aDid you recognize the victim, Kevin?a Brodie asked.

aTo tell you the truth, maaam, I didnat look at him long enough to know.a aBut you know itas a man,a Nicholls said.

aWell...I mean...I guess I just supposed it. I canat imagine anyone doing something like that to a woman,a Kevin said with an incredulous look on his face.Brodie gave her partner a ayou wouldnat believe what people can do to each othera look and he smiled. She hopped off the lab table and spoke quietly to Nicholls. aMake sure you have his name and address. As soon as they get his prints for comparison let him go on home to lie down.a Nicholls began taking down information about Kevin Larson while Brodie walked across the room to where her trainee was interviewing a police officer. Maggie finished speaking to the officer just as she got there. The officer nodded to Brodie as he turned to leave.

aWhatas his story?a Brodie asked.

aHe and his partner took the call at six-fifty. When they arrived, the kid over there was semi-hysterical.a Brodie smiled at Maggieas reference to the lab a.s.sistant as akida. She had been about the same age when Brodie first met her and it wasnat a word she would have used to describe the young woman.

aOfficer Corcoran inspected the tank and determined there was indeed a head in it, but says they didnat touch the tank or anything else in the room, with the exception of the doors,a she continued. aHe remained here while his partner called it in. The crime scene people havenat arrived yet, but should be here any minute.a aGood. Have you inspected the tank yet?a aNo. I didnat think I should touch it until the lab techs finish their thing.a aThatas right, Weston. Cedar Springs may not be as sophisticated as Austin, but the same rules apply.a aIam aware of that, Royce,a Maggie frowned.

aThatas Lieutenant Brodie to you, Detective,a she stated, shifting a cold glare toward her. Other than her family, she had never allowed anyone to use her first nameaexcept Maggie. That had been in a different lifetime and a familiarity she wouldnat tolerate now.

Maggie looked at the woman glaring at her. aIam sorry. Iall remember that, Lieutenant.a Her former lover wasnat going to make her training period easy and Maggie wasnat sure she could blame her. Brodie walked away from her and went to the aquarium. Nicholls joined her and the two detectives bent down slightly to look into the ma.s.s of jellyfish.

aWhat do you think, RB?a he asked.

aWell, this obviously isnat where the guy was killed. No discernible blood in the tank. No mess in the lab anywhere, and to decapitate someone would have made one h.e.l.luva mess.a aIt doesnat seem likely the killer would have stuck around and cleaned up after himself either. Where do you think weall find the rest of him?a aIam sure it will turn up in the worst possible place,a she said as she stood again and stretched her back.

The doors to the lab opened as three lab technicians, a photo tech, and two paramedics with a gurney entered the room. A man in his mid-thirties with long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail walked toward the detectives. He was wearing bright yellow coveralls and worked at pulling on a pair of latex gloves.

aSorry weare a little late, chica. Car trouble. The city council better get off its dead a.s.s and vote us a new van soon. Whereas the body?a the technician asked, looking around.

aCanat tell you that, Frank. But part of him is in there,a she said pointing at the aquarium.

aYou wonat be needing that gurney either,a Nicholls added. aA bowling bag should do it.a The technicianas eyes widened, aNo s.h.i.t! Cool.a aWeall be downstairs while you work. Let us know what you find. Enjoy,a she said as she and Nicholls turned to leave the room.

Maggie was waiting in the hallway. Brodie stopped and seemed to be thinking. Then she turned to her.

aTake a couple of uniforms and go through the rest of the building. Make sure there arenat more body parts waiting around for some unsuspecting coed in any of the other labs. Grab a walkie-talkie from the car in case you come across something. Nicholls, you and I will take a few officers and canva.s.s the area around the building. Before we split up, tell Gus the Ghoul in there that I want a preliminary report on my desk this afternoon. And none of that bulls.h.i.t about the victim was decapitated. I want something more concrete than that this time.a Nicholls re-entered the lab while Brodie and Maggie went to the car for the walkie-talkies. As they retrieved them from the trunk and checked them, Maggie leaned against the vehicle. The sun was out in full force, driving the humidity to an uncomfortably sticky level. Brodie watched Maggie slip on a pair of aviator-style sungla.s.ses. She silently chastised herself for thinking Maggie couldnat look any s.e.xier than she did at that moment. What did she expect? That Maggie would have turned into the same kind of bitter woman Brodie had become inside?

