"Well, good for you. I hope you don't mind sitting while I grab a bite myself."

"Oh, I'll be eating again. The Whopper was good, but it didn't fill me up. I've been thinking we should do a study – purely scientific – a side-by-side tasting, a Whopper and a Big Mac, to see which we prefer. Or go vertical – McDonald's hamburger, cheeseburger, a QP with Cheese, and a Big Mac. What do you think?"

"You sit. I'll go. You want a Coke with that Whopper?"

"I'd prefer a chocolate shake."

Over lunch (my first, his second), I brought Stacey up to date on my visit to the canvas shop and my review of the murder book with its reference to Lennie Root. "How was your interview with George Baum?"

"What a pain," he said. "He's the consummate salesman – all capped teeth and phony charm. He tried talking me into a BMW, but I nixed that idea. Point is, when I asked him about Charisse, he side-stepped the whole subject. He thought he was being slick; like I never heard a guy equivocate. I'm guessing he diddled her, but now that he knows she was murdered, he'd like to distance himself. He nearly shit when I told him where I got his name. He's maneuvering like crazy, doing anything he can to get me off his back, so he gives me some information I think you'll find interesting. He tells me Charisse and Cornell's sister were thick as thieves."

"Well, that's a new one."

"Isn't it? He says he used to see the two of them allover town. He swears Charisse had the hots for Cornell and sucked up to Adrianne to get close to him."

"Kind of makes you wonder why Adrianne didn't speak up. To hear Cornell tell it, he barely knew Charisse. Justine certainly gave me that impression."

"It's worth a chat with Adrianne if not the other two."

"You want to do that while I talk to the painting contractor?"

"I'd rather you take care of both. My energy's running low. I need a nap. As soon as you finish, stop by the motel. I should be up, and if not, feel free to wake me. We'll go back to the hospital and let Dolan know what's going on."