She batted at his hand. “Why don't you say what you really mean? You don't think I'm capable of doing it myself."

"Precisely.” Theo took her by the elbow.

Jane cocked her head. “It's not that I don't think you're capable. I think it's too risky. Do you really think you'll find some evidence?"

"Don't you think Paul would have gotten rid of it?” Mr. Bakke said.

" Nan said Richard's sister isn't coming back for a few more days. I'm hoping that means no one's been in Richard's office. If there were signs of a break in, it would give Lon even more ammunition to investigate. I'm betting Paul's waiting for Richard's sister to let him in. Tim told me where his dad hid his desk key. If we can find a way to get in the house, the rest should be easy."

Jane wiped her hands on her apron. “Do you think I should go with you?"

"Theo's going with me."

"What can he do that I can't?"

"Drive the getaway car? Stay out of sight?"

"That's not funny,” Jane said. “I can help you look for whatever it is you're looking for."

"Tell her there'll be less risk if one person is seen going into Richard's house,” Theo said. “You could say you were getting some of Aanders video games. People would believe that."

"Theo's right, Jane. He says it makes more sense that you stay here. If I'm not back in an hour, you can come looking for me."

"Where's Theo sitting?” Jane said.

"He's standing by the door."

Jane and Mr. Bakke looked at the door. Jane wagged her finger. “You keep an eye on her. Don't let her do anything stupid."

Mr. Bakke tipped his head back and puckered his lips. As Sadie glared at him, he turned an imaginary key to seal his lips. “I didn't say a word. Quit giving me the evil eye."

"I know exactly what you were thinking because death coaches can read minds."

"No they can't,” Mr. Bakke said. “If that were the case, you'd have kicked me out years ago."

Theo hung on to the back of the van seat with both hands when Sadie cut the corner too close. “Don't drive so fast. You're going to attract attention.” The rear tire hit the curb and bounced hard as the van bottomed out against the pavement.

Sadie adjusted the rear view mirror. “As long as Carl doesn't see me, we'll be okay. That fool pulls me over every time he sees me driving this van. If I fart, he makes a federal case out of it."

"Vulgarity.” Theo exhaled deeply. “Don't you remember we talked about purging those words from your vocabulary?"

"Are you saying judges don't fart?"

"When and if we do, we don't talk about it."

"Didn't you ever have a chuckle over a good healthy fart?"

"Certainly not,” Theo said.

Hearing scrambling in the back of the van, Sadie looked in the rearview mirror. “What are you doing here?"

Belly made his way to the front of the vehicle, trying to keep his balance although the ruts in the road made it difficult.

"You just went through a red light,” Theo shouted, looking back at a man who gestured with his middle finger.

"I know,” Sadie said.

"You could have killed somebody."

Belly rolled onto his side and stared at Theo.

"Your dog should be kept on a leash. Then he wouldn't pester your guests or go where he's not wanted.” Theo braced his body as Sadie turned sharply causing the van to veer to the left. “Please keep your eyes on the road. That's a perfect example of why your dog should stay at home. He's distracting you."

"He's not my dog."

Holding his hands up at the futility of the conversation, Theo said, “Have you ever met any other death coaches?"

"Not really,” Sadie said. “Just the one who trained me. Why?"

"I wonder if the experience of living with another death coach would have been as unorthodox."

"Probably,” Sadie said. “You might have gotten a death coach who didn't give a rat's ass about you. Or worse yet, you wouldn't have the pleasure of my company."

"I'm truly damned then, aren't I? It's like one of those dreaded court cases-the kind where you're damned if it's assigned to you or you're damned if it isn't. There's always that need to control the outcome versus curiosity. Be glad you're not a judge."

Sadie turned the van into a narrow tree-lined drive and edged into the woods until the van was hidden by the lush greenery. She eased the door open and climbed down.

"I'd make a good judge. I've always wanted to wear one of those long robes. Just think of the things I could wear under them. Or not."

"Spare me the lurid details.” Theo grabbed the back of her shirt to stop her progress before she walked toward a clearing adjacent to the Fossums’ yard. “How do you know nobody's in there?"

"You don't see any cars in the driveway, do you?” She pushed Theo's hand out of the way. “The Fossums have neighbors on the other side of the bushes, but they have a separate driveway.” She looked back over her shoulder. “A good judge would have known that."

"I don't know the first thing about the Fossum's property, but I do know breaking and entering is against the law.” Theo watched Sadie cup her hands over her eyes and peer through the front door.

"Nobody home,” Sadie said under her breath. “I don't see any movement.” She pressed the latch on the brass handle with her thumb, but the catch didn't release.

Theo followed her around the porch to the back door. The results were the same.

"Let's try a few windows,” she said.

Theo ran his fingers along the wooden frame, attempting to find an indentation where his fingers could leverage the panel upward. The first four windows refused to budge. On the fifth attempt, the panel gave way and he forced it open. “I don't think I can fit through there. Are you willing to give it a try?"

Sadie placed her foot into Theo's cupped hand and pulled herself up. She placed a leg through the opening. “There's a shelf or some kind of board under the window.” She wriggled in through the opening.

One thud and then another echoed from the dark opening. Sadie whispered, “I knocked a couple cans off the shelf. This must be their pantry.” She felt along the wall for a light switch.

A light flooded the room. Theo looked through the window. “Are you all right?"

"I'm right here,” Sadie said, coming up behind Theo. He jerked upright and screamed.

Catching his breath, he rasped in anger, “Don't do that. You startled me."

"Sorry. I thought you might want to come in through the front door. And take that stupid suit coat off. You look ridiculous."

"I look ridiculous?” Theo said. “I'm not the one wearing a mini skirt and a halter top. It's not me who's exposing a sagging abdomen with a tattoo of a worm."

"That's an asp,” Sadie said. “Like the one that caused Cleopatra's death. I love that story, don't you?"

"I hadn't given it much thought. That tattoo actually looks more like a shriveled up worm."

Staring at Theo with her mouth askew, Sadie said, “My asp isn't any more shriveled up than your balls."

"My balls, Madam, are about as important to me as the Ides of March were to Caesar."

Opening her mouth to reply, Sadie paused, took a deep breath, and said, “I don't get it."

"I didn't expect you to."

Sadie closed the front door behind them and pointed toward an opening. “That must be his office. I see file cabinets."

Theo sat at the desk while Sadie rifled through a stack of papers on Richard's desk. “Where did Tim say the key was hidden?"

"Under a horse statue."

"There's got to be twenty horse statues in here.” Theo scanned the shelves and pedestals featuring Richard's collection. “You start there and I'll take this side of the room.” Theo began by lifting the smaller pieces of art. Leaning one of the larger bronze statues against his chest, a key dangling from a felt pad tumbled to the floor. “ Eureka!"

Placing the key in the middle desk drawer, Theo pulled it open and ran his hands through the shallow drawer. He repeated the process with two more drawers. He inserted the key into a deeper bottom drawer and unlocked it.