Vaill signed some papers then took hold of Lou’s arm and led him out. The familiar, nondescript gray sedan was parked nearby. Lou settled into the backseat, turned away from the mesh screen, and watched the jailhouse shrink from view as they drove away. There had been times when the American justice system had actually been kind to him. The last eighteen or so hours had not been one of them.

“You’re not going back there again, doc,” Vaill said, eyeing Lou in the rearview mirror.

Lou swung around to face him.

“No judge?” he asked.

“No judge. Things have changed.”

Vaill pulled the car to an abrupt stop, opened a rear door, and unlocked Lou’s handcuffs.

“You were right when you said I was entering wonderland,” Lou said.

“You want to sit up front?”

“Okay, I get it. This some new form of torture to replace waterboarding, right? Confession by confusion. I’ll come up front, but only after you tell me what this is all about.”

Vaill sighed.

“Your pal Humphrey Miller has gone missing,” he said. “A woman was found shot dead in his apartment and Miller is nowhere to be found. I have a strong feeling that the person who shot her was the son of a bitch who killed my Maria. If so, that means the Neighbors have both Kazimi and Miller. I think I mentioned the bastard’s name last night. Burke—Alexander Burke. Listen, you’re not a prisoner anymore, doc, so join me up front if you want.”

“Tell me everything,” Lou said, numbly sinking onto the seat Vaill’s partner had occupied.

“We sent agents to Miller’s place and to your basement lab at Arbor General. The lab was right where you said it was. Miller didn’t show up for work this morning. Now we got a dead body and another missing microbiologist. I’m guessing he’s been kidnapped, not killed—at least not yet. The Neighbors are getting desperate, but damn, they are good. That’s where we stand.”

Lou buried his face in his hands as Vaill eased back into traffic.

“Cap,” he whispered.

Vaill shook his head, making no attempt to mask his empathy.

“No miracle cures waiting to happen,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

For a minute, two, there was only silence.

“So, what do you think?” Lou was finally able to ask.