Jessicaknew that Diaz was right. In her career she had brought people in forquestioning based on far less.

    'Idon't know where he is, Russ. I've left five voicemails for him in the pasthalf-hour.'

    'Whenwas the last time you called?'

    'Fiveminutes ago.'

    'Wantto try again?'

    Jessicatook out her phone. She put it on speaker, hit Byrne's speed- dial number. Itrang twice, and his voicemail greeting came on. There was no point leaving asixth message. Jessica closed her phone.

    Diaz nodded.'Detective Byrne carries a 17?'

    Hewas referring to a Glock 17, the standard-issue service weapon for PPDdetectives. 'Yeah.'

    'Doeshe carry a second piece?'

    MyGod, Jessica thought, her heart in free fall. She was betraying one of the mostimportant people in her life. She wondered how Kevin would handle the samesituation if someone was asking these questions about her. 'Sometimes.'

    'Today?'

    Jessicatold the truth. 'I don't know.'

    'Doeshe pack anything else?'

    Diaz meantknives, spray, knuckles, batons. 'No.'

    Diazprocessed it all. He looked out over the burgeoning mass of people, then backat Jessica. 'You know him better than anyone. I know you are close. I know thishas to be hard for you.'

    Jessicasaid nothing.

    Diazhanded her a card. 'That's my cell on the back. If you talk to Kevin, have himcall me.'

    Jessicatook the card, said nothing.

    'Youknow this is going to move forward, right?'

    'Iknow.'

    'It'sbetter for everyone if he walks in the front door.'

    Diazhesitated a few moments, then turned and walked away.

    Jessicalooked out over the cemetery. In all, there were probably thirty or fortypeople on scene. Jessica knew most of them by name, yet she had never felt socompletely alone in her life.

    A fewminutes later Josh Bontrager emerged from the crowd.

    'Youokay, Josh?'

    'No,'he said. 'I am not.'

    'What'swrong?'

    Bontragerbowed his head for moment. 'He was my partner, and now he's dead.'

    'Josh,he wasn't really your partner. You were paired with him for one case.'

    'Doesn'tmatter. Today he was my partner. Today I let him down.'

    Jessicaknew what he meant. She had certainly let Kevin Byrne down today.

    'AndI didn't even like the guy.'

    Jessicaleft Josh to his thoughts for a few moments. She then filled him in oneverything that Diaz had said.

    'That'sridiculous,' Bontrager said.

    'Iknow.'

    'Whatare we going to do?'

    'I'mgoing to try to find him before they do.'

    'I'llgo with you.'

    'No,Josh. I can't ask you to do that.'

    'Well,with all due respect, I don't remember you asking. It's something I'mvolunteering for. Okay?'

    Jessicalowered her voice as a pair of CSU officers walked by. 'Josh, there's a good chanceI'm going off the reservation here. There's a very good chance I'm goingto lose my job tonight. Maybe worse.'

    Bontragertook a few steps away, looked out over the scene. The medical examiner's blueand white van came rolling up slowly. They would soon be loading DennisStansfield's body into the back for transport. Bontrager turned back. 'Remembermy first days on the job?'

    Jessicaremembered them well. They'd been investigating a case that eventually tookthem up the Schuylkill River into Berks County. Josh Bontrager had been ontemporary assignment. 'I remember.'

    'Kevinwasn't too crazy about me at first, you know.'

    'Itjust takes a little time for him to warm up to people.'

    Bontragerlooked at her, offered a smile. 'Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania may not be ahotbed of intellectuals, but we do know people,' he said. 'I knew right awaywhat a closed group this is. I was the new guy, and a really inexperienced guyat that.'

    Jessicajust listened. She had gone through a brutal initiation period herself.

    'Inthose first few months I made a lot of mistakes.'

    'Youdid fine, Josh.'

    'No,it only looked that way. I can't tell you how many times Kevin took me aside andshowed me the ropes. How many times he covered for me.' Bontrager put his handsin his pockets. He looked across the cemetery. 'Nobody wanted me to have thisjob. Not really. I heard all the jokes, you know. All the stuff said behind myback. People thought I didn't, but I did.'

    Jessicaremembered well the hard time Josh had gotten. It was always bad enough for thenew guy in the unit, but doubly so for Josh Bontrager, considering hisbackground.

    'Youtoughed it out, Josh,' Jessica said. 'You've earned the right to be here.You're a damned good detective.'

    Bontragershrugged. 'Well, it was you and Kevin who went to bat for me back then. Iwouldn't even be here if it wasn't for you guys. If I lose it all tonight, Ican live with that.'

    'Itmight get worse than that, you know. Much worse.'

    JoshBontrager looked at her. Sometimes, with his clear eyes, open smile, andseemingly untamable cowlick, he looked like a kid, some country boy who'd gotoff 1-95 at the wrong exit and wandered into the city. Other times, like rightat this moment, he looked like a homicide detective with the PhiladelphiaPolice Department.

    'TheAmish have an old saying,' Bontrager said. "'Courage is fear that hassaid its prayers."' He drew his Glock, checked the action, holsteredit, snapped it in. 'I've said my prayers, Jess.'

    Jessicaglanced at the crime scene, then back. 'Thanks, Josh.'

    'I'mgoing to lock my car,' Bontrager said. 'I'll be right back.'

    AsJosh walked across the street, Jessica thought about what Byrne had said.

    It'salways been about the music.

    Beforeshe could make a mental list of their options her phone rang. It was DavidAlbrecht. She answered.

    'David,now is not really a good—'

    Therewas static on the line. 'What's going on?' he asked.

    'Whatdo you mean?'

    'Iheard the call go out. Is there another victim?'

    'Whatdo you mean, you heard the call go out?'

    'Iheard it on the police radio.'

    'Youhave a scanner?'

    'Well,yeah,' he said. 'Of course.'

    Jessicahadn't considered this. It made sense. 'Where are you, David?'

    'I'mfollowing Detective Byrne.'

    Jessica'spulse spiked. She waved Bontrager over. 'You're with Kevin?'

    'I'mright behind him. He was parked near the hotel. I saw a woman in the van. Ithought you guys were together. I followed.'

    'Whereare you?'

    'Hangon,' Albrecht said. 'Let me check my GPS.'

    A fewagonizing seconds passed.

    'We'reon Bells Mill Road.'

    BellsMill Road cut through the northeast section of Fairmount Park, traversing theWissahickon Creek just west of Chestnut Hill.

    'Doyou know where he's going?' Jessica asked.

    'Nota clue,' Albrecht said. 'But I kind of like it that way. This is so—'

    'Whichway are you heading?'

    'We'regoing east. Northeast, technically. My GPS says we're coming up on somethingcalled Forbidden Drive. Is that the coolest name of all time or what? I thinkI'm changing the name of my movie to Forbidden Drive.'

    'David,I want you to—'

    'Hangon.' A loud blast of static. The coming storm was playing havoc with thesignal. 'He's slowing down. I'll call you right back.'

    'David,wait.'

    Deadair. Jessica hit the button to call right back. She got David Albrecht'svoicemail.

    Shetold Josh what Albrecht had said.

    'He'son Bells Mill?' Bontrager asked.

    'Yeah.'

    'Wheredo you think they're going?'

    'Idon't know.'

    Jessicaput the location into the Google Maps app on her phone. Seconds later she had amap of the area. She really didn't know anything about that part of the park.She fished out her keys.