For a moment, Ehrhart stood, transfixed by the statue, her lips slightly parted in shock. She wore yellow Escada jeans, a full yellow-striped blouse with an E on the breast pocket, a black belt studded with brass butterflies and shoes to match. Although Hammer mostly wore Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan, she knew other designers and recognized that the butterflies were several seasons old. This gave Hammer a little satisfaction, but not enough.

“This will excite a riot,” Ehrhart exclaimed, moving in closer to the crime scene, a Canon Sure Shot in hand. “Nothing like this has ever happened before this.”

“I’m not sure I’d go so far as to say that,” Hammer replied. “Not so long ago someone painted graffiti on the statue of Robert E. Lee.”

“That was different.”

“He wasn’t changed into a black basketball player,” Fling agreed. “Not saying he wouldn’t have been, but he’s on a horse with a sword, and right there on Monument Avenue where if you spent a lot of time, someone’s bound to notice. So I really don’t see how you could easily do him. Or doing anybody on Monument Avenue. Arthur Ashe’s holding a tennis racket and the other guys are on horses. Unless you did polo, I guess.”

“I want to know how you’re doing about this?” Ehrhart said to Hammer as a sudden gust of wind stirred trees and whipped the Southern Cross at Davis’s feet. “And where were your officers when some vandal came in here like Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel?”

“The cemetery is private property,” Fling reminded her.

“If a serial killing shows up on my private property, is that a so-what also?” Ehrhart indignantly replied.

“Not if we know he’s a serial killer,” Fling retorted.

“The truth is,” said Hammer, “we do patrol the cemetery.”

“That’s even worst,” Ehrhart said. “You certainly must have somewhere been elsewhere last night.”

“The beat car is very busy in that area, Lelia. We’ve got VCU, Oregon Hills. We get many, many calls,” Hammer said. “When calls involve living people, they take priority.”

“As if I would know this!” Ehrhart indignantly answered.

“It’s confusing what’s city and what isn’t.” Fling tried to gloss over his misinformation. “And Mrs. Ehrhart, my earlier point that I wanted to emphasize was you shouldn’t take this so hard when it may simply be a random choice because of how remote being in a place like this is if you’re up to no good.”

“That’s easier to say,” said Ehrhart.

Hammer felt as if she were listening to aliens.

“When about Bobby Feeley?” Ehrhart was becoming more accusatory.

“We’re working hard on this, Lelia,” Hammer replied.

“He’s twelve,” she persisted. “That ought to add up for something.”

“We are investigating this with great seriousness,” said Hammer, who frankly thought the statue was much improved by the new outfit.

“He probably alibied his way from there to here and you take it at fact value.” Ehrhart wouldn’t let it rest.

“I think he wasn’t feeling good last night and didn’t go out,” Fling offered. “There are witnesses.”