That drew a quick laugh. “That’s true enough. Most of the time, we work for lawyers. That’s basically the gig. So you’re right, we’d be cheaper. Although we’re probably not going to be what she needs.”

“Well, I thought that at least you weren’t a cop out to get her. I thought maybe you could find out the truth.”

“Often not so easy. But you should know that the cops aren’t going to be out to get her unless there’s some evidence that points to her. And then after that, the truth might not be what you want to hear, in spite of what she’s told you, or didn’t tell you.”

“I realize that. But I feel like I… I mean we talked about it, and both of us feel like we ought to do something. We can’t just sit and let the cops build a case around her. Especially since it was somebody else.”

Mickey’s mouth broke into a smile. “So basically you’d want us to find out who killed him?”

“Or just eliminate Alicia as a suspect.”

“Well, if she’s really a suspect, what you really need is a lawyer.”

“Except that’s a problem too.”

“Why?”

“Money.” Thorpe came forward, elbows on the table. “I mean, we’ve got maybe a thousand or so between us, but that’s at the outside. It would pretty much tap us both out.”

Mickey sat back and turned his cup slowly on the tabletop. “Actually,” he said at last, “if that’s all the money you have, it’s good news in a way.”

“How’s that?”

“You can’t afford even the cheapest lawyer. And no reputable investigator would even start this kind of open-ended job for that kind of money. So you don’t have to lose any of it. And if somebody-lawyer or investigator-offers to take you on with that little as a retainer, you know you’re dealing with a shyster.”

Thorpe’s shoulders fell.

“Another good-news moment,” Mickey continued. “If Alicia does get charged, the court will appoint a lawyer for her for free. You know that, right?”