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asking you to do your job, Ms. Peters. Do I need to talk to the juvenile judge about you?”
    â€œTalk to whoever you want. I don’t give a shit what you do.”
    Chuck Harris gasped in mock outrage, and said, “Is that how you communicate with your superiors?”
    Lisa flushed, her face as red as her hair, and jumped out of her seat. “You aren’t my superior. I don’t work for you.”
    As Chuck opened his mouth to answer, Elsie held up a restraining hand. “Chuck, for God’s sake, why would we pick a fight with the juvenile office? Now look you all, I’ve got my phone.” Elsie reached into her bag and fumbled for her cell phone. After a brief search, she found it and handed the phone to Lisa. “We can’t proceed without the guardian. Come on, Lisa, call Maureen and ask her to head on over. She mostly does juvenile stuff, so with the whole juvenile staff at the Lake of the Ozarks, she ought to be free today.”
    Lisa pressed her lips together in a thin line. Refusing to look at Chuck, she took the phone and walked off to a corner of the basement room to make the call. Chuck got up from his chair and stretched, strolling casually in the opposite direction from Lisa.
    Ashlock turned to Elsie. “Good thing I brought you along. The floor would be wet with blood without your ­people skills.”
    â€œOh, I’ve got skills,” she whispered impishly.
    His jaw twitched and he winked at her.
    Lisa returned with a report that the guardian would be at Juvenile Hall within a few minutes.
    â€œSee?” Elsie said, beaming at them, “this is going to work out. Ash, where do you want to set up?”
    He glanced around the basement room; the only other equipment was a much-­abused foosball table.
    â€œLooks like this is it. Miss Peters, do you think we could rustle up a ­couple more chairs? We’ll be a little too cozy, otherwise.”
    Lisa pointed at Chuck, where he lounged across the room. “I thought they were stepping out.”
    Before Chuck could respond, Elsie spoke up. “That’s not a bad idea. Maybe we ought to scoot out of here. We can be nearby, if anything comes up.”
    â€œWe’re staying right here,” Chuck said.
    Elsie looked at him, disconcerted. “Seems like we ought to clear out. I think it’s the best thing to do, under the circumstances.”
    â€œI want to talk to you.” With a sidelong look at Lisa, Chuck added, “Privately.”
    As Lisa and Ashlock went to find chairs, Chuck said, sotto voce, “This is the first big case Madeleine has put me in charge of. I need to be in here; I don’t want anything to go wrong.”
    â€œThat’s why we need to leave. We shouldn’t be present at the interrogation of the defendant. What if we get called as witnesses down the road?”
    â€œThat’s not what I’m worried about; I have to ensure that this investigation proceeds like Madeleine wants it to. I’m worried about a small-­town cop bumbling the job.”
    In disbelief, Elsie shook her head. “Ashlock? You’re nuts. Ashlock can handle this.”
    â€œIt’s not your call, third chair.”
    Elsie leaned in toward him, and said in a stage whisper, “You better back off. And watch how you treat that juvenile officer.”
    â€œShe’s hot, isn’t she?” he responded conversationally. “I think I saw a picture of her in Barely Legal magazine.”
    Elsie reached over and shoved him. “That’s what I mean. That shit is sexist. Stop it.”
    He leaned back against the cinder-­block wall and surveyed her with a knowing eye.
    â€œMm-­hmm, that’s what I heard. You know, Madeleine warned me about you.”
    Caught off guard, Elsie stepped back. “What do you mean?”
    â€œMadeleine told me about you when I came to work here. She said you’d think you were in charge. She told me to watch