aDo you think it could be a random act?a Maggie asked.

aNope,a said Brodie, startled from her thoughts.

aI donat believe in random acts. Iave never seen a single case where there wasnat some kind of motive involved.a aWhat could be the motive for decapitating someone? Seems a little over the top.a aWho knows? Maybe the vic made a smart a.s.s remark to the killeras girlfriend or b.u.mped into him in the hallway the wrong way. I didnat say it had to be a good motive, or even a logical one,a Brodie said, looking at her. aPeople do irrational and unexpected things when you least expect it all the time. You should know something about that, Detective,a she added, the words falling unbidden from her mouth before she could stop them.

Maggie removed her sungla.s.ses and looked at her, revealing fiery hazel eyes. aWhy am I getting the distinct impression youare not thrilled to have me here, Lieutenant Brodie?a she asked with a touch of irritation in her voice.

aProbably because youave always been very perceptive,a Brodie answered flatly. aBut whether or not Iam excited about it is irrelevant. If you want another training officer, I wonat oppose the request.a Taking a step closer to Maggie, her eyes hard, she lowered her voice, aWhy the f.u.c.k are you here? Tim could have gotten you on in Austin and we both know it.a aLeave him out of this. He doesnat make decisions for me,a Maggie said, raising her voice a notch.

aWell, he sure as s.h.i.t did eight years ago,a Brodie seethed, immediately regretting reopening the old wound, but unable to stop.

aAnd you let yourself get out of control,a Maggie said, her voice becoming less confrontational. aJust let it go. Itas already cost us both too much.a aWhat the h.e.l.l does that mean?a Brodie demanded, her closeness to Maggie suddenly becoming uncomfortable.

Maggie knew she had been at least partially responsible for Brodieas resignation from the Austin PD. Now fate had put her on a collision course with her former lover. She didnat doubt her own abilities to become a good investigator. She just had to convince everyone else, and she couldnat do it without going through the woman now standing in front of her. Pushing away from the car, she cleared her throat, unable to look into Brodieas eyes any longer.

aNothing, Lieutenant. Should I meet you and Detective Nicholls back here?a aIn an hour,a Brodie snapped, stepping away from her. aWeall contact you if we find anything and you do the same.a Maggie walked away from the car and pointed at two officers standing near the steps leading into the building. aYou two, come with me,a she ordered in a firm voice.

As she watched Maggie and the two officers reenter the building, Brodie saw self-confidence and a.s.sertiveness she hadnat seen in a younger Maggie Weston.

THE DETECTIVES, ACCOMPANIED by a dozen uniformed officers, combed the grounds around the Biology Building, as well as the other buildings in the Science Quadrangle for the better part of an hour. Nothing seemed out of place. Brodie spoke to a number of students, none of whom seemed aware of anything unusual happening over the weekend. The campus was spread out over a large area, giving the appearance of s.p.a.ciousness. None of the buildings, other than the dormitories, was over four stories. The gra.s.s and gardens around each of the Spanish-style buildings were immaculate and she figured that it must take a battalion of groundskeepers to keep everything mowed and trimmed. The university had been in Cedar Springs for more than fifty years, but hadnat caught on with people outside the county until ten years earlier. Then, like everything else in Cedar Springs, it experienced a sudden rapid growth cycle. She looked at the buildings around her, and everything looked perfect. She had taken a few graduate cla.s.ses in American Lit in a building across the long gra.s.sy mall from the Science Quad. There didnat seem to be as many students around as usual, but the university was preparing for its spring break.

aFind anything?a she asked when they met Maggie and her team making their way down the front steps of the Biology Building.

aNothing,a she answered. aWeave been through every lab, storage closet, toilet, and office in there and didnat find a thing.a aLooks like our forensic friends have finished up,a Brodie said, nodding toward the building. As the lab team exited the building, the man in yellow coveralls stopped and spoke to the other members of the team and then bounced down the steps to speak to the detectives. He smiled as he reached them.

aWhoas the fox, Brodie?a he asked, looking over his gla.s.ses appreciatively at Maggie.

aMaggie Weston, trainee,a Brodie answered.

aDetective Weston, meet Frank Cardona, head ghoul. Whatad you find, Frank?a aAbout what youad expect for a cla.s.sroom. Got fingerprints from every d.a.m.n person in the state. So, needless to say, it will take a month, minimum, to match them all up to their owners.a aWhat about the victim?a she continued.

