“You know,” I said.

“Well, what then? What do you want to eat? I recommend the fried chicken sandwich,” he said as a waitress appeared.

“Hot tea.” I wondered if I would ever eat again.

“You don’t look like you’re feeling too good.”

“I feel like shit.”

“There’s this bug going around.”

“You don’t even know the half of it,” I said.

“What can I do?” He leaned closer to me, his attention completely focused.

“I’m posting bond for Keith Pleasants,” I said. “Now this obviously won’t happen before tomorrow, I’m sorry to say. But I think you need to understand, Rob, that this is an innocent man who has been set up. He’s being persecuted because Investigator Ring is on a witch hunt and wants to make a name for himself.”

Roy looked baffled. “Since when are you defending inmates?”

“Since whenever they aren’t guilty,” I said. “And this guy is no more a serial killer than you or I. He didn’t try to elude the police and probably wasn’t even speeding. Ring’s hassling him and lying. Look how high the bond was set for a traffic violation.”

He was silent, listening.

“Pleasants has an old, infirm mother who has no one to take care of her. He’s about to lose his job. Now I know Ring’s uncle is the secretary of public safety, and he’s also a former sheriff,” I said. “And I know how that goes, Rob. I need you to help me out here. Ring has got to be stopped.”

Roy pushed his plate away as his radio called him. “You really believe that.”

“Yes, I do.”

“This is fifty-one,” he said into the radio, adjusting his belt and the revolver on it.

“We got anything on that robbery yet?” a voice came back.

“Still waiting for it.”

He signed off and said to me, “You got no doubt in your mind that this boy didn’t commit any crime.”

I nodded again. “No doubt. The killer who dismembered that lady communicates with me on the Internet. Pleasants doesn’t even know what that is. There’s a very big picture that I can’t get into now. But believe me, what’s going on has nothing to do with this kid.”

“You’re sure about Ring. I mean, you got to be if I’m going to do this.” His eyes were steady on mine.

“How many times do I have to say it?”

He slammed his napkin down on the table. “Now, this really makes me mad.” He scooted back his chair. “I don’t like it when an innocent person’s locked up in my jail and some cop’s out there making the rest of us look bad.”

“Do you know Kitchen, the man who owns the landfill?” I said.

“Oh sure. We’re in the same lodge.” He pulled out his wallet.

“Someone needs to talk to him so Keith doesn’t lose his job. We have to make this thing right,” I said.

“Believe me, I’m going to.”

He left money on the table and strode angrily out the door. I sat long enough to finish my tea, looking around at displays of striped candy, barbecue sauce and peanuts of every description. My head hurt and my skin was hot when I found a grocery store on 460 and stopped for milk, Hershey’s syrup, fresh vegetables and soup.