She searched out a street address off a nearby house. The two thousand block of Division.

“Never mind,” she said to Archie’s voice mail. “I see Heil.” And she hung up.

It had to be Heil’s car. How many mint-green Nissan Cubes had been sold nationwide? Five? Six, maybe?

He was parked in front of a weird little boxy house with a steeply pitched roof. The houses on either side looked pretty similar. The house number was 2051. It seemed familiar. She thought she remembered that being the first address from his list.

Curb space was plentiful, so Heil probably would have parked right out front.

It had to be the house.

Susan stood in the rain, suddenly filled with uncertainty. Rain pelted her coat. She’d call him. She’d call and tell him she was outside, explain what had happened, and ask for a ride.

She looked up his number in her contact list and clicked on it. It rang. He didn’t pick up.

He was probably interviewing the aquarium nerd and didn’t want to be interrupted.

She stood there some more. She could feel strips of wet hair sealing to the sides of her face.

She took a drag off the cigarette.

It was just a ride. She’d talk to him, and then she’d wait on the porch.

She hurried up the walk, took the four steps up the stoop in one leap, and rang the doorbell before she lost her nerve. At the last moment she remembered to put out the cigarette.

A man answered the door. He had dark hair. Maybe in his forties. Archie’s age. He didn’t look like him, though. He was round in all the places Archie was angular. Not fat, just a little soft. But he was taller than Archie. He loomed.

Susan looked up and smiled. “Is Detective Heil here?” she asked.

“Come on in,” he said. “He’s right here.”

She only blanched for a second. Heil was inside. Plus the guy had a kid. She could see Star Wars toys on the living room carpet behind him.

He held the door open for her.

She thanked him as she stepped inside.

Chapter 46

CHAPTER

46

Susan didn’t notice the man’s army-green chest-high rubber waders until she got inside. They were held up by black suspenders over a golf shirt. The boots were beaded with water up to the knees. A trail of wet footprints led down the carpeted hall behind him.

“Basement’s flooded,” he explained.

Susan didn’t move from just inside the door. “That sucks,” she said.

Rain smacked against the front window. It sounded like water boiling.