"That's an odd couple."

"Yeah, especially in Toronto. David usually spends all his time at home with his family."

"Thanks. I'll check it out."

"Just split the reward with me when you've captured the killer." He grinned.

"Will do."

Sloane was at the bat rack.

"I need to talk to you," I began.

"Not now. I've got batting practice."

"It's important. Just a few minutes."

"Make it fast."

If that's the way he wanted it, I wouldn't waste time.

"Why was Sultan Sanchez blackmailing you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Sanchez was blackmailing you. I think it may have something to do with his murder."

"And I think you're nuts."

"You don't know what I'm talking about?"

"Sorry to disappoint you."

He chose a bat and trotted to the batting cage. He was staring at me a few moments later, but he looked away quickly when I caught his eye. I couldn't read his expression.

The law finally caught up with me in the press dining room. Andy Munro moved some dirty plates to the next table and sat down across from me.

"You're not very good at returning phone calls."

"I was busy. Besides, I thought you'd be here."

"And here I am."

"What's up? You called me."

"I was just checking to see if you were all right."

"I didn't know the police were so concerned about their witnesses."

"The police aren't. I am."

"Oh."

"We've found out who made that call, by the way. It was Joe Kelsey. I'm surprised you didn't recognize his voice. Isn't he a friend of yours?"

"Well, I guess all the background noise . . ."

"Come off it."

"I wasn't sure."

"I can appreciate that you want to protect your friends, but did it ever occur to you that you might just protect the wrong one? And you might discover your mistake too late for your own good."

"I'm not protecting anyone."

"Besides, I don't appreciate your mistrust."

"But-"

"We're not in the business of fabricating evidence and harassing innocent people, no matter what you think."

"I didn't-"

"You didn't what? Didn't lie to me? I've talked to Kelsey. He told me about your conversation. Who are you, Nancy Drew? Leave it to the professionals. It's a dangerous business, and I don't need amateurs messing up my investigation. So butt out."

I tried to defend myself.

"I'm in the investigation business, too, you know. I'm a reporter trying to get a story, that's all."

"Just don't keep things from me anymore."

Moose's arrival saved me from making promises.

"You've got a call in the press box, Kate."

It was Sally.

"Bad news, Kate. Last night's prowler came back sometime today. He went through your place, too. It's a mess. The police are here now."

"Oh, no. Is anything gone?"

"I don't think so. He just dumped all the drawers and went through everything."

"Damn. Is Elwy all right?"

"Yes. But it looks like your friend Andy was guarding the wrong thing. He should have put one of his people here instead of with me and T.C."

"Exactly. I just might mention it to him, too."

Munro was in the corridor. I didn't waste any time.

"Where were we? Oh, right. You were telling me to leave things to the professionals? Does one of your professionals want to put my house back together? While your professionals were busy doing whatever it is professionals do, my house was being trashed."

"Damn."

"So don't give me any more crap about not getting involved. I'm involved."

Not a bad exit line. I turned and marched back into the press box, only ruining the effect slightly by tripping on a wastebasket on the way to my seat.

"What was that all about?" asked Moose.

"Stupid cop tries to tell me how to do my job when he can't even do his own."

"What happened?"

I told him about the break-in.

"And that insufferable jerk tells me to keep out of his precious investigation."

"He may be a jerk, but he's probably right, Kate. You could get into trouble. It could be dangerous."

"So could driving to work, Moose. That doesn't mean I'm going to stop doing it."

"I just don't want to see you in any danger."

"I'm a big girl. I'm not going to get into anything I can't handle."

Chapter 17.

There was a minute of silence before the game began. The Titan starters stood at their positions with their heads bowed, caps held over their hearts, facing the flags in centre field. Each wore a double black armband on his left sleeve. The other Titans and the Tigers lined up in front of the dugouts in the same pose.

It was eerie. The stadium was filled to the rafters, as usual for a series against the Tigers. There were dozens of buses from Detroit in the parking lot, and almost as many fans wore Tigers colours as wore those of the Titans. But they were all so quiet, even after the game began.

"Spooky, isn't it?" Jeff Glebe sat down next to me.

"It sure doesn't feel like a ballgame."

By the seventh inning, the game seemed to have gone on forever. Flakey Patterson was behind most of the hitters, and he littered the basepaths with runners in every inning. Helped by good fielding and luck, he held the Tigers to two runs, but the Titans couldn't score. The fans didn't seem to mind. They stayed quiet. These games didn't matter, except to the Tigers, who wanted second-place money.

Red was resting a lot of the starters, but he didn't want the team to go into a losing streak to end the season. They had to keep sharp to get into the World Series.

The crowd stirred when David Sloane led off the sixth with a double. Billy Saunders, the Tigers manager, walked to the mound signalling for his right-handed reliever, with three right-handed hitters due up.

I took advantage of the pause in the action to go get a cup of tea. Moose handed me a slip of paper when I got back to my seat. I looked at it, then stuck it in my pocket while Moose watched, none too subtly. Andy Munro could wait.

Gloves walked. Billy Wise was due up, but he was called back to the dugout. Orca Elliott took his place.

"Why doesn't he leave Wise in to bunt?" Jeff Glebe was second-guessing immediately.

"Red doesn't believe in bunting. It's against his religion," I said. "Orca only leads the team in double plays."

As I spoke, Elliott rolled an easy grounder to the Tigers second baseman, who bobbled it, trying to throw to second before he had it in his hand, and the bases were suddenly loaded.

"Horseshoes up his ass," I said.

The fans, glad for an excuse, began to cheer and clap their gloved hands, making a strangely muffled din. There were a couple of pitchers up in the bullpen, a right-hander and a left-hander, but Eddie Carter, due up, was a switch hitter. Saunders stayed put.

He probably regretted it when Carter took the fastball they tried to sneak by him and lined it into the power alley in right centre field. While two outfielders chased it all three runners scored and Carter ended up on third. He scored on Alex Jones's sacrifice fly to the warning track in right. With two out, Kid Cooper, playing in Washington's place, hit a home run to give Patterson a three-run cushion.

Flakey used every bit of it. It took a bases-loaded double play in the ninth to end the game. Final score, 54 Titans.

With all the late action, it took me longer than usual to file my first story and get down to the clubhouse. When David Sloane saw me coming, he raised his hand, palm out, in a dismissive gesture.

"Not in the clubhouse," he said.

"Lighten up, Sloane. I'm just trying to do my job."

"Do it somewhere else."

He took his street clothes out of his locker on hangers and, in full uniform, marched to the trainer's room to change. Moron.

"You didn't miss much," said Toby King. "He thanked the Lord for giving him the opportunity to help the team."

I made a few retching sounds and went to see Eddie Carter, who was talking with Kid Cooper and Tiny Washington.

"Mr. Speed and Mr. Power, how are you both tonight? You better watch out, Tiny. The Kid's after your job."

"He can have it, soon enough. I hear you're playing detective these days."

"No. I just don't know how to keep my nose out of a good story."

"You be careful, hear?"

"Can you gents give me a couple of quotes about the game?"

"Like I said all along, when the leaves turn brown, we'll be wearing the crown," Eddie said, posing regally, a towel wrapped around his shoulders.

"But you better remember who's the king around here, Carter."

"Yes, Your Highness," Carter said, bowing in Washington's direction.