aMale. Hispanic. Iad guess around thirty or thirtyfive years old, but itas hard to tell with Hispanics. We age well, you know,a he said, waggling his eyebrows at Maggie. aFull set of teeth with no apparent dental work. Probably gnawed on a few thousand tortillas over the years. Hard to tell anything about his height and weight considering that heas now a shadow of his former self. Iall know more when you locate the other three-fourths of him.a aHow long has he been dead?a Nicholls asked.

aWho the f.u.c.k knows? Coulda been in there a week or an hour before he was found. Formaldehyde is a great preservative, you know. His companions in the aquarium are in pristine condition and theyave been toast for months. Find me a body to work with and if it hasnat already been pickled, too, I can be more specific unless, of course....a aEnough of the anatomy lesson, Frank. We get the idea.a Brodie said.

aTell you one thing though. This wasnat some quickie slice and dice. Whoever separated our friend from his body did some pretty neat work. Maybe not a Harvard-trained brain surgeon, but definitely not the butcher at the local A & P.a aOkay. Let me know if you come up with anything else we should know.a Cardona shook hands with Brodie and Nicholls, but when he got to Maggie he raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. He winked and jogged back to the lab van as a pink blush began to spread up her neck.

aNow what?a Nicholls asked as they walked across the gra.s.sy area in front of the building toward their car.

aPunt, I guess,a Brodie said.

Following a few feet behind them, Maggie glanced through the notes she had taken and looked at the diagram she had drawn of the scene. Her foot sank unexpectedly into a depression in the gra.s.s and she was barely able to catch herself before falling down.

aWhat the h.e.l.l?a she muttered to herself.

aYou coming, Weston?a Brodie called out when she and Nicholls reached their car. Maggie was on her hands and knees, shining a small flashlight on something on the ground.

Squinting, she answered, aYeah! Hey, whatas under this grate?a She looked around until she spotted an older man wearing the blue denim workshirt of a university employee. She motioned him toward her and dusted gra.s.s from her slacks. The man walked up to her and rested on the rake in his hands. aWhatas this grate for?a she asked again. Brodie sighed as she and Nicholls strolled back to where Maggie was kneeling. aWhatas the problem?a Brodie asked shortly when she and Nicholls rejoined Maggie.

aI asked what this grate is for,a Maggie repeated as she leaned closer to the grate and cupped her hands around her eyes to see into the darkness below.

aOh, thatas part of the old tunnel system the university tried when it first opened,a the man explained. aThereas a vent about every couple hundred yards. It was supposed to let students get from one building to another in bad weather. I think they were used as shelters in case of tornadoes too.a aAre they under every building?a she asked, still straining to see what her limited light illuminated.

aJust the original four or five buildings,a he answered. aThey turned out to be better suited for muggings and loveras lanes than anything else so the university sealed them off.a aIs the Biology Building one of the original buildings?a Maggie asked.

aYep.a aBut all the exterior entrances are padlocked,a Nicholls said. aWe checked them out while we were combing the grounds.a Standing up and brushing the gra.s.s from her hands and knees, Maggie looked around again. aWho has keys for the padlocks?a aSecurity should, maaam,a the maintenance worker said.

aGet in touch with security and have them bring their keys, Nicholls,a Brodie said.

A SHORT FLIGHT of narrow concrete steps led to the bas.e.m.e.nt of the Biology Building. Brodie turned the key in the padlock and slowly pushed the door open, drawing her weapon as she reached inside and felt along the wall. Finding a light switch, she flipped it on and a series of dim overhead fluorescent lights flickered on. The room smelled dank and moldy and dust particles floated through the glow cast by the overhead lights. There were no windows along the walls and a dark green mold appeared to run down the wall from cracks in the mortar. aClear,a she said as she looked around and re-holstered her gun. a.s.sorted desks and file cabinets were stacked against one wall. Other equipment she was unfamiliar with was pushed into piles along the other walls. Nicholls and Weston followed her down the steps before separating to comb the room.

aJesus, smells like my grandmotheras root cellar in here,a Nicholls mumbled as he glanced around.

aHope no oneas allergic to mold and mildew,a Maggie added.

aLook around and see if the dust on this c.r.a.p looks like itas been disturbed,a Brodie ordered as she pulled a pair of latex gloves from her pocket. Brodie poked through some of the junk and began moving file cabinets away from the wall to clear a path between cabinets.

aFound a door,a she called from behind the cabinets.

