Justin cleared his throat. "Allow me to reiterate that Dr. Kim Reggis has truly been the proverbial pillar of society up until the tragic affliction of his only daughter."

"His daughter's illness was the excuse for his appearance before this court yesterday, Counselor," Judge Harlowe said with impatience. "For my weekend on call, I don't like to see the same face twice. It's an insult to my judgment for having allowed the individual his freedom after the first infraction."

"Dr. Reggis's daughter's recent death has caused him monumental stress, Your Honor," Justin persisted.

"That's apparent," Judge Harlowe said. "What's in question is whether he is a threat to society in his current state of mind."

"These were aberrant episodes that will not be repeated," Justin asserted. "As you have heard, Dr. Reggis is full of remorse for his rash actions."

Judge Harlowe toyed with his glasses. His eyes wandered to Kim's. He had to admit the man did look penitent. As well as pitiful. The judge looked at Tracy. The woman's presence and testimony had impressed him.

"All right," Judge Harlowe said. "I'll allow bail, but what has swayed me is not your Ivy League bombast, Counselor, but rather the fact that Dr. Reggis's former wife has graciously consented to come before this court to attest to his character. With my probate experience, I find that a convincing testimonial. Five thousand dollars bail and trial in four weeks. Next case!"

Judge Harlowe struck his gavel and picked up the next set of papers.

"Excuse me, Your Honor," Justin said. "There's no question of flight here, so five thousand dollars is blatantly excessive."

The judge peered down over the tops of his reading glasses. He raised his eyebrows. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," he said. "And I advise you not to push your client's luck, Counselor. Next case, please!"

Justin shrugged and beat a hasty retreat back to Kim and Tracy. After gathering his things, he motioned for them to follow him out of the courtroom.

With Justin's help the bail was quickly posted. In less than a half hour the group emerged from the courthouse out into the overcast, wintery morning. They paused at the base of the courthouse steps. A few isolated snowflakes drifted down from the sky.

"At first I was afraid Harlowe wasn't going to give you bail," Justin said. "As the judge implied, consider yourself lucky."

"Under the circumstances I have a hard time considering myself lucky," Kim said with little emotion. "But thanks for your help. I apologize for getting you out on a Sunday morning."

"Glad to do it," Justin said. "And I'm terribly sorry about Becky. My heartfelt sympathies to you both."

Kim and Tracy echoed their thanks.

"Well, I better be going," Justin said. He touched the brim of his hat. "I'll see you two. My best to you both at this difficult time."

Justin gave Tracy a peck on the cheek and Kim a handshake before starting off. He got only a few paces away, when he stopped. "A word of advice to you, Kim. Don't get arrested again. If you do, I can guarantee you won't get bail. Back-to-back arrests like you've managed obviously puts you in a special category."

"I understand," Kim said. "I'll be careful."

Kim and Tracy watched Justin walk away until he was completely out of earshot. They turned to each other.

"Now I want you to tell me really what happened," Tracy said.

"I'll tell you as much as I know," Kim said flatly. "But I have to get my car. Would you mind giving me a ride out to Higgins and Hancock?"

"Not at all," Tracy said. "I'd planned as much."

"We'll talk in the car," Kim said.

They started across the street in the direction of the parking lot.

"I'm living a nightmare," Kim confessed.

"As I said last night," Tracy responded, "we both need help, and we might be the only people who can give it to each other."

Kim sighed. "It must seem crazy to you that I've plunged headlong into this E. coli crusade. Our daughter is dead and all I want to do is race around like some cloak-and-dagger sleuth." He shook his head. "All these years I prided myself on being the strong one, but now I see that, really, you're the one with the inner strength. I know I can't avoid the fact of Becky's death forever, but I just can't look at it now. I hope you can understand that I'm just not ready to deal with it."

Tracy was silent for a while. Then she reached out and put a hand on Kim's arm. "I understand," she said. "And I won't rush you. I'll even support you in your quest. But you won't be able to deny Becky's death forever."

Kim nodded his head. "I know," he whispered. "And thank you."

The ride went quickly. Kim gave Tracy all the details from the time Marsha showed up at his house until the police booked him and put him in jail. When he described the attack by the man with the knife, Tracy was aghast. He even showed her the shallow slice across the top of his hand.

"What did this man look like?" Tracy asked. She shuddered. She couldn't imagine the horror of being attacked in a dark slaughterhouse.

"It happened so fast," Kim said. "I wouldn't be able to describe him very well."

"Old, young?" Tracy asked. "Tall, short?" For some inexplicable reason she wanted an image of this individual.

"Dark," Kim said. "Dark skin, dark hair. I think he was Mexican or at least Latin American. Slender but well-muscled. He had a lot of tattoos."

"Why didn't you tell all this to Justin?" she asked.

"What good would it have done?" Kim said.

"He could have said something to the judge." Tracy persisted.

"But it wouldn't have changed anything," Kim maintained. "In fact, it might have made things worse. I mean, it sounds so improbable, and I just wanted to get away from there so I could think of what to do."

"So you believe Marsha Baldwin is still in Higgins and Hancock?" Tracy asked. "Possibly being held against her wishes?"

"That or worse," Kim said. "If it were human blood I found, she could have been killed."

"I don't know what to say," Tracy admitted.

"Nor do I," Kim said. "I keep hoping she got out. Maybe I should call my answering machine. Maybe she called."

Tracy pulled the phone from its car cradle and handed it to Kim. He dialed and listened. After a couple of minutes. he put the phone back.

"Well?" Tracy asked.

Kim shook his head dejectedly. "No luck," he said. "Just Ginger."

"Tell me again exactly what you heard when you were talking with her the last time," Tracy asked.

"I heard the sound of breaking glass," Kim repeated. "It came right after she said someone was at the door. Then I heard a series of crashes, which I believe were from chairs falling over. I think whoever came through the door chased her out of the room."

"And you told all this to the police?" Tracy asked.

"Of course," Kim said. "But a lot of good that did! Yet it's understandable. They think I'm some kind of nut. When I tried to show them the blood, it had been washed away. When I tried to show them her cell phone, it was gone. Even her car wasn't in the parking lot where it had been when I got there."

"Could she have taken the phone?" Tracy asked. "And driven away in the car?"

"I hope to God she did," Kim said. "I hate to think of any alternative, and I feel so responsible. She'd gone there because of me."

"You didn't force her to do anything she didn't want to do," Tracy said. "In the short time I had with her. I could tell she wasn't the kind of person people could push around. She definitely had a mind of her own."

"What I'd like to do is get my hands on the guard." Kim said. "He had to know Marsha was there, even though he denied it."

"If he lied to the police, he certainly isn't going to tell you anything," Tracy said.

"Well, I've got to do something," Kim said.