Sure. That's why I told her. Because of her involvement "Just a minute," I demanded. Lightning echoed the glare of intuition in my head. Thunder spread its impact over the city.

Moy paused.

"Deborah called you," I said to Posten.

"Who did you call?"

Who had he involved?

He was too sure of his righteousness to squirm.

"People who need to know," he snapped.

"Our offices. Mr. Lacone. Sue Ras-muss en He did his best to sneer.

"Unlike you, I do my job."

Oh, joy. Now I knew why there were so many cars in the parking lot. I wasn't the only one who understood obfuscation.

I'd lost whatever advantage I might get from surprise.

Moy hadn't told the uniform he'd sent upstairs to keep Hideo Komatori there, and I thought I knew exactly what Komatori would do. Unless Nakahatchi stopped him In the entryway Moy released Posten. Mildly he instructed the uniform to make sure that Mr. Posten reached his car safely. Then he walked back in my direction.

He had to let me go. Before Komatori did something I'd regret.

Unfortunately the look in his eyes told me he wasn't ready to do that.

He didn't trust me yet.

"Posten raises an interesting point, Axbrewder," he commented with all the excitement he might've shown for a case of athlete's foot.

"Where were you when I called?"

Did I have an alibi?

The deluge outside sounded like the end of the world. Tremors ran through me from head to foot. I bit down on them in an effort to control my voice.

"I was with a friend. A woman. I'll tell you her name if I have to.

But she isn't part of this." I was sure now.

"I think her privacy deserves some respect."

Moy studied me for a moment, obviously trying to decide how much leeway he could afford to give me. When he spoke, he didn't ask for Deborah's name. Instead he said, "Tell me something else first. Where did you get that phone number you left on my voice mail?"

Damn him, he had to let me go. I didn't have much time.

Practically dancing from foot to foot, I replied, "I can't answer that.

Client confidentiality."

Literally, of course, Mai Sternway was none of my business.

Nevertheless Marshal had given me more help than I had any right to expect. I owed him a little discretion.

"Axbrewder " The sheer disinterest in Moy's tone warned me that I was losing ground.

I blundered ahead.

"But you can ask Marshal Viviter. Professional Investigations. It's his client. What he tells you is up to him."

Moy took a look at his fingernails. They bored him, too.

"I'll do that. But he isn't here." He meant, Viviter isn't the one in trouble. You are.

"And all of a sudden you don't want to give me a straight answer." He frowned up at me.

"I'll offer you one more chance.

"T'ang Wen says you warned him Hong was in danger. What the hell was that about?"

Christ! The one question I absolutely did not want to answer. If I did, Moy wouldn't have any choice. He'd have to get in my way.

"It was a hunch, Sergeant." I wanted to shout, Let me go! I'll explain everything when I've got some evidence.

"That's all. A bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"I swear to God" I forced all the conviction it would hold into my voice "if I'd known what might happen, I would've spent the whole fucking night with him myself."

Moy peered at me like he would a particularly distasteful lab specimen.

"As hunches go," he asked slowly, "how does this one compare with your theory that Hardshorn didn't kill Appelwait?"

I nearly cracked. The violence of the storm centered here, in me.

Thunder broke against the windows like blows. I started yelling because I feared that if I didn't I might hit him.

"You don't get it, do you? I know Hardshorn didn't kill Bernie! I knew it last night. If I'd been even five percent that sure about Hong, we wouldn't be standing here. I'd have shot the bastard who did this before I let him get away."

Or he would've killed me, too.

He still might. If Moy ever released me.

The uniform reappeared in the entryway. He had his hand on his weapon.

"Sarge?"

Moy made a placating gesture. For the uniform or for me, I couldn't tell which.

"All right, Axbrewder. Take it easy. You'll work yourself into a seizure. I believe you.

"I get hunches myself." I thought I saw calculation in his smile. Or malice.

"I'll cut you loose. You can go."