Nicholls and Maggie joined her and moved the rusting cabinets farther away. A large padlock secured the damp wooden door from the outside and Brodie began going through the keys they had gotten from campus security one by one. She looked over her shoulder at the other detectives. aLooks like no oneas been down here in a long, long time and this mother is eat up with rust.a aI didnat see anything that looked out of place or had been dusted recently,a Nicholls said while Brodie tried another key.

aGot it!a Brodie said.

She leaned against the old wooden door and pushed it open with her shoulder. She flipped on her flashlight and shined it into what was obviously a tunnel of some type. Moisture from rain earlier in the morning pooled in small puddles along the floor and the walls glistened with a dewy wetness.

aWhereas it go?a Nicholls asked.

aYour guess is as good as mine,a Brodie said with a shrug. aAny other exits?a aDidnat find any,a Maggie answered.

aNick, check with maintenance to see if they have blueprints for this tunnel system while Weston and I see if this hole goes anywhere interesting. The dust on the cabinets and other junk in front of this door didnat appear to have been disturbed, but you never know.a Nicholls nodded and made his way back to the bas.e.m.e.nt entrance as the beam from Maggieas flashlight joined Brodieas. Brodie drew her gun again and stepped into the tunnel. Sweeping the beams from their flashlights around, they moved cautiously.

aThis tunnel probably hasnat been used since Custer was a corporal,a Maggie said. She could feel the mold and dust spores attacking her sinuses and couldnat suppress a sneeze that had been building since they entered the dank bas.e.m.e.nt. aBoth the outside doors were locked, so this is probably a wild goose chase,a Maggie observed. aWe didnat find any doors inside the building itself that would lead down here.a aLetas talk to the janitors in the building who worked over the weekend,a Brodie said. aSee if they noticed anyone unusual in and out of the building after dark.a The tunnel curved slightly about a hundred yards from the entrance. The beams from their flashlights cut through the darkness like a knife as they stepped forward. Brodie stopped so abruptly that Maggie b.u.mped into her. aJesus f.u.c.kina H. Christ,a she breathed.

Maggie gripped Brodieas arm tightly and felt a wave of nausea rush over her. aOh, my G.o.d,a she said when she saw the scene in front of them.

aLooks like we found what we were looking for,a Brodie said quietly. Their lights moved over what could have been a slaughterhouse floor. Semi-dried sticky black pools of blood covered the floor and apparent bloodstains had run down the walls.

aLetas get the lab guys back here and hope we havenat f.u.c.ked up too much evidence in the process,a Brodie said as they began to back away from the area.

aOrganize search teams as soon as we can get back in here. I want to know where these tunnels go.a THE WAITRESS IN the restaurantas smoking section, a college age girl with short blonde hair, cleared the plates from in front of the three detectives. As she lit a cigarette Brodie noticed the girl smiling at Nicholls and batting her eyelashes at him like a fan on a hot night. She smiled to herself as he winked back at the girl and asked for a refill, using his softest drawl. Within moments the waitress was back with the coffee pot.aItas a fresh pot,a she said while pouring.

aThank you, sweetheart. I appreciate that,a he said.When the waitress finally left the table, Brodie asked, aAdding another one to your already long list of Barbies?a aThe list can never be too long,a he laughed as he brought his cup to his lips. Maggie wasnat a part of their conversation and didnat ask any questions. She had been generally silent throughout the meal, a fact not lost on Brodie.

aWhen did you start smoking again?a Maggie asked, realizing her mistake as Brodieas eyes flew up to meet hers.

Nicholls didnat seem to notice Maggieas slip. aIave been trying to convince her to quit, but sheas being stubborn about it.a Brodie took a deep breath and flicked ashes into the ashtray. aYou know, sheas been dead for a while now, but if memory serves me right, neither one of you looks a f.u.c.kina thing like my mother,a she said tightly.

aJesus, youare touchy today, Brodie. Strike out last weekend?a Nicholls asked.

