“Okay, I think it’s time we had a little talk,” she said. “I don’t think you like me. And maybe if you come clean about it, maybe we can do something about it, one way or another.”

“I’m not sure what I think of you, if you must know.”

I stared at her.

“The most important thing is that all of us do our jobs, lest we lose perspective. Since we are dealing with someone who was murdered,” I added.

“Now you’re pissing me off,” she said.

“Not intentionally, I assure you.”

“As if someone murdered makes no difference to me? Is that what you’re implying? You think I got where I am in life by not giving a shit about who set a fire and why?”

She shoved up her sleeves, as if ready for a fight.

“Teun,” I said. “I don’t have time for this, because I don’t think it’s constructive.”

“This is about Lucy. You think I’m replacing you, or God knows what. That’s what this is all about, isn’t it, Kay?”

Now she was making me angry, too.

“You and I have worked together before, right?” she went on. “We’ve never had a big problem before now. So one has to ask, what’s different? I think the answer’s pretty obvious. The difference is that even as we speak, your niece is moving into her new apartment in Philadelphia, to be in my field office, under my supervision. Mine. Not yours. And you don’t like it. And guess what else? If I were in your shoes, maybe I wouldn’t like it either.”

“It is neither the time nor the place for this discussion,” I firmly said.

“Fine.”

She got up and draped her jacket over her arm.

“Then we’ll go somewhere else,” she decided. “I intend to resolve this before I drive back north.”

For an instant I was stymied as I reigned from the empire of my wrap-around desk, with its foremen of files, and guards demanding the hard labor of journal articles, and legions of messages and correspondence that would never set me free. I took my glasses off and massaged my face. When McGovern was blurred, it was easier for me.

“I’ll take you to lunch,” I said. “If you’re willing to hang around three more hours. In the meantime”—I got up from my chair—“I have bones in a pot that need heating up. You can come with me, if you have a strong stomach.”

“You won’t scare me off with that.” McGovern seemed pleased.