“Question number three.” Rafe rotated his burger to keep the slippery bits from falling onto his plate. “Nope. Don’t have a number three,” he said, and took a massive bite.

“See?” I demanded of the deputy at the table. “He doesn’t have any real questions, because it just makes sense. The person who killed Pug is the same person who stole the Valeras’ sculpture.”

“Makes sense?” Ash repeated. “Is that what you’d tell Hal?”

I rolled my eyes. Why did he think I was telling him all this on a Sunday evening instead of stopping in at the sheriff’s office on Monday morning? Of course it was so I could talk to him and not Hal.

“What I’d tell Detective Inwood,” I said patiently, “is that while correlation is obviously not causation, the commonality between the theft of the Valeras’ property and Pug’s murder is the sculptures of Vittorio Conti. Therefore, it only makes sense that the thief is the one who killed Pug.”

“Even if you’re right,” Ash said, “and I’m not saying you are, but if you are, please tell me how a burglary maybe months ago helps us find Pug’s killer.”

At that particular moment, I’d taken a large bite of food and so was able to take a nice long amount of time chewing and swallowing and thinking. After a sip of water to help wash everything down, then another sip, I was able to say, “The nexus of everything is the Conti sculptures. There can’t be many people around here who know their value and there can’t be many who know that the Valeras have one. All you have to do is figure out who knew both of those things.”

Ash gave me a sour look. “Sure. That’s all. Any bright ideas on how to do that? Again, given the assumption you’re right about this.”

“Lots. First, look at Ian Breece. Then talk to Mr. Valera. Talk to his other family members. Talk to their neighbors. I’m sure there are art blogs out there that talk about sculptures,” I said, ideas now spinning out of me. “Spend some time reading the posts. Find the experts on Conti sculptures and talk to them. Find a Conti sculpture and go take a look; that might help you think of something else.” I waved the remnants of my burger at him. “These are good ideas. You should be taking notes.”

“They’re not bad,” he said. “But Hal’s the one working on Pug Mattock’s murder. I’m still stuck with the job of finding Ryan Anderson.”