Back at the department, the sheriff decided to talk to Fritz before booking him, though he was well aware that they had more than enough cause to lock him up immediately. Hank had been left behind and was leading a team to canvas the houses on Fritz’s street and get whatever information or opinions his neighbors might have.

On TV, at least, people were always confessing to crimes they didn’t commit, and Brad sat across from Fritz in the interrogation room, with Mitch working the camera to record the interview, trying to elicit details of the murder that only the killer would know. The suspect had waived his right to counsel and said he was willing to answer any question, so Brad went through everything, step-by-step. Fritz knew everything, even specifics they had kept out of the paper and not discussed with the public. His descriptions and timeline matched perfectly with what they knew, and although it shed no light on the bodies found in the meadow, it wrapped up Taggart’s killing in such an air-tight manner that even Brad conceded that the weirdo had to have done it.

There was no time to go out and get lunch, but Carol brought him back a burger from B.B.’s when she went out, and he ate it gratefully as his deputies booked the man and placed him in a cell.

He had just gotten off the phone with the coroner, keeping him up to speed on the morning’s events, letting him know that he could send someone out to get a DNA sample from the suspect, when Patty stopped by.

“Can you pick up Sue and Jillian after school,” she asked, “and watch them for a few hours? Those new clients who are buying that house near the golf course, that house for a million five, have asked me to be there for the inspection, and obviously I can’t bring the girls along.”

“This is not a good time.”

“They’ll just stay in your office and do homework.”

“Not a good time,” he repeated. “Too much is going on, and I don’t want them around it. Can’t you ask one of their friends’ moms if they can come over?”

Patty nodded. “Okay, but can you pick them up on your way home?”

“I may be later than you.”

“We’ll play it by ear, then. I’ll make some calls and let you know.” She gave him a quick kiss, offered a short wave and was gone.