Jane shook her head. "My brain knows you're both right, but my heart doesn't agree.”

Mel, having given his one piece of advice, waited patiently. Shelley said, "If you want my advice — and even if you don't — I think you ought to tell Mike how you feel, but leavethe decision up to him. That's how you always operate with him."

“But it's too late for him to get another job for the summer, and you know kids his age have no sense of their own mortality," Jane objected.

“But he cares a lot for your welfare, Janey," Mel said. "And as the investigating officer in this matter, I have to say I don't believe he's in any danger. No more than we're all in, all the time."

“Just consider it, Jane," Shelley put in.

“Okay, okay. I'll think about it before I say anything." She took a deep breath and said, "All right, Mel. What did you want of us? Neither of us saw anything happen."

“Yes, but you saw who was there. Would you both write down everybody you can remember, then we'll talk about your lists.”

Jane went to the desk and took out two legal pads she used for taking phone messages. She and Shelley separately composed their lists, asking occasional questions of each other. "What's the name of that woman with the weird apricot-colored hair?”

“Who's that guy who always wears the checked flannel shirts?”

“Did I really see Milly Vogrin or do I just think I did because I see her everywhere?”

Finally, when they'd written down all the names they knew, Mel copied it onto one list, eliminating duplicates, and started going through it name by name.

“To your knowledge, do any of these people have any connection to Robert Stonecipher?”

To the first couple names, both women shook their heads helplessly.

“What about Charles and LeAnne Doherty," Mel asked, working his way down the list.

“He was LeAnne's attorney when they got divorced," Shelley said.