I thought about it. “The ones that are loyal to her are fanatically loyal, so I think they might.”

“So either she forgot to tell them to stop, because she’s busy doing something else . . .”

“Or she’s just that crazy,” I said.

He nodded. “Or she’s that crazy, or they’re waiting to either kidnap you, or kill you.”

“Fuck,” I said.

“You need to talk to Jean-Claude.”

“I thought you didn’t like him,” I said.

“You don’t like Donna either,” he said.

“So we each don’t like the people that the other one loves.” I shrugged.

“You need bodyguards, Anita.”

“Why not just go home to St. Louis?” I said.

“The Marshals Service frowns on us leaving a case in the middle of it, but that’s not the problem.”

The other marshals were moving toward us. I moved closer to Edward, and asked, “Then what is the problem?”

“How would you go home?”

I frowned, but answered. “I’d get on the first plane I could catch and go home.”

“The police would drop you off at the airport, and then you’d be alone.”

“What?”

“You’d be in the airport, and on the plane alone, Anita. If I really wanted to take you and it was important to not be seen doing it, that’s what I’d be waiting for, you alone, away from the other police, and Jean-Claude.”

I leaned close, speaking low. “So what do I do?”

“Have some guards come in from St. Louis.”

“How do I explain that to the other cops?”

“We’ll think of something.” And then I knew the other marshals were too close to talk more, because Edward’s face folded into a grin. His face lit with that charm that Ted always seemed to have. If there was an Emmy award for hired killers, Edward would so have won.

I wasn’t nearly that good, but I managed a pleasant blank face to my fellow marshals. They asked, “See anything that’ll help us catch these bastards?”