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"Playing the not-human card," I said to Tolliver

"As if we hadn’t heard that one before," he said

"I knohat you’re doing," the agent said "And you’re good at it, I’ll give you that Were the rocks in the grave when you saw the body?"

"We didn’t see the body," I said flatly

"They were big rocks Big enough to crack a skull," Koenig said "I think that’s why the killer had to co rocks He threw therave so they’d land on Nunley’s head--ht have taken a couple of tries The killer wanted the scene to look as though Nunley rave But we’re pretty sure that just didn’t happen Dr Nunley was almost certainly murdered"

"Du inside about this," Koenig said "I know you wantyou know I’m available for further conversation And if you reh to realize we need to know about it" He rose, in an easy motion thatup at the sa to you" He hesitated "I appreciate that you’re doing your best with this case It’s bothered Harper a lot, too" He looked back atto leave, this had been a much more amicable interview than we usually had with anyone who carried a badge

When the door shut behind Koenig, Tolliver didn’tmoment Then he turned to reed

"The bad thing about hi to hiave us a lot of useful information" His face darkened "Like the time of death"

I nodded "That’s pretty scary, huh? That we got there at just the right moment not to run into the murderer?"

"I wonder if ere that lucky I wonder if theus--to see if we’d find the body and call the cops If we didn’t, he’d know he needed to do so the car back if there’d be a police officer standing there saying, ’And what are you doing in the deceased’s auto in the dark coldness of the old graveyard, so to see ethe presence of living people But the awful iether

"No, no one was there," I said "Because soht it was of use to try to cover up the murder So it stands to reason that the killer didn’t knoe’d found the body in thein the grave but the corpseit"

Tolliver thought that over, nodded Itpeople believe us," hethat" I stood and stretched Because of ent, ay older I tried not to resent that Ithe ht it was so deserted out there! They should put in a traffic light" There was a lothad told us, but we had a social engageet ready for the lunch I guess we have to go"

Tolliver blew out a deep breath He was as reluctant as I was, and he had the added complication of Felicia Hart’s probable presence "I think the Morgensterns feel guilty because we can’t leave Memphis," he said "They feel kind of like they’re our host and hostess"

"But their daughter is dead, and they should be free to think about that, concentrate on that"

"Harper, maybe they don’t want to Maybe we’re a welcoed "Then at least we’re serving soood about that "I think this is a bad idea"

"I’ forward to it myself But we have to do it"

I held up my hand, because his tone was definitely on the testy side "I get that And I’ll stop sulking in a lanced at ot an hour and a half Do we have directions?"

"Yeah, I got the to be there" He gave me a stern look "Do I have to ask you to be nice?"

"Of course I will be" I gave hih of a s the long drive across the city I drove, Tolliver navigated

The Meenstern fah it was located in a sohborhood Diane and Joel liked upscale suburbs, not old city neighborhoods They liked the kind of place where the trees are only partially grown and the laere rolled out in strips, where people jog in the earlyand there are always service trucks circling the houses like reenstern house was pale brick with dark red shutters and doors, a yard that would be beautiful in the spring, and a curving doublewide driveway that already contained a few shining cars, including a pearly Lexus, a dark red Buick, a green Navigator, and a candy-apple red Mustang We parked and got out I don’t know about Tolliver, but I felt I was on alien ground There were Thanksgiving decorations out at some of the homes, and Diane had put a couple of hay bales in the front yard, topping them with pumpkins and squash and cornstalks and other fall paraphernalia