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Edward’s text tone sounded, so I checked e was simple “They found it”

I showed the e to Newman He started for the door, and I followed him I think we both wanted to see Muriel and Todd put in handcuffs Would they break down and confess? I thought Todd ht, and if we had that Perry Mason, Matlock, Law & Order moment, I wanted to see it I’d yet to see one of those television-show ally I had a warrant in my pocket that could be expanded to save the cost of a trial for the murderer or murderers of Ray Marchand, but I was finally on a case on which I wasn’t going to have to be the one who did it I wasn’t even sure Michigan had a death penalty for nonsupernatural cri-talking death penalty all on my own

We heard Muriel Babington beforeher “We did not kill my brother!”

Todd Babington said, “I don’t kno that barbaric thing got in this house”

Barbaric thing? I had to see the bagh nakha in person before it disappeared into evidence I had a feeling of relief that was totally atypical to the way I usually felt at the end of a case Maybe it was the fact that it was ending withoutto do with it

“Don’t touch me!” Muriel yelled

We were still on the stairs when the knot of people near the door parted, and we had a great view of Muriel struggling against the state cops trying to handcuff her She was fighting harder than I’d have thought she had in her, but the staties weren’t just physically bigger than she was They hadtheive up until they took her to the floor and knelt on her It looked rough, but it was the safest way to handcuff so that hard—not just for the officers, but for Muriel The more control they had of her, the less likely that soet hurt accidentally

She was screaes!”

Her husband, Todd, stood handcuffed and passive with Leduc holding one of his ar, but neitherthe love of his life being professionally manhandled by the police

Two officers raised Muriel off the floor, each of the one of her ar the floor They carried her thr

ough the door Duke came behind them with Todd If I hadn’t seen the handcuffs, I would have thought they were just two friends strolling outside

Muriel, on the other hand, was trying to kick the police on either side of her They pulled her forcefully off her feet so that she was too busy not falling on her face to try to hurt them

“Bastards! Let go of me!”

I was betting she hadn’t thought that last part through, because if they let her go now, she’d fall on her face with her hands still cuffed behind her and no way to catch herself She s, but she didn’t really want theo

I saw Livingston standing in the midst of it all like a caly It was like the excitement didn’t even touch him He was so steady that it helped keep the rest of the people around him steady