“This is Dr. Abbott. And you know Gabriel Moss.”

“Yes, I do. Which is why I’m not hard-pressed to imagine this tale is a concoction to make her famous and his paper successful. I’ve got half a mind to make up a reason to arrest them.”

Gabriel leaped to his feet and stood in front of Erin in a single defensive move. He balanced on the balls of his feet, prepared to attack. Mixed with fear and loathing for a dead man and the living one who dared to threaten her, his voice was guttural. “Try it.”

“Mr. Moss,” Captain Sanchez said, “I can’t let her run around terrifying the city. At best, she’s a liar. At worst, she’s crazy.”

“No. What’s scaring you is that you know she’s right and that your department almost missed this one, Sanchez.”

The captain advanced into the office. The confined space became claustrophobic. “Watch what you say, Moss. Your paper couldn’t stand up to a sigh, much less a libel suit.”

“Gabriel’s got an excellent reputation. You’re just mad he did that exposé last year.” Too weary to stomach machismo in a battle with vain chivalry, Sylvie folded her arms over her ample chest. Neither man noticed that Erin remained upright by sheer force of will. Sylvie could, and because of what she understood to be true, she’d defend. For now. “We do have nine unexplained deaths that Dr. Abbott and Mr. Moss may help us solve,” she challenged Sanchez. “You insult her, Captain, and we may lose our only chance to solve the ones we can.”

Sanchez whisked around to confront Sylvie, not an easy feat for a man who nearly scraped the low ceiling. “Are you bargaining for her, Detective?”

“Absolutely. She’s the only link we have to the murders.” Sylvie wandered to her desk and lowered herself into the creaking leather. “I’d wager that if you tried to make her a scapegoat, Gabe would skewer you on the front page of the Ledger so badly, the mayor would have your badge by his second cup of coffee.”

The thought of a visit from the mayor stilled the angry retort trembling on Sanchez’s tongue. He understood the value of a good bargain. His political aspirations demanded them. And the meddlesome Detective Iberville had a point. This case could introduce him to a national audience. With his sights on a nice white house in the East, it wouldn’t hurt to find friends everywhere.

“I won’t have you hauled in right now. However, I do expect your cooperation with this investigation of Dr. Bernard. It had better be good.” The hearty bass that won over voters brooked no argument. He pierced Gabriel with flat obsidian eyes. “I don’t want to read another word about this in your paper.”