"More like the turkey," she answered. "Leland wants to talk to you."

After a series of clicks, the lieutenant barked into the phone. "Do you know Ida Wassermann has a sister-in-law on the Sentinel?"

"I didn't think any of the Wassermanns could read, much less work for a newspaper."

"Well, she does, and the woman's a pain in the ass. She wrote a cover story about how the police force is sitting around on their thumbs while the poor widow's little twin darlings remain missing. I pulled Sackler off that check fraud case and gave him the Wasserman business full time. Harrigan too."

"I thought Harrigan was supposed to help me finish up this Byrne case," Dean protested.

"Naw. You have to go that alone. What's to finish? It's pretty well wrapped up anyway, isn't it?"

"I don't know. I just got here. Philly was fogged in," he answered.

"Well, hurry up and wrap it. I need all the help I can get back here. That damned reporter is supposed to interview me at 3:00."

"Just tell her the Parkside Betterment Society voted for Billie and Willie to improve the city by getting lost." But Leland Anderson wasn't in a mood for smart talk. He grumbled something unintelligible and hung up. "No sense of humor," Dean smiled to himself as he dialed Cynthia Byrne's number and congratulated his luck at being in Norfolk and missing the Wasserman business.

Cynthia Byrne answered in a tentative voice on the first ring. She let out a sigh of relief when Dean identified himself.

"Don't mind me. I'm still scared to death to pick up the phone," she said, and added, "Please, call me Cynthia," when he addressed her more formally.

Dean explained he'd just arrived in Norfolk and there was nothing new in the search for her husband's body.

"It's been four days now," she said.

"Is there anyone there with you?" he asked.

"No. But I'm all right." He didn't believe her. "Janice Riley will be by this afternoon. She had some errands to run. I have to start getting used to the fact life goes on. Everyone's been wonder­ful, really. Even Detective Hunter down there. Tell him I appreci­ate his taking time to call me."

"I will," answered Dean. "You'd like him. He's a nice guy."

"I have a favor to ask," she said, a hint of hesitation in her voice. "Detective Hunter asked me what I wanted to do about Jeff's things. World Wide will take care of the company car, but Jeff's luggage-his clothes and stuff-could you possibly bring them back? It's only one suitcase...."

Dean agreed and promised to call when he returned and arrange to deliver the articles to her. Hunter returned with the cof­fee while he was still talking and pulled over a chair with his toe.




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