’m using them to escape the guilt I feel at what’s happened to the Cat Lady.

9:37 a.m. When Cora found Viola dead, she panicked. Felt like “man walking in space.” She called Lincoln, not Tom, and then told Linc about suicide pact. Linc furious. Almost in Natz by then. Told Cora call 911, ask for paramedics and ACSO.

9:39 a.m. Lincoln arrived on scene just after Sheriff’s Department.

9:45 a.m. Shad tenders witness, reserves right to recall Cora.

Shad is reserving the right to recall Cora because he wants to stay focused on the forensic case and not disturb the timeline he’s engraving in the minds of the jury. But she will be back, and her testimony will likely be the stuff of daytime melodrama.

9:46 a.m. Holy shit! Quentin said “No questions” AGAIN! Not going to cross! WTF?

Now my pulse is picking up. I can’t imagine any possible reason that Quentin would let Cora Revels leave the stand without cross-examining her.

9:48 a.m. Shad looks like the cat who ate canary. He can’t believe his luck. I can’t either. Why is Q lying down? Alzheimers for real???

9:53 a.m. Shad called Sheriff’s Detective Joiner to stand.

10:06 a.m. Joiner says deputies assumed they working asst suicide case. Found morphine vial, syringe, hairs and fibers, yadda yadda. Bagged and tagged all. Found camcorder on tripod, no tape.