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"Okay, Officer, what’s going on?" Ferro asked, cutting right to the chase "The radio reports were, shall we say, a little disjointed?"

Rhoda looked up into Ferro’s cold eyes "The others are still down there by the suspect’s vehicle They wouldn’t let o down and take a look"

"Why’s that?" asked LaMastra

"Well…Officer Head said that there was a body down there"

"Uh-​huh And?"

"Well," Rhoda said, licking her lips, "they didn’t say for sure, but I got the impression that it was in a pretty bad state They wouldn’t say exactly what condition it was in, but when they first came back, they looked really upset You know…shaken? Then all three of the "Jerry Head and Coralita Too sick? Get real"

Rhoda just looked at hio have a look"

"What should I do?" Rhoda asked

"Just stay here Stay by the radio Your chief and additional units are just behind us Send theet here"

"Okay"

To Terry, Ferro said, "Do you want to come with us?"

"Not particularly" But he went anyway

When they ithin a dozen yards of the cri in!"

"Who is it?" Toombes’s voice called tersely

"Ferro, LaMastra, and Mayor Wolfe"

"It’s clear," the wo and saw the black car squatting there, dottled with dirt and corn pollen and blood Jiainst the buarette He didn’t even look up at thelance They moved around the car to where Toohts, but the bearound to lead the way for the detectives The side of the car, where the body lay, was in a dark bank of shadows

Head stepped forward, clearly intending to block the way so they couldn’t see past him His face looked strained, lined, and sick; it had paled froray Beads of perspiration jeweled his forehead He nodded at them In a soft funeral parlor voice he said, "Sir, the crientlemen, you really better hike up your balls before you take a look because this is so like this" He looked at the like this"

"Let’s just get on with it," said Ferro sharply, clearly annoyed at Head’s melodramatics

Head just nodded and stepped aside He turned and lifted his flashlight, training the powerful beaasped Ferro

"…my…" breathed LaMastra

"…God," murmured Terry

Terry wiped the sweat from his face and looked at LaMastra, who had turned an unwholesoreen Ferro’s face was set and stony, but there eat on his upper lip Head had joined Castle for a s up at the moon as if she’d suddenly discovered a passion for astronomy

"Get out the camera," Ferro said, and his voice was hoarse "We don’t have time to wait for a forensic unit" He looked up at the sky Clouds were racing in frooing to rain soon and we’ll lose the entire site"

Nodding round Opening it, he reital camera with a powerful flash unit He checked to ht

"Take a complete set"

"Balls," LaMastra breathed, but he did what he was told Approaching cautiously, he came to within ten feet of the scene and raised the cah the viewfinder, but he didn’t…couldn’t press the Release button He just stood there, one index finger tapping nervously and unconsciously on top of the camera body

"Vince," a voice said quietly, and LaMastra turned, lowering the camera Ferro’s eyes were kinder than he had ever seen them "If you don’t want to do this, Vince…"

LaMastra inhaled through his nose, then shook his head "No, Frank I can do it It’s just that…" He let it trail off The English language didn’t really have a proper set of adjectives for describing the scene Ferro nodded and clapped the younger ly on the shoulder LaMastra raised the caan recording horror

Flash!

Tony Macchio, former felon Former low-​level er Tony Macchio, for