Grace wasn’t sleeping, but she wasn’t fussing anymore either. She watched me stride past her again. I approached the desk, and the officer looked up. Squinting, I read D. Navarro on her name badge. She was only a little older than me, her face all rounded curves of cheek and chin, a friendly face. She had seen my husband with his bloody hands, but I wanted to promise her that he wouldn’t, couldn’t have done anything wrong. There was no scenario on earth that I could imagine in which Michael had hurt anyone.

“Please.” I searched her face. “Please, can someone tell me what’s going on?”

“I’m sorry.” She actually sounded sorry, but there was firmness in the set of her lips that left no room for negotiation.

“How long will I have to wait?”

“I can’t say.” She glanced at her computer, ready to get back to whatever she’d been doing before I interrupted.

I’d bet she could say, but she wouldn’t. She had all the answers and I had nothing. Michael didn’t need her faux friendliness right now. He was still in danger, being interrogated in the bowels of this building. And someone was dead, the thought as dangerous as a downed power line. If I got too close, if I started to wonder who or how, to think about that blood, I’d be overwhelmed. Grace and Michael needed me, so I shoved those thoughts away, the unknown victim flickering at the edge of my consciousness, stripping my nerves raw.

For all I knew, they’d blame him, my Michael, who’d been so terrified, so determined to protect me and Grace. The next time I saw him could be through bars. It was up to me to keep that from happening. He needed a lawyer, and there was only one I knew personally. Why hadn’t I taken two seconds to grab my cell phone?

“Is there a phone I can use?” I wanted to keep talking, to persuade Officer Navarro, to make her like me, but I shut my mouth tight after the question. Nothing I said could help me or Michael, not when I was completely in the dark.

“Sure.” Maybe it was my imagination, but she looked relieved to give me an affirmative answer. She pointed to the hallway just past the display case, and I saw an alcove I hadn’t noticed. My brain was so tired, so stressed, so stupid. What else had I missed?

I nodded my thanks and turned, saying over my shoulder, “I’m just going to get something from the car.” For a second I wondered, if I picked Grace up, would it look like I might flee? But no one had asked me any questions or seemed to care what I did.