I scroll throughout the record back, my hands dancing around the reveal, quicker and swifter. each evening, an analogous quantity. Ten o’clock. Outgoing name. name under a minute lengthy. each evening. Peter Zell’s cellphone is getting carrier in my condominium, bars, similar to me. I name the secret quantity and it's picked up after jewelry. “Hello? ” The voice solutions as though from inside of a haze, whispering, confused—which is completely comprehensible. You don’t get calls each day from a useless man’s cellular phone. yet I realize her at once. “Ms. Eddes? It’s Detective Henry Palace, from the harmony Police division. I’m afraid we’re going to wish to speak back. ” * * * She’s early, yet I’m even previous, and Ms. Eddes sees me ready and springs correct over. I part upward thrust, the ghost of my father within the small ritual gesture of politeness, and he or she slides into her facet of the sales space. after which, ahead of i'm totally again in my seat, I inform her I savor her coming, and she’s obtained to inform me every little thing she understands approximately Peter Zell and the conditions surrounding his dying. “My goodness, Detective,” she says mildly, lifting up the thick modern menu. “You don’t fiddle. ” “No, ma’am. ” and that i supply it to her back, my complete tough-guy deadpan speech approximately how she’s acquired to inform me every little thing she understands. She lied to me earlier than, left issues out, and I’m attempting to make it transparent that such omissions usually are not tolerated. Naomi Eddes seems to be again at me with raised eyebrows. She’s donning darkish crimson lipstick, her eyes are darkish and large. The white curve of her scalp. “And what if I don’t? ” she says, taking a look down at her menu, untroubled. “If I don’t inform you every little thing, I suggest. ” “The factor is, you’re a fabric witness, Ms. Eddes. ” I practiced this speech numerous instances this morning, hoping I wouldn’t need to convey it. “Given the data I now have, I suggest the truth that your quantity is all around the victim’s telephone …” I must have practiced extra; this type of tough-as-nails posturing is lots more uncomplicated with Victor France. “And on condition that you selected, final time we spoke, to maintain that info to your self. actually, i've got reason to take you in. ” “Take me in? ” “Have you held. less than kingdom statutes. Federal, additionally. Revised New Hampshire legal code, section—” I pluck a sugar packet from the caddy within the middle of the desk. “I’d need to lookup the part. ” “Okay. ” She nods solemnly. “Understood. ” She smiles, and that i exhale, yet she’s now not performed. “Held for the way lengthy? ” “For the …” i glance down, glance away. I supply the undesirable information to the sugar packet. “Held for the remainder of it. ” “So, in different phrases, if I don’t commence spilling every thing correct this second,” she says, “then you’ll throw me in a deep, darkish dungeon and go away me there till Maia makes landfall and all of the global is ate up in darkness. Is that it, Detective Palace? ” I nod with no conversing, lookup and locate her smiling nonetheless. “Well, Detective, i don't imagine you are going to do this. ” “Why now not? ” “Because i believe you may have a bit of of a overwhelm on me. ” I don’t comprehend what to assert to that, i actually don’t, yet my palms are rather doing a bunch at the crimped paper border of this sugar packet.