Sticky was about to have a cow. “Was that for you, Malone?”

“Maybe.”

“You moron, why did you run?” Beppe snickered.

“I thought . . .”

Rick started to laugh. “More importantly, how did you escape the entire goddamn Highland Park police department?”

“I’m just that good.”

“We went to IHOP and were about to give up on you, but Rick said we should make one last pass by the Barlows’ in case you came back.”

“Well, you found me.”

“You’re an idiot.” Sticky looked out the window in disbelief.

Rick turned and offered Dan a high five. “Seriously, how the fuck did you pull that off?”

“Thanks for coming back for me.” Dan slapped Rick’s palm. “You two can go fuck yourselves.”

“Fuckin’-a, Malone.” Rick smiled and shook his head. “I can’t believe you made it!”

The light changed, and Beppe made the turn onto Preston for the long drive back to Plano. And with that, Dan sat back and let Rick herald the legend of his escape from the law.

November 13

[ NOVEMBER 13 ]

“Officer Bodel”—Douglas Blackburn stepped toward the witness stand—“can you describe the scene upon your arrival at the Raleigh residence?”

The Dallas police officer consulted his incident log and recited the following: “We responded to an emergency dispatch at eleven forty-three p.m., and arrived at 9324 Credo Drive at eleven fifty-two p.m. The paramedics from Fire and Rescue were already on location. We proceeded around to the alleyway behind the residence and parked at the end of the driveway. The garage door was half raised, and within the garage the medics were attending to Mrs. Raleigh.”

“Was the light on in the garage?”

“No, sir.”

“Then how could you see all of this?”

“Reverend Raleigh’s car was still parked in the driveway; the headlights were on.”

“Okay, and as you approached the garage, what did you see?”

“Mrs. Raleigh was lying on the ground.”

“Did you notice signs of a struggle?”

“No, the garage and the house were tidy.”

“Would you say someone had cleaned up?”

“Objection, Your Honor.”

“Withdrawn. What was the state of Margaret Raleigh at this point?”

Juror number six, Anne Malone, perked up at this latest volley. She scrutinized the district attorney, who was almost too cool and composed. With the defense attorney Haynes Whiteside ready to pounce at the slightest, Douglas Blackburn took the quick rebuke in stride. In fact, he had already scored the point without needing the cop’s testimony as to whether the crime scene looked too clean. No struggle could mean she knew the attacker, Anne speculated, and let him get close.

“Mrs. Raleigh was not breathing. She was unconscious. Her face was swollen, her neck covered in a series of red welts. The way she was lying on the ground, her head angled from her body, indicated that her neck had been broken.”