"I wanted to tell you," he said, his tone hushed, "that I'm sorry about your sister."

"Thanks," she managed. "I appreciate that."

"Have you found anything about that other girl?"

"Matthews?" she asked before she could catch herself. Lena had grown up in a small town, but she was still amazed at how quickly word got around.

"That Gordon," Richard said, giving a dramatic shudder. "He's not a very nice boy."

"Yeah," Lena mumbled, trying to move him along. "Listen, thanks for coming tonight."

His smile was slight. He realized she was moving him along, but obviously he did not want to make it easy for her. He said, "I really enjoyed working with your sister. She was very good to me."

Lena shifted from one foot to another, not wanting to give him the impression that she was looking for a long conversation. She knew Frank well enough to know he wouldn't wait for very long.

"She enjoyed working with you, too, Richard," Lena offered.

"Did she say that?" he asked, obviously pleased. "I mean, I know she respected my work, but did she say that?"

"Yes," Lena said. "All the time." She picked out Hank in the crowd. He still had his arm around Nan. She pointed them out to Richard. "Ask my uncle. He was just talking about it the other day."

"Really?" Richard said, putting his hands up to his mouth.

"Yes," Lena answered, taking her car keys out of her coat pocket. "Listen, can you give these to my uncle?"

He stared at the keys without taking them. This was one of the reasons Sibyl had gotten along so well with Richard, she wasn't able to see the condescending looks he gave. In fact, Sibyl seemed to have the patience of Job where Richard Carter was concerned. Lena knew for a fact that Sibyl had helped him get out of academic probation on more than one occasion.

"Richard?" she asked, dangling the keys.

"Sure," he finally said, holding out his hand.

Lena dropped the keys onto his palm. She waited until he had taken a few steps away, then scooted out the side door. Frank was waiting in his car, the lights out.

"Sorry I'm late," Lena said, getting in. She wrinkled her nose when she smelled smoke. Technically, Frank was not allowed to smoke around her when they were on the job, but she kept her mouth shut since he was doing her a favor letting her ride along.

"Those college people," Frank said. He took a drag on the cigarette, then chucked it out the window. "Sorry," he offered.

"It's okay," Lena said. She felt odd being dressed up and in Frank's car. For some reason, she was reminded of her first date. Lena was strictly a jeans and T-shirt girl, so putting on a dress was a big deal. She felt awkward wearing heels and hose, and never knew how to sit or where to put her hands. She missed her holster.

"About your sister," Frank began.

Lena let him off the hook. "Yeah, thanks," she said.

Night had fallen while Lena was in the funeral home, and the farther away from town they got, the farther away from streetlights and people, the darker it got in the car.

"This thing at old Will's house," Frank began, breaking the silence. "I don't know about that, Lena."

"You think Pete had a hand in it?"

"I don't know," Frank repeated. "Will worked for his daddy, maybe twenty years before Pete came along. That's something you shouldn't forget." He reached for a cigarette, then stopped himself. "I just don't know."

Lena waited, but there was nothing more. She kept her hands in her lap, staring ahead as Frank drove out of town. They crossed the city line and were well into Madison before Frank slowed his car, taking a hard right onto a dead-end street.

Pete Wayne's brick ranch house was modest, much like the man. His car, a 1996 Dodge with red tape where the taillights used to be, was parked in the driveway at an angle.

Frank pulled the car up to the curb and cut the headlights. He gave a nervous laugh. "You all dressed up like that, I feel like I should get your door for you."

"Don't you dare," Lena countered, grabbing the handle in case he was serious.

"Hold on," Frank said, putting his hand on Lena's arm. She thought he was pushing the joke, but something about his tone made her look up. Pete was coming out of his house, a baseball bat in his hand.

Frank said, "Stay here."

"The hell I will," Lena said, opening her door before he could stop her. The dome light came on in the car, and Pete Wayne looked up.

Frank said, "Good going, kid."

Lena bit back her anger over the nickname. She walked up the driveway behind Frank, feeling stupid in the high heels and long dress.

Pete watched them coming, keeping the bat at his side. "Frank?" he asked. "What's up?"

"Mind if we come in for a second?" Frank asked, adding, "Brother."

Pete gave a nervous sideways look to Lena. She knew these lodge people had their own special code of language. What exactly Frank meant by calling Pete his brother, she had no idea. For all she knew, Frank was telling Pete to hit Lena with the bat.

Pete said, "I was just going out."

"I see that," Frank said, eyeing the bat. "Little late for practice, ain't it?"

Pete handled the bat nervously. "I was just putting it into the van. Got a little nervous about what happened at the diner," he said. "Thought I'd keep it behind the bar."

"Let's go inside," Frank said, not giving Pete a chance to respond. He walked up the front steps and stood at the front door, waiting for Pete to catch up, hovering over the other man as he fumbled with his keys in the lock.

Lena followed them. By the time they reached the kitchen, Pete was noticeably on guard. His hand was wrapped so tightly around the bat that his knuckles had turned white.

"What's the problem here?" Pete asked, directing his question toward Frank.

"Will Harris had a problem this afternoon," Frank said. "Somebody threw a rock into his front window."

"That's too bad," Pete answered, his voice flat.

"I gotta say, Pete," Frank said, "I think you did it."

Pete laughed uncomfortably. "You think I got time to run down and toss a brick through that boy's window? I've got a business to run. I don't have time to take a crap most days, let alone take a trip."

Lena said, "What makes you think it was a brick?"

Pete swallowed hard. "Just a guess."

Frank grabbed the bat out of his hand. "Will's worked for your family for nearly fifty years."

"I know that," Pete said, taking a step back.

"There were times when your daddy had to pay him with food instead of money because he couldn't afford help otherwise." Frank weighted the bat in his hand. "You remember that, Pete? You remember when the base closed and y'all almost went under?"

Pete's face flushed. " 'Course I remember that."

"Let me tell you something, boy," Frank said, putting the tip of the bat squarely against Pete's chest. "You listen to me good when I tell you this. Will Harris didn't touch that girl."

"You know that for a fact?" Pete countered.

Lena put her hand on the bat, bringing it down. She stepped in front of Pete, looking him in the eye. She said, "I do."

Pete broke eye contact first. His eyes went to the floor, and his posture took on a nervous stance. He shook his head, letting out a heavy breath. When he looked up, it was Frank he spoke to. "We've gotta talk."