Edward Stone’s minimalist actions and conservative, controlling policies reminded me of the effects poverty and fear and fear of poverty have on people. No matter how successful they become, they always keep plenty in reserve for fear they will have to do without again. My grandmother, a child during the Great Depression, had been the same way.

“How are you?” he asked. “With what happened yesterday?”

I nodded. “I’m fine. Thank you.”

“That was bad. Have to be an idiot to try to escape, but to try it in that manner . . . you’d have to be suicidal.”

“Perhaps he was,” I said.

“Maybe. I don’t know. But that’s what I want to find out. The thing is, his name came up in another matter that we’re considering investigating.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I had not put much stock in the earlier reports, but now . . . I am not so sure. Thing is . . . we have a situation that I need your help with.”

I waited.

“It won’t be easy . . . and it’s totally out of the purview of your job. But I honestly do not have anyone else I can turn to.”

I nodded encouragingly.

“I want you to help the IG with the investigation into . . . what happened yesterday.”

I started to object, but he stopped me with a single authoritative wave of his hand.

“I conducted a thorough background check on you long before I ever decided to approach you with this, and I know that you and the IG don’t care for each other very much, but there’s no other way.”

“Even if you could convince me to work with him, you’ll never get him to work with me.”

“I’ve already taken care of that through the secretary.”

“His secretary?”

“No. The secretary of the department,” he said with an amused smile. “So, like you, he really doesn’t have a choice in this matter.”

“But—”

“Your father being the sheriff here doesn’t hurt, but even if he weren’t, you’re . . . exactly who I need to . . . take care of this. I know you used to be a cop. Know you worked the Atlanta Child Murders. I know you’ve studied criminology. It’s even rumored you were the one who killed the Stone Cold Killer.”

“As impressive as that is,” I said, trying to sound only mildly sarcastic, “wouldn’t the institutional inspector be a better choice?”

“To be completely honest, I don’t trust Pete Fortner. Ordinarily, I would have the colonel assist in this kind of investigation, but he’ll be away from the institution in training for the next few weeks.”

“Why don’t you trust Fortner?” I asked.

“First of all, I need to know that you’ll do it.”