He blew out a breath. 'We'll talk when I get back.'

'When?'

'Soon as we find the killer.'

'Be careful, Book.'

He hung up. Carla averted her eyes. It was an awkward moment until Nadine looked past him and said, 'Daddy?'

Nadine closed her eyes and shook her head to clear her vision. She thought she had seen her father standing in the doorway. Perhaps she had in fact suffered a closed-head injury causing blood to seep into her brain and resulting in hallucinations-oh, G.o.d. But when she opened her eyes, he was still there.

'OMG-Daddy, what are you doing here?'

'Well, young lady, I was about to ask you the same question. I'm here because my health insurance company called me, said a hospital in Alpine, Texas, submitted big bills for a patient named Nadine Honeywell. MRIs, X-rays, ER, OR ... They wanted to make sure someone wasn't engaged in fraud. Obviously, they weren't. What the h.e.l.l is going on?'

'I'm fine, Daddy. Thanks for asking.'

'Oh. Are you okay, honey?'

'Just a broken arm and leg. Bruises. Minor contusions. Possible brain damage. I'm fine.'

Her father wore his standard Sunday attire: a suit and tie. He was a lawyer from birth, destined to a life lived in suits and ties with a briefcase attached to his hand. Mother had left him because he loved the law more than he loved her. Harsh, but true. After her sister died, he found solace in his work; her mother never found any solace. Her father now turned his attention to the professor.

'Who are you?'

'Professor John Bookman.'

'He's famous, Daddy.'

'Never heard of him.'

'And this is Carla Kent.'

'Are you famous?'

'Infamous.'

'I'm the professor's intern,' Nadine said.

'His intern?' He turned on the professor. 'So, Professor, why is my daughter, who was in law school in Austin, Texas, the last time I talked to her, now lying in a hospital bed in Alpine, Texas, with a broken arm and leg?'

'Well, Mr. Honeywell, that's a really interesting story.'

'I'm all ears.'

'We're solving a murder case, Daddy.'

'A murder case?' Back to the professor. 'You got her involved in a murder case?'

'Well, I-'

'I sent her to UT to get a law degree, not to get herself killed. All right, let's go. I'm going to check you out, get you back to Austin where you belong.'

'No, Daddy.'

'What?'

'I said, no. I'm not leaving. We're trying to find a murderer. The professor needs my help.'

Her father frowned. He gave her that familiar suspicious squint then turned it on the professor. He gestured back and forth between her and the professor with his hand.

'You two got one of those professorstudent romances going on?'

She laughed. 'Me and the professor? He's trying to get me killed, Daddy, not get in my thong.'

Daddy rolled his eyes. 'Why do you say stuff like that? Now listen, young lady-'

'No, Daddy, you listen. For once, listen to me. What I want to do. I want to stay here and finish this. For once in my life, I am not going to run home scared of life.'

Her father stared hard at her; then he exhaled and all the fight went out of him.

'Have you talked to your mother recently?'

Nadine's father had kissed her on the forehead, secured a commitment from Book to ensure that his daughter got home to Austin safely, and then left to drive to El Paso and catch a flight back to San Francisco.

'Nadine,' Book said, 'I'm sorry I-'

'Don't be. That was a breakthrough moment for Daddy and me. And I don't really wear thongs, I just say that kind of stuff to get him worked up.'

'You know he cares about you?'

'I know. Oh, I finished the Welch brief and emailed it to the D.A., like you said.'

'Reminds me, Scotty Raines called and left a message. Said the D.A. called him this morning, wasn't real happy after he read the brief. Wanted me to call him. On Sunday.'

Book stepped out into the hall and called the number Scotty Raines had left; it was the Travis County D.A.'s cell phone. He answered on the second ring.

'Professor.'

'Mr. Anderson.'

'Don.'

'Book.'

'The h.e.l.l you doing in Marfa?'

'Murder.'

'You're killing people in Marfa?'

'Trying to find a murderer.'

'Lot more fun than teaching Con Law, isn't it?'

'It has its moments.'

'Your secretary's husband murder any more armadillos? I'm still not happy with that verdict.'

'It's been a year, Don.'

'So, Professor, why are you working for a guy like Welch? He's one of the Republicans ruining Texas.'

'It's not political for me.'

'So what, you're doing it for the money?'

'He's not paying me.'

'Then why? Because he's the chairman of the Board of Regents? What, you want to be president of the university?'

'He promised to put the boy in rehab, for six months.'

'That's it?'

'There's more. But not money.'

The D.A. exhaled. 'You gonna file this brief?'

'If I have to.'

'I can beat you.'

'It isn't about me.'

'Then why isn't Scotty Raines arguing the con law issues? Why'd Welch hire you?'

'He loves his son.'

'Who's a smart-a.s.s punk.'

'Maybe. But just because a college kid gets drunk-'

'And stoned on c.o.ke.'

'-and mouths off to a cop doesn't give the police probable cause to search his vehicle, which he was not driving at the time, and to seize his blood without his consent. Thus, that evidence is inadmissible in court, which means you have no case.'

'So you say.'

'So the court will rule. And, Don, the Supreme Court will likely rule this term that the taking of blood without a warrant is an unconst.i.tutional search and seizure under the Fourth Amendment. So even if you go forward with this case and obtain a conviction, it'll be overturned once the Court rules.'

'We'll see. File your f.u.c.king brief, Professor. I'll see you in court.'

The D.A. hung up. Book sighed. Another less than cordial conversation. Perhaps it was him. He returned to the room and found Nadine and Carla giggling like girls on a sleepover.

'Daddy wants me to be a lawyer,' Nadine said.

'My dad wanted me to be a boy,' Carla said.

'Okay, you're right. That is worse.'

They laughed again.

'Female bonding?' Book asked.

'We're BFFs,' Nadine said.

'You want some dinner, Carla?'

'I'm game.'

'Where are you guys going?' Nadine asked.

Book looked to Carla for an answer.

'Reata,' she said.

Nadine typed on the laptop keyboard with one finger then stared at the screen.

'OMG, what a menu. Okay, bring me back'-she looked up at Book-'write this down in that little notebook.'

He did.

'The tenderloin tamales with pecan mash for an appetizer, the carne asada topped with cheese enchiladas for an entree, a side of jalapeno and bacon macaroni and cheese, and for dessert a chocolate chunk bread pudding tamale served with dulce de leche. G.o.d, that sounds good.'

'You know how to order,' Carla said.

'She knows how to eat,' Book said.

Nadine squirted Purell into her palms and began rubbing as if preparing to eat.

'Oh, Professor, I need some new underwear.'

'Underwear?'

'The ones I had on, they're gone. My others back at the hotel are dirty. And I wore my spare pair I carry in my bag.'

'You carry a change of underwear in your purse?'