Bose said he’d call her tomorrow to let her know how things were progressing. She stood up and made her way to the door of the restaurant with her chin thrust forward.

“Well?” Bose asked. “What’s your reaction?”

Sandra shook her head firmly. “Oh, no. No. You don’t get anything more from me until you answer a question or two.”

“I guess that’s fair. Listen, I need a ride home—I came in a cab with Ariel. Can I beg a lift from you?”

“I guess so … but if you bullshit me, Bose, I swear I’ll leave you by the side of the road.”

“Deal,” he said.

*   *   *

It turned out he lived in a new development off the West Belt, a longish drive and out of her way, but Sandra didn’t object: it gave her time to assemble her thoughts. Bose was patient in the passenger seat, hands in his lap, quietly attentive as she pulled into traffic. It was another mercilessly hot night. The car’s air conditioner struggled gamely.

She said, “This is obviously not standard police work.”

“How so?”

“Well, I’m no expert. But your interest in Orrin seemed unusual from the day you escorted him into State. And I saw you slip the cab fare to Ariel—don’t you need some kind of receipt? For that matter, shouldn’t you be interviewing her downtown?”

“Downtown?”

“At police headquarters or whatever. In the movies they always call it ‘downtown’…”

“Oh. That downtown.”

She felt herself blushing but persisted: “Another thing. At State we talk to HPD referrals every day. A lot of them are considerably less tractable than Orrin, but some are just as scared and just as vulnerable. As a professional I have to behave like a clinician no matter who I’m dealing with. The cops who drop these cases at State, on the other hand … for them it’s the end of a tedious necessity. Their interest in the individuals they remand to us is less than nil. Except on legal business, no cop ever does follow-up. Until you walked in. You acted like you cared about Orrin. So explain that to me, before we get into the question of Orrin’s writing or my opinion of his sister. Tell me what your stake in the matter is.”

“Maybe I happen to like him. Maybe I think he’s being railroaded.”

“Railroaded by who?”

“I’m not sure. And if I haven’t been entirely frank, it’s because I don’t want to involve you in something potentially dangerous.”

“Your chivalry is noted, but I’m already involved.”

“If we handle this badly, you could be putting your job at risk.”

Sandra laughed despite herself. “There hasn’t been a day in the last year I didn’t half hope to be fired. My résumé is out at hospitals all over the country.” This was true.

“Any takers?”

No. “Not yet.”