〃That would be fine；〃 Mrs。 Sanders said。
〃Now； Jo； you do what the doctor says；〃 Mr。 Sanders told his daughter in a dispirited way。
They went out and the instant I shut the door； Jo's eyes filled with tears。 I bent over and kissed her week。
〃You've had all of us worried sick；〃 I said。
〃How's Lucy？〃 she whispered as sobs began to shake her and tears flowed。
I placed tissues in a hand that was tethered by IV tubes。
〃I don't know。 I don't know where she is； Jo。 Your parents told her you didn't want to see her and 。 。 ：'
Jo started shaking her head。
〃I knew they'd do that；〃 she said in a dark； depressed tone。 〃I knew they would。 They told me she didn't want to see me。 She was too upset； because of what happened。 I didn't believe them。 I know she would never do something like that。 But they ran her off and now she's gone。 And maybe she believes what they said。〃
〃She feels what happened to you is her fault；〃 I said。 〃It's very possible the bullet in your leg came from her gun：〃
〃Please bring her to me。 Please。〃
〃Do you have any idea where she might be？〃 I asked。 〃Is there any place she might go when she's upset like this？ Maybe back to Miami？〃
〃I'm sure she wouldn't go there。〃
I sat down in a chair by the bed and blew out a long； exhausted breath。
〃A hotel maybe？〃 I asked。 〃A friend？〃
〃Maybe New York；〃 Jo said。 〃There's a bar in Greenwich Village。 Rubyfruit。〃
〃You think she went to New York？〃 I asked； dismayed。
〃The owner's name is Ann； a former cop；〃 her voice shook。 〃Oh； I don't know。 I don't know。 She scares me when she runs away。 She doesn't think right when she gets like that。〃
〃I know。 And with all that's gone on； she can't be thinking right anyway。 Jo； you should be getting out of here in another day or so if you behave；〃 I said with a smile。 〃Where do you want to go？〃
〃I don't want to go home。 You'll find her； won't you？〃
〃Would you like to stay with me？〃 I asked。
〃My parents aren't bad people；〃 she muttered as morphine dripped。 〃They don't understand。 They think 。 。 。 Why is it wrong 。 。 。 ？〃
〃It's not；〃 I said。 〃Love is never wrong。〃
I left the room as she drifted。
Her parents were outside the door。 Both looked exhausted and sad。
〃How is she？〃 Mr。 Sanders asked。
〃Not too well；〃 I said。
Mrs。 Sanders began to cry。
〃You have a right to believe the way you do；〃 I said。 〃But preventing Lucy and Jo from seeing each other is the last thing your daughter needs right now。 She doesn't need more fear and depression。 She doesn't need to lose her will to live； Mr。 and Mrs。 Sanders。〃
Neither of them replied。
〃I'm Lucy's aunt；〃 I said。
〃She's about back in this world anyway； I guess；〃 Mr。 Sanders said。。 〃Can't keep anybody from her。 We were just trying to do what's best：'
〃Jo knows that；〃 I replied。 〃She loves you。〃
They didn't say good…bye but watched me as I got on the elevator。 I called Rubyfruit the minute I got …home and asked for Ann over the loud noise of voices and a band。
〃She's not in great shape；〃 Ann said to me； and I knew what that meant。
〃Will you take care of her？〃 I asked。
〃I already am；〃 she said。 〃Hold on。 Let me get her。〃
〃I saw Jo；〃 I said when Lucy got on the phone。
〃Oh；〃 was all。 she said； and it was obvious from one word that she was drunk。
〃Lucy！〃
〃I don't want to talk right now；〃 she said。
〃Jo loves you；〃 I said。 〃e home。〃
〃Then what do I do？〃
〃We bring her to my house from the hospital and you take care of her；〃 I said。 〃That's what you do。〃
I barely slept。 At 2：00 A。M。 I finally got up and went into the kitchen to fix a cup of herbal tea。 It was still raining hard； water running off the roof and splashing on the patio； and I couldn't seem to get warm。 I thought about the swabs and hair and photographs of bite marks locked inside my briefcase； and it almost seemed the killer was inside my house。
I could feel his presence； as if those parts of him emanated evil。 I thought about the awful irony。 Interpol summoned me to France and after all was said and done； the only legal evidence I had was an Advil bottle filled with water and silt from the Seine。
When it got to be 3：00 A。M。； I sat up in bed writing draft after draft of a letter to Talley。 Nothing sounded right。 I was frightened by how much I missed him and what I had done to him。 Now he was striking back and it was exactly what I deserved。 。
