Pike read this sheet carefully. A tiny box at the top of the page was checked to show she had no arrest record. Another box showed her fingerprints were not on file.

According to the investigators, Rose Marie Platt was born in Biloxi, Mississippi. She had been married three times, the first when she was seventeen years old, the second when she was nineteen, and a third time when she was twenty-two. The first two marriages occurred in Biloxi; the last in Slidell, Louisiana. The names and last known addresses of the three men were listed, along with the brief descriptives: DVR, NO CHLDRN. Divorced, no children.

Pike thought about the young girl in the snapshot Dru showed him. He could picture the little girl clearly. Amy. A pretty kid with a happy smile standing beside a couch. The love of my life.

The form listed parents and siblings. Pike studied it. Dru’s mother and father were named, but a box by the father’s name was checked. Deceased. The names of her two brothers were typed beneath her parents. Beneath the names of the two brothers was another checked box and a single descriptive: SISTERS—none.

Pike stared at this line the longest. Sisters—none.

Dru had told him Amy was staying with her sister.

Pike stared out the window at nothing, aware but not caring about passing cars or the light that dappled through tortured elms. Pike could see the scene perfectly and recall every nuance of her expression. The awkward uncertainty as she took out her billfold. How she shrugged when she showed him the picture, as if expecting him to reject her. How her smile flashed like summer lightning when he asked her out anyway.

But no sister meant there was no Amy, which meant none of it was true.

Pike tamped the pages together and slid them back into the envelope. He thought for a moment, then started the Jeep and turned toward Pacific Station. It was only five minutes away. He took out his phone as he drove and called Jerry Button. Button had returned to his office.

Pike said, “Who is Straw and what is he doing?”

“What do you mean, who is he?”

“Were you in on it with him?”

“Pike, I’m busy. What the fuck are you talking about?”

Pike decided Button’s annoyance was real, which meant Straw had lied to Button, too.

“Straw didn’t come here to bust Azzara. They were watching Rainey. They’ve known Wilson was Rainey since the beginning.”

Button came back sounding uncertain.

“Did he tell you that?”

Pike described the DEA reports and Straw’s video but Button didn’t want to believe it.

“This better not be bullshit.”

“Meet me outside in five minutes. You can have the camera and the reports. I’ll give them to you.”

Button fell silent, and Pike knew why. Button was embarrassed.