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and stop playing detective. But the puzzle had me in its grip.
    Cal came by my desk as I was getting ready to leave for the clinic. It was close enough to noon that I could claim the time away as my lunch hour.
    â€œHow you doing, Gwen?” he asked. He stood in the doorway to my cubicle. He looked uncomfortable.
    â€œDo you want a real answer or a cheery one?”
    â€œYeah. Not much happiness around here lately. Anyhow, I just wanted to be the one to tell you that Brian didn’t make bail. It’s a first-degree murder charge.”
    â€œYou sure know how to pick up a girl’s spirits.”
    â€œSorry, Gwenny.”
    â€œDid Brian say he met her that day? You know, at the restaurant near Interstate 35?”
    â€œThey were seen together. He claims she called him. He also says she was alive when he left her. However, we found her blood in the trunk of his car. Nobody ever saw her alive again after they left the restaurant together.”
    â€œI don’t think he did it, Cal. I was married to the man a long time. I would have known if he had the killer gene.”
    â€œAnyone can crack. I wish it didn’t look so bad for him.”
    â€œYeah.” I grabbed my handbag from my desk and stood up.
    â€œCan I buy you lunch, Gwen?”
    â€œMaybe another time. I have a dental appointment.”
    â€œOkay. Don’t let them drill too deep.”

    I slid my car into an empty space underneath a giant plastic molar suspended from a metal pole at the north end of the parking lot. It was a short hot walk past a takeout pizza place and a store offering two-for-one body piercings. The doors to Pine Tree Dental slid open in front of me. I headed for reception.
    I had to wait for a man with slobber dribbling out the side of his mouth to finish paying by credit card. He sounded like he was chewing on waxed paper. He left and the girl motioned me forward. She had a microphone strapped around her head that she spoke into every now and again. It was as if she was talking to a secret lover who whispered into her ear. Her name tag said Cindy . A big-toothed smiley face was pinned to her chest.
    â€œYes. Can I help you?”
    â€œI’m here about Marjory White.” I flashed my police badge.
    Cindy’s eyes got rounder. “Such a sad thing. We could hardly believe she died. It’s been a tragic month. Just tragic.”
    â€œI’m here to collect her file.”
    Cindy’s forehead wrinkled. “Why, we gave her X-rays to the police already.” She leaned forward. Her voice lowered. “I believe they had to identify Marjory by her dental records. Her body was cooked by the heat.” A delicate shiver ran through Cindy’s shoulders.
    â€œYes, but I’m looking for Marjory’s entire record. The file doesn’t have her dental history.”
    â€œWe still haven’t found it if that’s why they sent you back. Dr. Williams told that detective we’d call if it showed up. Sorry.” She spoke into her headset. “No, he cancelled. You have a root canal at two.” She turned back to me and flashed me her perfect white smile.
    I leaned on the counter as if I was settling in for a chat. “So, how well did you know Marjory?” I asked.
    â€œMarjory replaced Brit. Brit was hit by a car and broke both legs, so we had to use a temp agency. Lucky that a card for the Hampton Agency arrived in the mail that week. Anyhow, Marjory showed up and we were impressed. She volunteered to stay late and sort out the files. We miss her.”
    I pretended to hesitate. “Cindy, you seem like a person who can keep a secret. There have been rumors brought to our attention that Marjory might have been seeing one of your dentists. I wonder if you can confirm this information.”
    â€œSeeing how?”
    â€œSeeing as in dating. Having a relationship.” Boinking.
    Cindy laughed. “No possible way. Three of our dentists are women and