I crumpled another sheet of stationery and looked at the phone。 I calculated what time it was in Lyon and imagined him at his desk in one of his fine suits。 I thought of him on the phone and in meetings or maybe escorting someone else around and not giving me a thought。 I thought of his hard； smooth body and I wondered where he had learned to be such a lover。
I。 went on to work。 When it was almost two in the afternoon in France； I decided to call Interpol。
〃。 。 。 Bonjour； hello 。 。 。〃
〃Jay Talley； please；〃 I said。
I was transferred。
〃HIDTA；〃 a man answered。
I paused； confused。 〃Is this Jay Talley's extension？〃
〃Who is this？〃
I told him。 。
〃He's not here；〃 the man said。
Fear shot through me。 I didn't believe him。
〃And to whom am I speaking？〃 I inquired。
〃Agent Wilson。 I'm the FBI liaison。 We didn't meet the other day。 Jay's out。〃
〃Do you know when he'll be back？〃
〃I'm not really sure。〃 …〃I see；〃 I said。 〃Is it possible for me to reach him？ Or can you ask him to call me？〃
I knew I sounded nervous。
〃I really don't know where he is；〃 he replied。 〃But if he checks in； I'll let him know you called。 Is there something I can help you with？〃
〃No；〃 I said。
I hung up and felt panicky。 I was certain Talley didn't want any contact with me and had instructed people that if I called； he wasn't there。
〃Oh； God； oh； God；〃 I whispered as I walked past Rose's desk。 〃What have I done？〃
〃Are you talking to me？〃 She looked up from her keyboard； peering at me over her glasses。 〃Did you lose something again？〃
〃Yes；〃 I said。
At half past eight； I walked into the staff meeting and took my usual place at the head of the table。
〃What have we got？〃 I asked。
〃Black female； thirty…two years old； from Albemarle County；〃 Chong began。 〃Ran off the road and flipped her car。 Apparently she just veered off the road and lost control。 She has a fracture of the right leg； a basilar skull fracture； and the M。E。 for Albemarle County； Dr。 Richards； wants to us to do a post。〃 He looked up at me。 〃I'm just wondering why？ Her cause and manner seem pretty clear。〃
〃Because the code says we supply services to the local M。E。；〃 I replied。 〃They ask； we do it。 We can take an hour to post her now； or we can take ten hours later on to sort it out if there's a problem。〃
〃Next is an eighty…year…old white female last seen yesterday morning around nine A。m。 Her boyfriend found her last night at six…thirty 。 。 。〃
I had to work very hard not to tune in and out。
〃。 。 。 no known drug abuse or foul play；〃 Chong droned ón。 〃Nitroglycerin present at scene。〃
Talley made love as if he were starving。 I couldn't believe I was having erotic thoughts in the middle of a staff meeting。
〃She needs a look…see for injury； and toxicology；〃 Fielding was saying。 〃Needs a view。〃
〃Anybody know what I'm teaching at the Institute next week？〃 toxicologist Tim Cooper asked。
〃Toxicology； probably。〃
〃Really。〃 Cooper sighed 〃I need a secretary。〃
〃I've got three court appearances today；〃 Assistant Chief Riley was saying。 〃Which is； impossible since they're all over the place。〃
The door opened and Roae stuck her head inside and motioned to me to e out into the hall。
〃Larry Posner's got to leave in a little while；〃 she said。 〃And he's wondering if you could stop by his lab right now？〃
〃On my way；〃 I said。
When I walked in； he was making a permanent slide； using a pipette to touch a drop of Cargille melt mount on the edge of a cover slip while other slides warned up on a hot plate。
〃I don't know if it adds up to much；〃 he said right off。 〃Take a look in the scope。 Diatoms from your un…I。D： d guy。 Keep in mind the only thing an individual diatom will tell you； with rare exception； is if it's saltwater； brackish or fresh。〃
I peered into the lens at little organisms that looked as if they were made of clear glass； in all sorts of shapes that brought to mind boats； chains and zigzags and slivered moons and tiger stripes and crosses and even stacks of poker chips。 There were pieces and parts that reminded me of confetti and grains of sand and other particles of different colors that probably were minerals。
Posner removed the slide from the stage and replaced it with another。
〃The sample you brought back from the Seine；〃 he said。 〃Cymbella； Melosira； Navicula； Fragilaria。 On and ón。 mon as dust。 All freshwater； so at least that's good； but they really tell us nothing in and of themselves。〃
I leaned back in the chair and looked at him。
〃You ordered me here to tell me that？〃 I said； disappointed。
〃Well； I'm no Robert McLaughlin；〃 he dryly said； referring to the world…renowned