He meekly followed her to Vernon’s police station. It was a small building, but made of solid stone. To Jake it looked like a fort that might have been built during the Indian Wars. He parked beside the squad car and followed the officer into the Vernon Police Department station.

Inside, it looked surprisingly modern. Clean, efficiently laid out with new-looking metal desks that each bore flat computer screens. One wall was covered with TV monitors. Jake realized that just about every intersection in the town was covered by surveillance cameras. He even noticed a pair of screens that displayed the parking lot and front entrance of the Blue Mountain Casino.

So that’s how they knew she went to the casino, he realized. They can watch the whole damned town twenty-four/seven.

The policewoman threaded through the desks toward the back of the squad room, glancing over her shoulder twice to make certain Jake was following her. She stopped at a glass door marked CAPTAIN HARRAWAY—PRIVATE. She rapped on the glass panel once, then opened the door and gestured Jake inside.

Captain Harraway rose from behind his desk like a dark cloud. His skin was deep brown, yet his features looked to Jake more Native American than African American. He was big, in all directions, thick arms bulging the sleeves of his blue uniform shirt, heavy midsection straining its buttons.

With a minimal smile, he pointed to the chair in front of his desk.

“Have a seat, Dr. Ross.”

Jake was impressed that the captain knew he had a doctorate. They’ve looked up my file during the time it took us to go from the casino to here.

Settling himself in his squeaking swivel chair once Jake was seated, Harraway clasped his hands in front of him and said, “We’ve got a sort of situation on our hands.”

Jake said nothing.

Leaning forward on his beefy arms, Harraway went on, “Y’see, Mrs. Sinclair’s from one of our most prominent families. And she’s got this problem.”

“Gambling?”

With a weary nod, the captain said, “Hooked like an addict. She’d blow what’s left of the family fortune if we didn’t keep her out of the casino.”

Jake began to understand. “So you keep an eye on her.”

“We sure as hell do. Her uncle’s the mayor of this town and just about everybody on the town council is related to her, one way or the other.”

“Does she live alone in that big house?”

“She has a couple of servants. Gave ’em both the day off just before you arrived.”

So she planned to have me drive her out to the casino all along, Jake realized. As soon as I phoned her this morning she started hatching her little plot.