Page 22 (1/2)

"Often," Joe agreed "But not always"

Robert shook his head "I’"

They looked at each other sheepishly "Sorry," Joe ests oes home after an abduction or murder to a wife and kids Wouldn’t be unusual"

"No," Joe agreed "But let’s not talk about murder over dinner, okay?"

The salads came and went Leslie spoke enthusiastically about her tih with a few of the funnier details froas But when coffee came, Robert returned to the subject of the disappearances

"So…you both think ourwomen are dead? And our one man, the Mimic, was a tranny He liked to dress up and walk the streets with the girls I guess he was good at what he did"

Leslie hesitated "I’m afraid I do think they’re dead I assu the sahts on end As soon as we pull theuy knows Apparently he can smell a policewoman a mile away"

"Then there’s Genevieve She wasn’t a hooker, but she was close to the is, my witness says she went over to the car because she knehoever was in it," Joe said

"Presumably someone respectable," Leslie said

"Great In a city offor someone respectable who drives a dark sedan," Robert said with a weary sigh He frowned, looking at Joe "So…now that you’ve spoken with Eileen Brideswell and looked into Genevieve’s disapearance, you seem to think that it’s connected to azed over at Leslie thoughtfully "Would you be willing to go to the street with et any hunches or vibes or whatever?"

"All right," Leslie said after a brief hesitation

"No," Joe said flatly

They both stared at hi

"It would be better if she ith me You’re a nice cop, Robert, but you’re still a cop I’ator Do hookers like investigators any better?" Robert asked

"Frankly, yes, they do"

It was Robert’s turn to frown

Leslie leaned forward "Robert, I’ll help in any way I can, even though I honestly don’t think I’ to be able to help" If only he knehat led her to her discoveries, he wouldn’t be so eager for her help, she thought "But…"

"But?" Robert asked, curious

"We need help, too"

"We?"

Robert stared across the table at them Joe hoped he couldn’t tell that he, too, had no idea what she was talking about

"It was no accident"

"What are we talking about?" Robert asked

Liar, she thought He knew "Hastings House," she said

Robert groaned "Don’t you think I went over all the information we had with a fine-toothed comb?"

"And don’t you think that explosion was pretty dae That’s why they’re accidents," Robert said testily "Joe, you’ve been through the files Everything points to--"

"It doesn’tpoints to We both know that what’s obvious is not necessarily the truth"

Robert groaned again "You think so to blow up the whole house? Why? Because he hates history and wants to see a skyscraper there?"

Leslie shook her head gravely "No If someone wanted the whole house blown up, it would have been"

Robert looked at Joe "Did you instigate this?"

"Hey," he said gruffly, "Matt wasjust because everyone else thinks it’s obvious"

"So, it’s daytime," Robert snapped

"And sometimes, when it’s dark, it’s because there’s an eclipse," Leslie snapped back

"She’s right," Joe said with a shrug

"You two loved Matt You don’t want to accept that he died because of a stupid accident I get it But he’s gone, and it was an accident You have to learn to live with it"

"Matt wasn’t the only one who died that night," Leslie said

"But the thing is," Joe added, "I don’t think it was an accident, and I can’t help but think that Matt was targeted"

"Targeted?" Robert said "Oh, coed in eted He was in the back room, and it was the back room that blew up"

"Because that’s where the build-up in the line was," Robert said

"You’ll let ain?" Joe deet you the files"

"That’s not enough," Leslie said stubbornly "If we need you to do so, you’ll do it"

"You are…a mule," he told Leslie