On the third floor of St. Barnabas Medical Center, Essex County investigator Loren Muse rapped on a door that read edna skylar, md, geneticist. A woman's voice said, Come in . Loren turned the knob and entered. Skylar stood. She was taller than Loren, but most people were. Skylar crossed the room, hand extended. They both offered up firm handshakes and plenty of eye contact. Edna Skylar nodded in a sisterhood way to her. Loren had seen it before. They were both in professions still dominated by men. That gave them a bond . Won't you please have a seat?They both sat. Edna Skylar's desk was immaculate. There were manila folders, but they were stacked without any papers peeking out. The office was standard issue, dominated by a picture window that offered up a wonderful view of a parking lot . Dr. Skylar stared intently at Loren Muse. Loren didn't like it. She waited a moment. Skylar kept staring . Loren said, Problem?Edna Skylar smiled. Sorry, bad habit . What's that?I look at faces . Uh-huh . I t's not important. Well, maybe it is. That's how I got into this predicament . Loren wanted to get to it. You told my boss that you have information on Katie Rochester?How is Ed?He's good . She smiled warmly. He's a nice man . Yeah, Loren said, a prince . I 've known him a long time . He told me . That's why I called Ed. We had a long talk about the case . Right, Loren said. And that's why he sent me here . Edna Skylar looked off, out the window. Loren tried to guess her age. Mid-sixties probably, but she wore it well. Dr. Skylar was a handsome woman, short gray hair, high cheekbones, knew how to sport a beige suit without coming across as too butch or overly feminine . Dr. Skylar?Could you tell me something about the case?Excuse me?Katie Rochester. Is she officially listed as missing?I'm not sure how that's relevant . Edna Skylar's eyes moved slowly back to Loren Muse. Do you think she met up with foul play I can't really discuss that. or do you think she ran away? When I talked to Ed, he seemed pretty sure she was a runaway. She took money out of an ATM in midtown, he said. Her father is rather unsavory . Prosecutor Steinberg told you all that?He did . So why are you asking me?I know his take, she said. I want yours . Loren was about to protest some more, but Edna Skylar was again staring with too much intensity. She scanned Skylar's desk for family photographs. There were none. She wondered what to make of that and decided nothing. Skylar was waiting . She's eighteen years old, Loren tried, treading carefully . I know that . That makes her an adult . I know that too. And what about the father? Do you think he abused her?Loren wondered how to play this. The truth was, she didn't like the father, hadn't from the get-go.