aMy personal life isnat any of your G.o.dd.a.m.n business, Nicholls. Remember that!a she snapped. Surprised by the sudden irritation in his partneras voice, Nicholls narrowed his eyes. aWhat the f.u.c.kas wrong with you?a Mashing out her unfinished cigarette, Brodie quickly changed the subject. aNothing,a she said, looking at Maggie. aWhat do you think our next step should be, Weston?a Grateful to be on a safer topic, Maggie pulled her notebook from her pocket and glanced through it for a minute before answering. aIf we make a few a.s.sumptions, and I suppose weall have to for now, the victim was probably killed over the weekend and there might be a missing person report. Since the head was left on the campus he could have been a student or a university employee. I think we should check with personnel first to see if anyone has been absent from work today. Cardona said he looked to be at least thirty, so we might speculate he wasnat a student.a aWhy?a Brodie challenged. aPeople over thirty have been known to attend college.a aI know, but universities donat keep attendance records the way public schools do. It would be easier to eliminate employees first.a aThe vic could have come from anywhere,a Nicholls said.

aTrue,a said Maggie leaning slightly forward, abut why would anyone carry around a head and decide to dump it at the university here? He, or she, could have dumped it in a field somewhere in the boonies and it wouldnat have been found for weeks or months, if then. Besides, considering the head showed no signs of decomposition, I donat think the perp kept it around very long. Maybe a few hours at most.a aSheas right,a Nicholls nodded.

Emboldened by his agreement, she continued, aDecapitation is pretty extreme for a beginner or an impulse killer. Something like that would take some advanced planning. He could have done something similar before and gotten away with it. Perhaps not as flashy as this, but now heas willing to take more risks.a aMaybe he doesnat like Hispanics,a Brodie said.

aMaybe heas just a f.u.c.kina whacko,a Nicholls added.

Brodie leaned her head back in thought. aWe need to find how our perp got the victim into those tunnels. Weave spent hours searching every one only to run into a brick wall, literally. I want to see the earliest floor plans for the Biology Building and examine the inside again at the exact original entrance location. He didnat get the victim down there by wiggling his nose and thereas no evidence he used the outside bas.e.m.e.nt entrance.a aMy team and I checked that building thoroughly, Lieutenant,a Maggie said defensively.

aIam not saying you werenat thorough, Detective. But now I want that building torn apart. We have to have missed something. Itas a good idea to check out the university employees. Make a few calls when we get back to the office. See what you can find out about the floor plans, too. In the meantime, Nicholls, you and I will check to see if thereas anything new on our Thursday John Doe. Iall check the missing person reports and you go over the stolen car lists. Oh, and see if the lab was able to trace any part numbers on the car. Looks like itas time to let our fingers do the walking for a while.a THE DAY WAS shot and all Brodie had to show for it was another body, or at least part of one, and a throbbing headache. The good news was that the second victim at least had a face. She rubbed her forehead with her thumb and forefinger as she made notes to herself along with a list of questions that needed to be answered. She noticed Maggie and Nicholls seemed to be getting along and worked well together, bouncing ideas off one another.

Occasionally, her train of thought would be broken by the sound of Maggieas laughter. She had an easy, infectious laugh that made everyone around her feel good. Frowning, she tried to shut the sound out. She didnat want to feel good about having Maggie around. By five she felt like she was going cross-eyed from reading reports. Any time she had to stay at her desk for more than an hour she felt as if she was smothering. Flipping shut the folder she was reading, she stood and stretched as she pulled her jacket on. Too many thoughts and questions were shoving their way around in her mind looking for a way to connect. She had more questions than answers and needed something to distract her from her private thoughts.

aDonat think I can stand any more excitement for today, Nicholls. Everybody go home and get a good nightas sleep. Hopefully tomorrow weall have a few more reports in and can start to piece this thing together.a aI think Iall just run over my notes one more time,a Maggie said.

Nicholls leaned down next to her as he slipped his jacket on. aBrown noser,a he whispered.

aWhatever works,a she said, smiling up at him.

Chapter Three.

JUST AFTER LUNCH Tuesday, Brodie was bravely pouring another cup of coffee when the telephone on Maggieas vacant desk rang. After a few phone calls, Maggie had driven to the university to pick up blueprints of the Biology Building and the other nearby buildings. Taking a few steps across the room, Brodie grabbed the phone quickly and sat down.

aLieutenant Brodie,a she said.

aHey! Guess what we got?a Frank Cardonaas voice boomed over the handset.

aWhat?a she asked.

aThe other three-fourths of the man from Aquarius!a Sitting up abruptly in her chair, she waved at Nicholls to pick up his phone.

aWhere, Frank?a she asked, grabbing a pad.

aIn a dumpster across town. You know where that new apartment complex is going up near Manchester?

