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Maia nodded "I also have a fair idea how much embarrassment I could cause the departet you disbarred"

Maia took the evidence bag out of her pocket, put it on the table She did not feel particularly calm, but she was determined to act it

"Detective, I didn’t lie I didn’t coerce I just batted my eyes and walked out with some poor fool’s DNA sample Help yourself, your supervisor told uello is a joke Somebody tampered with the evidence"

Kelsey looked at the evidence bag like it was poison A vein throbbed under his left eye

"Check the logbook," Maia said "You won’t find my name How many other holes do you think there could be?"

"You will not drag this depart for the White o Your nabook several times for that week Lieutenant Hernandez’s, too"

"Every detective in horeed "Makes it easy to prove access, doesn’t it?"

Kelsey leaned across the table "Miss Lee, touello for Franklin White’sand abetting When that happens, your carping is going to look exactly like what it is: typical defense attorney crap"

"You gave us aForty-eight hours"

"Thatjust closed"

She forced herself to breathe norned Tres’ death warrant

"Detective" She tried to moderate her tone "We have a mutual problem"

She opened her purse and unfolded the police printout She pushed it across the table

Kelsey read it, at first blankly Then she could see co ceet this?"

"Titus Roe, a two-bit assassin We had a little ot away froave ave it to hi human in Kelsey’s eyes: fear But fear for what, she wasn’t sure

"I have only your word for this," he said slowly

"It’s a police printout Directions for an assassination"

"No"

"Titus Roe was an obvious choice He was a suspect in the Franklin White oat Just like Ralph"

"Ralph Arguello is a murderer" The words didn’t need to be loud Kelsey’s voice was saturated with loathing

"Kelsey," Maia said, "tell ot the nerve--"

"You were off duty the night of Franklin’s htstick was the murder weapon Someone is desperate, Kelsey So before they try to frame you?"

His face was pale and yellow, like soht of the evidence baseh, Miss Lee"

"Show ht side," Maia said "Give that printout to Internal Affairs Postpone the arrest warrant against Ralph"

Kelsey picked up the paper He cruht in his fist "Listen to the news to, Miss Lee And if you have any influence with your boyfriend, get hiht"

"You really want the media involved? You want them to hear about my visit to the evidence room?"

"What visit, Miss Lee? You said yourself--you’re not on the logbook As far as I’m concerned, you were never here"

He opened the interrogation roo her out

If you have any influence with your boyfriend

Before she was even out of the building, Maia had her phone in hand and was punching the number

Chapter 14

AS CAGES GO, MY BEDROOM IN THE WHITE MANSION WAS a nice one

Spanish Colonial bed Oak bookcases Fireplace Saltillo tile floor with a Guateard the surveillance cauard outside the door, the iron bars on the , and it ht’ve been a room at the Palacio del Rio

I had to look hard to find evidence that the rooed to Frankie In the back of the closet was a box of football trophies, pictures and an Alahts Olmos yearbook from 1985 There was Frankie’s Mules jersey, his football helmet, baseball bat, water polo ball His senior letter jacket looked verye years

Frankie’s collection of stuff creeped h my own mementos The saroup pictures with ht’ve been preserved like this His legacy and uish

The only thing different in Frankie’s stuff was a nine-by-twelve framed sketch--a portrait of Madeleine White, twelve years old, her face done completely in shades of blue pastel The likeness was unmistakable, yet the blue tint irl I remembered She stared out with a lost expression, like a shadow that had gotten separated from its owner The inscription at the bottoo with the expertly drawn portrait: To Frankie, From Maddy Xmas, 1986