Where was that dog? A few minutes later he comes trotting up the stairs from the basement. He's alone. He lets out a moderate yelp. Turns and heads back down the steps. I follow. This cannot be good.

Not all of the spaces in the basement have been rented to dealers. The booth in the back, on the right, is piled with stock. It must be the overflow from dealers that lack space in their own spots. At the very rear sits a black leather sofa nearly pushed up against the wall.

Kato jumps onto the furniture and peers into the area between it and the wall. One quick yelp. I step up and look for myself.

"Oh shit." Residing in that crack is the body formerly know as Chucky. I grab a flash light from the shelf; take a closer look.

"No blood." I'm talking out loud to a dog. In my defense, he appears to understand every word. "Bruise marks on the throat. Strangled."

Crystal comes running down the stairs. "Call 911,” I bark. I turn and head up the stairs.

"Picker, where the hell are you going?"

"I was never here."

Back at the car I grab a cigar from the glove box; clamp it between my teeth and hit the road. No need to be tied up with the cops. I need to think. My gears are turning; there's something crucial there, in the back of my mind. The frustrating aspect is that I can't put my finger on it.

"Thomas Jefferson, one of Bigfoot's guys is dead. Murdered." I was calling TJ from the car. Kato had his head out the window enjoying the scenery. "Find the other one, Rebel. Bring him back to my place."

"Yes sur, Mr. Picker, sur" It was his way of telling me I was an asshole. Most of the time, with his Harvard degree, TJ speaks sounds very much like a New England Brahmin.

I ignored the jibe. "If it's not too much trouble, get Jaw-long for back-up. It would be really nice to keep this one intact." Jaw is TJ's friend and Tai-Chi buddy. Practically every morning at dawn can find them performing this ancient Chinese exercise routine outdoors with dozens if not hundreds of Chinatown residents. I disconnected the call and headed back to my place.