Behind that,a Cardona said. aFound a little while ago by a troop of Boy Scouts out scavenging for aluminum cans. Can you believe that s.h.i.t?a aWeall be there in a few minutes,a she said.

aNo hurry. The bodyas pretty mushy. Between that and about four hundred s.h.i.tty diapers, the smellas enough to gag a maggot, which are also plentiful. Bring Lysol, babe.a Frank Cardona was nothing if not vividly descriptive and suddenly the barbecue sandwich she had eaten for lunch was having second thoughts. She hung up the phone and grabbed her jacket from the back of her chair. Nicholls was already ahead of her.

aLetas go, Maggie,a he called as he spotted their trainee entering the building with an armful of papers. aLooks like weare finally gonna get a height and weight on the Headless Horseman.a BRODIE STOPPED THEIR car near the flimsy boundary created by yellow police tape strung around the parking lot. She was ahead of Nicholls and Weston as she flashed her badge to the officer manning the perimeter of the scene. It was easy to spot Cardona in his bright yellow coveralls. He was directing the men with him in removing the headless body through the opening on the side of the rusty dumpster. Everyone working at the scene wore a filtered mask to avoid the smell, except Frank. Brodie often thought he must have been born without olfactory nerves. Otherwise, no one could have stood the smells a.s.sociated with his work. She was grateful for the slight breeze that seemed to be blowing the odor from the body and the dumpster away from them. Frank smiled when he saw her.

aGreat afternoon, huh, Brodie?a aDelightful, Frank. Howas it going?a aHeas about ready to come out of hiding,a he said, looking behind her as he spoke. aGlad to see you brought the fox with you. Single?a aI have no idea, but since sheas still alive and kickina I donat think sheas your type.a aAh, yes. But hope springs eternal.a aMaria would deep-fry your cojones for lunch if she knew you were even looking,a she said.

aWhich reminds me. Farmed the kiddies out to grandmacita for a coupla days and Maria and I have made big plans that donat involved a deep-fryer,a Frank said with a wide smile.

aNo plans until I get my report, Frank.a aDonat worry, Iall give you a complete report on the Headless Horseman before the close of business today. You want me to send him over to Travis County?a aYeah. Iam sure theyall be thrilled to get another John Doe from us.a She looked around to see what had happened to Nicholls and Maggie. Nicholls was talking to a uniformed officer whom she a.s.sumed had been the first on the scene. Maggie was squatted down next to two boys who looked about twelve or thirteen years old. One of the boys was doing all the talking, using his hands like a hyperactive Italian. The second boy was sweating profusely and appeared to be on the verge of fainting. Maggie patted the boyas shoulder and handed him a tissue from her jacket pocket.

aHey! You! s.h.i.t for brains! I know the guyas already dead, but try not to mutilate him any further,a she heard Frank yell. One man climbed out of the dumpster and was holding onto one end of a stretcher. He had to stand in an awkward position to raise the stretcher through the opening which was an inch or two narrower than the stretcher. Frank trotted over to help his men turn the stretcher just enough to get it out. The black body bag strapped to the stretcher glistened as sunlight struck its vinyl exterior. Nicholls and Maggie joined her as she watched the men work.

aThink itas the rest of our victim?a Nicholls asked.

aI sure hope so, or weall be hunting for body parts again. What did you two find out?a aThe uniform didnat know much. Checked the dumpster and lost his lunch,a he said.

aIam sure those kids found that extremely helpful,a she said.

aThe kids appear to be okay,a Maggie said. aTheir parents have been notified and I had a unit transport them to the hospital.a aWere they hurt?a aNot really. One of them may be suffering from shock, but he wasnat the one who found the vic. The second boy was in the dumpster. When he found the body it startled him. Scratched his arm on the dumpster, so I thought someone should look at it. Might need a teta.n.u.s shot or something.a Brodie looked at her and smiled. aGood thinking. We can get a statement from them tomorrow. Give them a chance to calm down a little.a Remembering a time they had discussed having one or two of their own, Brodieas smile faded away as quickly as it had appeared.

aThe Scoutmaster said theyave been collecting aluminum cans for recycling and received a phone call this morning telling them to check out the dumpsters around here,a Maggie added, looking over her notes.