〃He could be taking in thousands of dollars a week；〃 I said。
〃Doc； you got any reason to think he might be hooked up with your other officers； getting somebody to do the same thing？ They get him the pills； he gives them a small cut'
I have no idea。〃
〃You got four district offices。 You steal drugs from all of them； you're getting into really big bucks now；〃 Marino said。 〃Hell； the little shit may even be involved in organized crime； just one more drone bringing stuff to the hive。 Problem is； this ain't shopping at Wal…Mart。 He thinks it's so easy making deals with some guy in a suit； some foxy woman。 This person moves the merchandise along to the next person in the chain。 Maybe it's eventually traded for guns that end up in New York。〃
Or Miami； I thought。
〃Thank God you alerted us； Rose；〃 I said。 〃rhe last thing I want is anything flowing out of the office and ending up in the hands of people who will hurt others or even kill them。〃
〃Not to mention； Chuck's days are probably going to be numbered； too；〃 Marino said。 〃People like him usually don't live too long。〃
He got up and moved to the end of the couch； closer to Rose：
〃Now； Rose？〃 he gently said。 〃What's making you think what you've just told us has anything to do with Kim Luong's murder？〃
She took a deep breath and turned off the lamp next to her as if it was bothering her eyes。 Her hands were shaking so badly that when she reached …for her mug； she spilled some of her tea。 She dabbed the wet spot on her lap with a tissue。
〃On my way home from the office last night； I decided to pick up shortbreads and a few other things；〃 she began； her voice getting shaky again。
〃Do you know exactly what time this was？〃 Marino asked。
〃Not to the minute。 Around ten of six as best I can say。〃
〃Let me be sure I've got this straight；〃 Marino said； taking notes。 〃You stopped at the Quik Cary at about six o'clock P。m。 Was it closed？〃
〃Yes。 Which irritated me' a little because it's not supposed to close until six。 I thought ugly thoughts； and now I feel so bad about that； too。 Here she is dead in there and I'm mad at her because I couldn't get cookies 。 。 。 ！〃 she sobbed。
〃Did you see any cars in the lot？〃 Marino asked。 〃Any person or persons？〃
〃Not a one；〃 she barely said。
〃Think hard； Rose。 Was there anything that struck you at all？〃
〃Oh； yes；〃 she said。 〃And this is what I've been trying to get at。 I could see from Libbie that the market was closed because the lights were out； so I pulled into the lot to turn around； and I saw the closed sign on the door。 I got back on Libbie and hadn't gone any farther than the ABC store when this car was suddenly behind me with its high beams on。〃
〃Were you headed home？〃 I asked。
〃Yes。 And I really didn't think anything until I turned on Grove and he did； too； staying on my bumper with those darn lights about to blind me。 Cars going the other way were flicking their lights up and down to tell him his high beams were on； in case he didn't know。 But he clearly intended for them to be on。 By now I was getting frightened。〃
〃Any idea what kind of car？ Could you see anything？〃 Marino asked。
〃I was practically blinded； and then I was so confused。 Immediately I thought of the car in my parking lot on Tuesday night when you came by；〃 she said to me。 〃And then your telling me you'd been followed。 And I started thinking about Chuck and drugs and the sort of horrible people who get involved in that。〃
〃So you're driving along Grove；〃 Marino got her back on track。
〃Of course； I drove right on past my Apartment building； trying to figure out where to go to get away with him。 And I don't know how I thought of it； but I suddenly cut over to the left and did a U…turn。 Then I drove to where Grove ends at Three Chopt and took a left； him still behind me。 The next right was the Country Club of Virginia； and I turned in there and drove straight to the entrance where the valets were。 Needless to say； whoever it was vanished。〃
〃That was damn smart of you；〃 Marino said。 〃Damn smart。 But why didn't you call the police？〃
〃It wouldn't have done any good。 They wouldn't have believed me and I couldn't have described a thing； anyway。〃
〃Well； you should have called me； at least；〃 Marino said。
〃I know。〃
〃After this where did you go？〃 I asked。
〃Here。〃
〃Rose； you're scaring me；〃 I said。 〃What if he was waiting for you somewhere？〃
〃I couldn't stay out all night； and I went a different route home。〃
〃Any idea what time it was when he vanished？〃 Marino asked。
