Many votive candles were now battery operated. You got the glow but you didnt get the mess. I knew this because an uncle of mine complained every Thanksgiving about how the church had given in to the atheists. That may make sense to you. It never has to me. Yes, I did. There was another silence and then he said, Forty-eight hours, Harvey. We should know within forty-eight hours whether hes alive. But I must caution you — no, Im going to warn you — that if you mention this to anyone, youll probably put Mix’s life in grave jeopardy. He had some interesting theories about civil service reform and the use of the strike by public employees as a collective-bargaining tool. What makes Showalter so suspicious of you? Randall Carver Mason started pacing the floor.How the devil did Lutts know that I had been retained by Mrs. Harlan, Paul? What that wouldve been like. Devine stretched out his arm and shoulder, touched his injured face, and tensed a bit as the train slowed. There it was. The pool, the backyard with the string of lights still up and still on; some servant must have forgotten to pull the plug. Cowl would probably ding their paycheck. One of my deputies. Well, Dino said, at least they wont be looking for a Suburban. He got on his cell phone again, spoke for a moment, then hung up. “The locals lost them. They werent in the house, the bakery had reported its van stolen, and Larkin and his buddies are nowhere to be seen.” That will do, Mr. District Attorney. Sit down, Judge Sedgwick said. The witness is being interrogated, not the district attorney. For a long moment there was silence in the courtroom and then suddenly there was a ripple of voices from the spectators. I cant spend the rest of my life getting shot at. And thats it? What? I want to know the contents. He nodded slowly. Im making sure, Mason said. Now, look. You wont like this, but youve got to give me some assurance against a double-cross..