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The first book had been for her, and it had helped, and the pain had become at least bearable. Finally, they had found Nutmeg Hill and renovated it, and yet even today Lyon avoided the Green whenever he could.
    It had taken Rocco Herbert three weeks to find the driver of the car. Someone at City Hall had told Lyon that the big police officer had contacted every body shop in the state, working eighteen hours a day until he found the hit-and-run driver.
    â€œ ANSWER THE PHONE , PLEASE .” Bea’s voice dragged him back and he sleepily reached for the bedside phone.
    â€œThe cat chewed Remley’s Wobbly, and she wants to know if you could get her another one.”
    â€œOh, God, Rocco. It’s two o’clock in the morning.”
    â€œShe made me promise to call you.”
    â€œShe shouldn’t be up so late.”
    â€œShe went to bed at seven, but I wanted to get the chemist’s report on the metal assay before I called you. I had them work through and call me as soon as it was done.”
    â€œI would have thought a crime that had waited thirty years to be discovered could wait until morning to be solved.”
    â€œI took it down verbatim, just as they gave it to me.”
    â€œGo ahead,” Lyon said.
    â€œO.K. I just hope you know what they’re talking about. Here it is. The specimen submitted weighed point seven one four six grams. X-ray and spectograph tests were performed and correlated with the other tests indicated below with a resulting correlation to prove accuracy. A Gooch silver run showed a percentage of silver and …”
    â€œNever mind all that,” Lyon said. “Is there any palladium content?”
    â€œPalladium? No, none. What does that mean?”
    â€œIt probably means that our adult male victim was either European or else someone who liked to get his dental work done in the old country.”
    â€œWhere in hell did you pick that up?”
    â€œThree years ago when I had my front teeth capped, nothing to read except my dentist’s library. We’ve been using palladium in dental work since the early thirties; European dentistry didn’t start until after the war.”
    â€œThat might help.” The Chief’s voice was interested and contemplative. “Maybe Immigration can help us, although I’m not quite sure how.”
    â€œLet’s think about it. See you tomorrow.”
    Lyon hung up and rolled over in bed. After ten minutes he realized that the attempt was useless. Sleep was gone, and he went downstairs to the study to see what machinations he might invent for his precocious cat.
    â€œYou’re not going to cut my balls off!”
    The prospective gubernatorial candidate stood by the fireplace shaking his finger vehemently at Beatrice.
    â€œI am not recommending that,” she replied. “I don’t advocate cutting, chopping, or in any way amputating any part of man’s anatomy. I just say our platform should include encouragement for vasectomy clinics and information centers.”
    â€œI’ve had twelve children and might have twelve more.” The ice clinked in the candidate’s glass and sloshed liquor over onto the hearth.
    â€œYou didn’t have them. YOUR WIFE DID .” Beatrice had lost control of her voice again and the candidate looked startled.
    â€œSome call that genocide of the blacks,” the black attorney in the corner of the room said and looked startled to be in agreement, for the first time, with the candidate.
    â€œ I ’ M GOING TO GIVE YOU A LESSON IN MALE PLUMBING ,” Beatrice told the candidate in her usual tone.
    â€œDon’t you yell at me, Senator.”
    Lyon Wentworth slipped out the french doors onto the patio as his wife, followed by a phalanx of other women, stalked the candidate.
    The other party noises subsided, the various conversational islands giving differential preference to the dialogue by the fireplace between Bea and her