“Of course not,” Roy said hotly.

“Then what’s the problem? Mona just laid down the challenge. She’s gonna kick your ass. Okay, fine. But I don’t see a guy who’s so competitive that he has as his computer password the last score of his college basketball career just turning the other cheek on this. But this time it’s not just a game. And the Captain needs you. He needs you, Roy.”

Roy looked at Mace, then at the Captain, then back at Mace. “Okay, but I’ll need help to dig up some useful stuff.”

“Consider it done.”

“You? But you’re going to Newark tomorrow to run down this Meldon lead.”

“This Meldon lead may point us to whoever killed Diane.”

“Do you really believe that?”

“I don’t know what to believe right now. But I can’t afford to cut corners on this.”

“Fair enough.”

“So you’re good to go on this?”

“I am.”

“Then I guess I can tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

“Beth had Lowell Cassell call me on my way over here.”

“And?”

“And there was no yolk buffer in the sperm found in Diane. It didn’t come from Potomac Cryobank.”

He glanced over at the Captain, who was picking something out of his teeth.

“Okay, gut check time. Do you think he did it?”

Mace looked over at the old soldier too. “I talked to Beth about that. She said she agreed there was some strange stuff going on with Diane and your law firm. But she also said her murder could be entirely unrelated to all of it. That it could have just been a crime of opportunity.”

“So you think he did it?”

“No, Roy, I don’t.”

“Then how the hell does all this make sense?”

“It makes perfect sense. We just have to figure out how.”

CHAPTER 94

THEY SPENT another hour trying get some answers from the Captain. The conversation was often one-sided, however, as the vet lost interest, snoozed, went off on multiple and irrelevant tangents, or asked for more Twinkies. He couldn’t adequately describe the man who’d met him on the street and asked if he wanted to make a quick two hundred bucks. He was variously big, short, fat, thin, bald but with hair. He hadn’t gone in the front door of the place; he didn’t recall the sign. He did say that he’d rummaged in big green trash cans while the man got things ready. Mace made a note to check the back of Potomac Cryobank for those types of receptacles. He did remember going inside a dark, small room. He’d been given a cup, and a “girlie” magazine. It had taken him a long while, but he’d delivered the requested sample and then gotten his money.

“Anything you can remember about the place, Lou, anything?” Roy asked.

“The smell.”

“What did it smell like?” said Roy.

“Hard to say.” He stroked the wattles on his neck. “Not like me. Real clean.”

Roy looked at Mace. “It did smell really antiseptic in there. Like a hospital.”

“Well, it is like a clinic.”

“Yeah, but that’s hardly concrete evidence for a court.”

“Like you were expecting that from him?” Mace said in a low voice.

They left the Captain and returned to Altman’s guesthouse, where Roy began formulating his strategy for the next morning’s hearing.

“It’ll be quick and perfunctory,” he said. “I’ll plead him not guilty. Mona will ask for detainment and then get an indictment probably pretty fast. Then the real work begins. When do you leave for Newark?”

“Seven o’clock Acela train. Gets into Newark around 9:30. The law office is about twenty minutes by cab from the station. I can talk to them, hopefully get somewhere, grab the train back, and be here tomorrow afternoon.”

“I can call you with the details of the hearing.”

“You going to ask for him to be released on personal recog?”

“No. He has a roof and three squares a day in jail.”

“And if somebody is setting him up, he’s safer in there.”

“Yeah, maybe we should get arrested too.”

They both looked up when a ball bounced down the stairs and rolled to a stop next to Roy’s foot. He palmed it. The next moment Tyler came running down the stairs looking frantically around. When he saw the ball in Roy’s hand he darted over, his arms spread wide.

“Ty, what you doing up this late?”

Alisha had appeared at the top of the stairs as soon as Roy handed the ball to her son. She said, “I’m sorry ’bout that. The boy just won’t go to sleep. He was bouncing the ball and it got away from him.”

Mace tapped Roy on the thigh. “This kid was making layups and dribbling the ball like a real pro, weren’t you, Ty?”

The little boy looked at her and his mouth opened, his eyes blinking rapidly.

Mace patted Roy on the shoulder. “This guy here played college basketball. He could’ve played in the NBA if he could’ve jumped a little higher.”

“Among other things,” Roy added.

“You know, you’ve been doing the legal thing all day, how about taking this big guy over to the gym and let him show you what he can do. Give you a chance to clear your head.” She added, “Ty, you want to show Mr. Roy here some of your moves?”

Roy said, “I really should finish-”

But when Ty reached out and gripped Roy’s hand tightly, his little mouth still wide open, Roy quickly stood. “Okay, Ty, I’m a little rusty, so take it easy on me, all right?”

“Can I watch?” asked Alisha.

“I was going to suggest it,” said Mace.

Roy glanced back at her. “You want to come? Maybe we can do our HORSE tricks for him.”

“You go on. I’m gonna hit the sack. I’ll have to leave here early to get the train.”

When the three of them disappeared out the door, Mace gave them a couple of minutes to get to the gym and then she punched 411, got the number, and made the call.

“Doc, it’s Mace Perry. I know it’s late, but you got time to meet?”

Lowell Cassell was at his row house in southeast D.C., but he agreed to meet Mace at a coffee shop near Union Station. Mace thanked him, clicked off, grabbed her leather jacket, and ran for the Ducati.

CHAPTER 95

IT REALLY IS CRAZY for me to be meeting you like this, Mace,” said Lowell Cassell.

“Why? I’m just an ordinary citizen.”

“An ordinary citizen who I believe is assisting in the defense of an alleged murderer who is right now cooling his heels in a D.C. lockup.” When she looked surprised that he knew this, Cassell added, “The water-cooler gossip does reach the morgue, you know.”

“Well, I wouldn’t really call what I’m doing assisting. And I really did want a nice cup of coffee. I used to come here a lot when I was a cop. Open twenty-four hours. We’d pop in here after hoodling for a bit if the radio was quiet.”

Cassell leaned forward and spoke in a low voice even though there wasn’t another customer in the place. “I really went out on a limb by allowing you access to my files. In fact, if that comes out, my career is over.”

“It will never come out, Lowell. I will die before that comes out.”

He sat back, apparently satisfied. “I think you would.”

“So why did you do it then?”

“The files?” He spooned more sugar into his cup. “Because I like you.”

“Not a good enough answer for a possible career-ender.”

“Blunt, just like your sister.”

“I like to think I’m more diplomatic.”

“I understand that Mona Danforth is personally trying this case?”

“That’s right. I’m sure it’s only for altruistic reasons.”

Cassell took a sip of his coffee and picked at a pastry on his plate.

“Come on, Doc. I know the sperm was pure, no yolk stuff.”

“That’s right. I assumed you were the reason Beth had me check that.”

“The guy said someone paid him two hundred bucks to do it in a cup.”

“The homeless vet?”

“Yep,” answered Mace.

“You think he just made that up? I mean, sperm in a dead woman is pretty convincing evidence.”