〃Somewhere between six and six…fifteen。 Oh； dear Lord； 。 I just can't believe when I pulled up to that store she was in there。 And what if he was？ If only I'd known。 I can't stop thinking there must have been something I should have noticed。 Maybe even when I was in there Tuesday night。〃
〃Rose； you couldn't have known a damn thing unless you're a gypsy with a crystal ball；〃 Marino told her。
She took a deep； shaky。breath and pulled her robe more tightly around her。
〃I can't seem to get warm；〃 she said。 〃Kim was such a nice girl。〃
She stopped again； her face contorted by grief。 Tears filled her eyes and spilled。
〃She was never rude to anyone and worked so hard。 How could anybody do something like that！ She wanted to be a nurse！ She wanted to spend her life helping people！ I remember worrying about her being 。alone in there so late at night； oh； God help me。 It even crossed my mind when I was there on Tuesday but I didn't say anything！〃
Her voice tumbled as if it were falling down a steep flight of stairs。 I came over and knelt beside her； pulling her close。
〃It's like when Sassy wasn't feeling well 。 。 。 so lethargic and I just thought she had eaten something she shouldn't have 。 。 。〃
〃It's okay； Rose。 Everything's going to be okay；〃 I said。
〃And it turned out she'd somehow gotten hold of a piece of glass 。 。 。 My little baby was bleeding inside 。 。 。 And I didn't do anything。〃
〃You didn't know。 We can't know everything。〃 I felt a spasm of grief； too。
〃If only I'd taken her to the vet sooner 。 。 。 I'll never； ever forgive myself for that。 Poor little girl a prisoner in a little cage and muzzle and some monster hit her with something and broke her nose 。 。 。 at that goddamn dog track！ And then I let her suffer and die！〃
She wept as if outraged over every loss and act of cruelty the world had ever suffered。 I held her clenched fists in both of my hands。
〃Rose； now you listen to me；〃 I said。 〃You saved Sassy from hell just as you've saved others。 There's nothing you could have done for Sassy any more than there was anything you could have done when you stopped to get your shortbreads。 Kim was dead。 She had been dead for hours。〃
〃What about him？〃 she cried。 〃What if he had still been inside that store and had e out just as I had pulled in？ I'd be dead； too； wouldn't I？ Shot and dumped somewhere like garbage。 Or maybe he would have done awful things to me； too。〃
She closed her eyes； exhausted； tears sneaking down her face。 She went limp all over as the violent storm passed。 Marino leaned forward on the couch and touched her knee。
〃You got to help us out；〃 he said。 〃We need to know why you think your being followed and the murder might be connected。〃
〃Why don't you e home with me？〃 I said。
Her eyes cleared as she began to regain her posure。
〃That car pulling out after me right there where she was murdered？ Why didn't he start following me long before that？〃 she said。 〃And an hour； an hour and a half； before the alarm went off。 Don't you find that an amazing coincidence？〃
〃Sure I do；〃 Marino said。 〃But there've been a lot of amazing coincidences in my career。〃
〃I feel foolish；〃 Rose said； looking down at her hands。
〃All of us are tired；〃 I said。 〃I've got plenty of room 。 。 。〃 〃We're gonna nail Chuckle…boy for drugs；〃 Marino said to her。 〃Not…a damn thing foolish about that。〃
〃I'm going to stay here and go on to bed；〃 Rose said。
I continued to sort through what she'd told us as we went down the stairs and into the parking lot。
〃Look；〃 Marino said； unlocking his car。 〃You've been around Chuck a whole lot more than I have。 You know him a lot better； which is too bad for you。〃
〃And you're going to ask me if he's the one in the rental car following us；〃 I said as he backed out and turned on Randy Travis。 〃The answer's no。 He's a sneak。 He's a liar and a thief； but he's a coward； Marino。 It takes a lot of arrogance to boldly tailgate someone with your high beams on。 Whoever's doing it is very sure of himself。 He has no fear of being caught because he thinks he's too smart for that。〃
〃Sort of the definition of a psychopath；〃 he said。 〃And now I feel worse。 Shit。 I don't want to think that guy who just did Luong is the one following you and Rose。〃
Roads had frozen over again and Richmond drivers； lacking sense； were sliding and spinning all over the place。 Marino had his portable police radio on and was monitoring accidents。
〃When are you going to turn that thing in？〃 I asked。
〃When they e and try to take it from me；〃 he replied。 〃I ain't turning in