“You know how everyone has a tiny talent?” Susan said. “Like parallel parking? Or catching serial killers? Mine is Googling. I am a really excellent Googler.” She opened her laptop, hopped on the hospital wi-fi, and opened an eBay page. It was a listing for a key. She flipped it around so they could see.

Archie’s mouth opened.

“It’s a mailbox key,” Susan said. She glanced around at the screen—and the photograph of a small black key that had three bidders for a total of $4.50. “From Vanport. They salvaged hundreds of them from the mudflats after the flood. People collect them.”

Archie looked off, his eyes darting back and forth. He rubbed his face. “When did your column run, on the skeleton?”

“Thursday,” she said.

He sighed and turned to Robbins. “The day before the first murder.”

“I sent the bones up to Lewis and Clark,” Robbins said.

“Get them back,” Archie said.

“I was going to go talk to Gloria Larson,” Susan said. She widened her eyes innocently at Archie. “Did you want to come?”

Chapter 41

CHAPTER

41

“Wipe your feet,” Gloria Larson said. She looked regal. Not what Archie had expected at all. For one, she was white.

“This is my friend Archie,” Susan said. “He’s a police detective. Do you remember me?”

Gloria turned and padded back into her apartment, gesturing for them to follow her. “I’m making tea,” she said.

Archie wiped his feet, and Susan took off her rainbow rain boots and left them by the front door.

“Sit,” she said from the kitchen, and Archie and Susan took seats on a striped sofa in the apartment’s main room. “Chamomile or peppermint?” she asked.

He didn’t even like tea. “Chamomile,” he said.

“It will help clear your lungs,” she said. “I’ll add some honey.”

He wasn’t sure how she knew he was sick. He hadn’t even coughed.

“Peppermint, please,” Susan said. “Can I help you?”

“I’m fine, dear,” Gloria said.

The TV was on. They were running the clip of Archie at the press conference. “I will find him.” Then the screen showed a photograph of Patrick Lifton.

Gloria came around the kitchen bar with two pretty teacups on saucers. She set one in front of Archie and one in front of Susan. “Let it steep,” she said.

She went back into the kitchen and prepared her own cup.

Archie looked down at the coffee table. There was a half-eaten Jolly Rancher next to his teacup.

Susan saw it, too. She pried it off the table and put it in her mouth. “That’s mine,” she said.

Gloria returned, set her tea on an end table, and took a seat in a striped chair across from Archie.

“McBee’s first name, what is it, Elroy?” Susan asked.

“Elroy McBee,” Gloria said, but Archie couldn’t tell if she was confirming it or merely repeating it.