Sweetzer leaned close to him across the table. Gladden noted the smell of cigarettes and barbecued potato chips on his breath. He guessed Sweetzer had eaten the chips on purpose, just so his breath would be intolerable during the interrogation. "Listen to me, asshole, we know exactly what you are and what you're doing. I've worked rape, homicide ... but you guys, you are the lowest form of life there is on the to us? Fine, no sweat. What planet. You don't want to talk we're going to do is take you down to Bisr-ailuz tonight and put you in with the general population. I know some people in there, Brisbane. And I'm going to put out the word.

Know what happens to pedophiles in there?"

Gladden turned his head slowly until he was staring calmly into Sweetzer's eyes for the first time.

"Detective, I'm not sure but I think your breath alone might constitute cruel and unusual punishment. If by chance I am ever convicted of taking photographs at the beach, I might make it a point of appeal."

Sweetzer swung his arm back.

"Ron!

He froze, looked at Delpy and slowly lowered his arm.

Gladden had not even flinched at the threat. He would have welcomed the blow. He knew it would have helped him in court.

"Cute," Sweetzer said. "What we've got here is a jailhouse lawyer thinks he knows all the angles. That's nice.

Well, you're going to be filing some briefs tonight, if you know what I mean."

"Can I call a lawyer now?" Gladden said in a bored voice.

He knew what they were doing. They had nothing and they were trying to scare him into making a mistake. But he wouldn't accommodate them because he was too smart for them. And he suspected that deep down they knew he was.

"Look, I'm not going to Biscailuz and we all know it.

What have you got? You've got my camera, which, I don't know if you checked, has no pictures in it. And you've got some ticket taker or a lifeguard or somebody else who says I took some photos. But there is no evidence of that other than their word. And if you just had them looking through the mirror at me, then that identification is tainted as well.

It wasn't by any stretch of the imagination an unbiased lineup."

He waited but they said nothing. He was in charge now. "But the bottom line to this whole matter is that whoever you had behind that glass, she or he is a witness to something that wasn't even a crime. How that equates to a night in the county jail, I don't know. But maybe you can explain that to me, Detective Sweetzer, if it isn't too much of a strain on your intelligence."

Sweetzer stood up, knocking his chair back into the wall.

Delpy reached an arm over, this time physically restraining him.

"Take it easy, Ron," she ordered. "Sit down. Just sit down."