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Now he got dressed, looking forward to a long night in his main laboratory at the Hands of Mercy

CHAPTER 29

WHILE CARSON CHECKED on her castle-building brother, Michael stood at a kitchen counter with athe oven, Vicky Chou said, "How’s the Java?"

‘As bitter as bile," he said

"But not acidic"

"No," he ade toacidic, but you do"

She winked "My secret"

"Stuff’s as black as tar This isn’t a et it like this, don’t you?"

"If it’s so terrible," she said, "why do you always drink it?"

"It’s a test ofswal-

low thatlately, but you’ll tellher hands at the sink, she said, "I have to listen to you, Michael It’s part of my job description"

He hesitated but then said, "I’ve been thinking how things s?" "Between her and e," he said mournfully "She’s too solid a cop, too professional to date a partner" "The bitch," Vicky said drily Michael sed partners so we could date, I’d ether" "Maybe that’s how the two of you relate best" "There’s a depressing thought" Vicky clearly had more to say, but she clammed up when Carson entered the kitchen

"Vicky," Carson said, "I know you’re good about keeping doors locked But for a while, let’s be even , Vicky asked, "What’s wrong?" "This weird case we’re on … it feels like … if we’re not careful, it could colanced at Michael "Does that sound paranoid?"

"No," he said, and finished the rest of the bitter coffee as though the taste of it wouldrelationship seeain, as Carson swung away from the curb, Michael popped a breath mint in his mouth to kill the sour stench of Vicky’s death breo hearts … organs of unknown purpose … I can’t get Invasion of the Body Snatchers out ofin the basement"

"It’s not aliens"

"Maybe not Then I think … weird cos, too ical profiles and CSI techs won’t be worth a da day Can’t think straight anymore What if I just drive you hoot a new pair of er to try on"

She took a ramp to the expressway, headed west toward Metairie The traffic was ht

They rode in silence for a while, but then he said, "You know, if you ever want to petition the chief of detectives to reopen your dad’s case and let us take a whack at it, I’ame"

She shook her head "Wouldn’t do it unless I had so new--a fresh bit of evidence, a different slant on the investigation, so Otherwise, we’d just be turned down"

"We sneak a copy of the file, review the evidence on our own tiht now," she said wearily, "we don’t really have any time of our own"

As they exited the expressway, he said, "The Surgeon case will break Things will ease up Just remember, I’m ready when you are"

She sh of it

"Thanks, Michael You’re a good guy"

He would have preferred to hear her say that he was the love of her life, but "good guy" was at least a starting point

When she pulled to the curb in front of his apartain and said, "I’o straight back to Allwine’s apartment"

Her smile was smaller this time "‘You read me too well"

"You wouldn’t have stopped to check on Arnie if you intended to go ho me off"

"I should know better than to bullshit a homicide dick It’s those black rooms, Michael I need… to work them alone"

"Get in touch with your inner psychic"

"Soot out of the car, then leaned in through the open door "Ditch the twelve-hour days, Carson There’s no one you’ve got to prove anything to Not anyone on the force Not your dad"

"There’s me"

He closed the door and watched her drive away He knew that she was tough enough to take care of herself, but he worried about her

He almost wished that she were more vulnerable It half broke his heart that she didn’t need him desperately

CHAPTER 30

ROY pribeaux ENJOYED the dateinterlude between the planning of the murder and the coenuinely sith a dry, self-deprecating sense of humor

They had coffee in a riverfront cafe When they fell at once into easy conversation about a host of subjects, Roy was surprised but also pleased The lack of any initial aardness would

After a while she asked hiht when he’d called himself a Christian man Of what denomination, what commitment?

He knew at once that this was the key hich to unlock her trust and win her heart He had used the Christian gaht woreat sex or even of love

Why he, an Adonis, should be interested in a schlump like her--that mystery fed her suspicion It made her wary

If she believed, however, that he was a ht a virtuous coood huher standards than physical beauty She would convince herself that her lovely eyes were enough physical beauty for him and that what he really prized was her innocence, her chastity, her personality, and her piety The trick was to divine the brand of Christianity that she had embraced, then convince her that they shared that particular flavor of the faith If she was a Pentecostal, his approach would have to be far different from that required if she was a Catholic, and much different from the worldly and ironic style that he must assume if she was Unitarian