Sammie placed her hand on a nearby phone. "This okay?"

The woman nodded before resuming her seat at the console.

Sammie dialed and heard a deep, clear, almost radioquality male voice pick up on the other end. "Detective squad-Ogden."

"Detective Ogden, this is Special Agent Samantha Martens of the Vermont Bureau of Investigation in Brattleboro. You just talked to a colleague of mine, Willy Kunkle?"

"That I did." "I don't want to step on any toes here, but could I ask what you talked about? He took out of here like a jackrabbit and didn't tell us what was up."

There was a long hesitation.

Sammie tried to help the man out. "I could have my supervisor call you. Or you can call him, so you'd know for sure I am who I say I am. VBI's in the phone book."

Ogden relented. "It's nothing that confidential. We were looking for a next-of-kin for a DOA we have down here."

Sammie was stunned and increasingly confused, having had to make a few calls like that herself. "Oh, my God. One of his family? But why call him? He has relatives right in New York that could act as next-of-kin."

"It's not that easy. The woman we have isn't strictly family. In fact, we don't know who she's related to. All we found in her apartment were her divorce papers from Mr. Kunkle. That's why I called him. I was looking for a blood relation and thought he could help. I didn't realize he took it so hard. That didn't come across in his voice."

Sammie nodded at the familiarity of that. "Did he give you a name?"

"Her mother's, but he said it would be a waste of time. And he was right. I just hung up on her. Told me her daughter had been dead to her for years already-that she didn't want anything to do with her. Actually, I'm kind of glad you called, 'cause we need a definite ID on this woman-"