Page 55 of Water's Edge

“That’s okay. You put them in separate paper bags and put B and T on the bags like I asked, right?”

“That’s what you told me to do,” she says. “I’m not a dumb broad; I just play one on TV.”

I laugh. I really like this woman. “I’ll get back to you, or Lonigan will pick them up. Keep them safe.”

She promises.

“What is Lonigan picking up and taking to the crime lab?” Ronnie asks as I put away my phone.

I don’t want to tell her. Or ruin her perception of professional investigations where everything is done perfectly. But she deserves to know, since she will hang alongside me if it goes bad.

“Plates, forks, and soda cans.”

“Are they from this case, Megan?”

“Yes. And no.”

“How’s that?”

“I had Cass collect the stuff after Joe Bohleber and Jim Truitt ate. She might have told them she was giving away free slices of pie and soda today. One-time offer to boost business.”

Ronnie gives me a knowing look. “Shemighthave, huh? What a coincidence. And she just happened to mark the bagsBfor ‘Bohleber’ andTfor ‘Truitt’?”

I nod.

“And Lonigan is taking them to Marley for DNA comparison with DNA collected from Leann’s case?”

I nod a second time. “I called Marley about the rape kit. He agreed to run it. We’re going to have the DNA from the other two cases compared with Leann’s.”

“Wow! I did my rotation through the crime lab and they are always backed up the wazoo. Marley really agreed to compare all three?”

Now I give Ronnie a knowing look before speaking.

“He will if you ask him nicely.”

She grins.

Next I call Lonigan. “Detective Carpenter here. You on Marrowstone?”

“Yeah,” he says. “Same as yesterday and the day before.”

“Can you do me a huge favor? I’ll owe you a meat loaf dinner at Cass’s.”

“What’s the favor first?”

I tell him. He doesn’t balk. I don’t even have to pay up. He gets his food comped at the Nordland General Store.

“I’ll take the bags to the crime lab after I’ve had my meat loaf.”

“You need to ask for Marley Yang.”

“Yang, huh?”

“Is that a problem?” I ask.

He doesn’t hesitate. “I guess you don’t need the stuff processed right away.”

I can tell he’s familiar with Marley and doesn’t care for him.

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