Mother Katherine broke the stalemate. "It's nice to see you, Loren."

"Same here," Loren said in a tentative voice that was so not like her. Gee, what next? Would she start biting her fingernails again? "Prosecutor Steinberg said you wanted to talk to me?"

"Should we sit?"

Loren shrugged a suit-yourself. They both sat. Loren folded her arms and slid low in her chair. She crossed her feet. It occurred to her that she had gum in her mouth. Mother Katherine's face pinched up in disapproval. Not to be cowed, Loren picked up the pace so that the discreet chew turned into something more like a bovine mastication.

"Do you want to tell me what's going on?"

"We have a delicate situation here," Mother Katherine began. "It requires…" She looked up as if asking the Big Guy for a little assistance.

"Delicacy?" Loren replied.

"Yes. Delicacy."

"Okay," Loren said, dragging out the word. "This is about the nun with the boob job, right?"

Mother Katherine closed her eyes, opened them again. "It is. But I think you're missing the point."

"Which is?"

"We had a wonderful teacher pass away."

"That would be Sister Mary Rose." Thinking: Our Lady of the Cleavage.

"Yes."

"Do you think she died of natural causes?" Loren asked.

"I do."

"So?"

"This is very tough to talk about."

"I'd like to help."

"You were a good girl, Loren."

"No, I was a pain in the ass."

Mother Katherine smothered a smile. "Well, yes, that too."

Loren returned the smile.

"There are different kinds of troublemakers," Mother Katherine said. "You were rebellious, yes, but you always had a good heart. You were never cruel to others. That, for me, has always been the key. You often got in trouble because you were sticking up for someone weaker."