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her, then shoot himself? It’s a hell of a lot easier.”
    The point I’d made yesterday. “Maybe,” I said. “So why did Samuelson shoot himself if he didn’t kill the nun?”
    Robert glanced at Jarik, then back at me. “You think he shot himself?”
    I didn’t necessarily. “If not him, who?”
    Robert shrugged. “The guy his wife’s fucking. Eric Stone.”
    I shook my head. “Stone in the news, too?”
    â€œNo,” Robert said, “Stone’s not in the news.”
    â€œThen how do you know—?”
    â€œLook,” said Jarik. “You want the money or not?”
    â€œSure I want the money. Who’s backing you? Or did the two of you dig into your bank accounts on your own?”
    Robert glanced at Jarik and said, “The man would rather not identify himself.”
    â€œSo you’re paying me off for someone whose motives I don’t know?”
    Robert nodded. “That’s about it.”
    I nodded, too. “Five thousand.”
    Robert reached into his pack and pulled out two thinner stacks of twenties, each wrapped with another gold band. He put them side by side on the desk.
    â€œWhat if I say six?”
    He shrugged. “I reach into my bag and pull out more money.”
    â€œTell me something. What was the point of your surprise visit outside my house this morning?”
    â€œWe want you to remember that we know who you are and where to find you.”
    I thought about that. “Nah. I won’t take your money. Put it away and get the hell out of here.”
    Robert looked disappointed. Jarik looked angry. “I think you should reconsider,” said Robert.
    â€œNothing to reconsider. It works like this. If someone comes to my office and makes an offer I don’t like, I say, ‘sorry.’ I usually say it with a handshake and a smile but those are optional. So that’s what I’m saying to you. ‘Sorry.’ ” I smiled when I said it but I didn’t offer them my hand.
    They exchanged a look. Robert slipped the money into the knapsack, slung the knapsack over his shoulder, and turned toward the door. I felt pretty good about myself until Robert spun back. He held a pistol. He pointed it at my belly.
    â€œNo,” he said. His voice was like a dry well. “It works like this. We make an offer, we give you the money, and you take it.”
    Jarik said, “Uh-huh.”
    My Glock was on my desk. If I grabbed it, I probably could squeeze off a shot before I died, but then two of us would be dead and that wouldn’t help anyone.
    Robert put the knapsack on the desk. “You do what you want with the money. You wipe your dick with it or you spend it getting drunk or high ’cause that’s what the word on you is. Are you still into all that, Joe? Or maybe you’re clean now, and you buy football tickets and take that little nephew of yours out for a nice afternoon.”
    I heard the threat in the last bit. They could roll down a window and point a pistol at Jason as easily as at me. “I don’t like you knowing so much about me,” I said.
    â€œWe don’t want you to like it.”
    I thought about that. “Okay,” I said.
    â€œOkay what?”
    â€œOkay, I’ll take your money. I won’t investigate Judy Terrano.”
    â€œYeah?”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œOkay, then.”
    Robert put the stacks of twenties on my desk again, and he and Jarik left. They didn’t say another word. They didn’t give me a phone number where I could reach them if I had questions or second thoughts. I didn’t ask them for one.
    The sensible thing would have been to put the money in the bank and take a vacation. I’d already quit working for Samuelson, and I’d never planned to investigate Judy Terrano. I could sign Jason out of school for a week and take him fishing in Florida. That would be safe. Sensible.
    I tucked