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glumly. “A window got busted in my old man’s car, and they called the cops on me.”
    “Ah.” Kerry’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You need help getting out?”
    Lena was very quiet for a few seconds. “You’re the only person I know that doesn’t make minimum wage. My folks told me to rot in here.”
    Blue and green eyes met. “We’ll be right down there. You at the main jail? The one off Flagler?”
    “Yeah,” Lena whispered. “Thanks, Kerry.”
    “No problem. Take it easy until we get there.” Kerry hung up and put the phone down. “Stupid son of a b—” She was stopped with a kiss. “Damn it, Dar. What the hell is wrong with people?”
    “I don’t know.” Dar wiped a bit of water off Kerry’s cheek.
    “But we’d better get dressed and go bail your little buddy out.
    Then we can worry about her dimwitted genetic contributors.”
    “Pah.” Kerry sloshed out of the tub, grabbed a towel, and handed Dar hers. “Poor kid. How could they let her be taken down there? She’s probably scared half to death.”
    “She the one with the tattoos?” Dar asked.
    “Yeah.”
    “Mm. And the nose ring?”
    “Yeah.”
    “She’ll be fine.”
    They walked into the condo and were halfway across the living room before Kerry stopped and turned with her hands on her hips. “Do you know this from personal experience?”
    Dar rubbed her face and just kept walking, a faint chuckle escaping her.
    “Oh, I can’t wait to hear this story.” Kerry followed, with a chuckle of her own.
    THE DADE COUNTY primary jail was, as most jails are, a supremely depressing place. The walls were institutional beige, and the floors were repeatedly shined heavy tile. Kerry was 26 Melissa Good sharply aware of the glances thrown her way as she entered and was glad of Dar’s light touch on her back as they walked across the starkly lit lobby to the processing desk.
    Thick, bulletproof glass protected the woman seated behind it and it took a moment before she realized someone was there and looked up. “Yes?”
    Ew. Kerry exhaled. “A friend of ours is in here. I’d like to see about getting her out.”
    The woman looked at her, then pushed a pad across the desk and through the small opening in the glass. “Name?”
    Kerry glanced at the pad, then fished in her purse for a pen.
    She realized she didn’t know Lena’s last name at the same time Dar handed over her favorite heavy, silver-cased ballpoint.
    “Thanks.” Kerry scribed the first name, then hesitated. “I’m sorry.
    I only know her first name.”
    “Real good friend of yours, huh?” The officer took the pad back and studied it. “Could be worse; could be Maria. Lemme go look.” She ripped the top sheet off the pad, got up, and disappeared into a cluttered area full of files and tall cabinets behind her.
    “Hm.” Kerry rocked on her heels. “I feel pretty stupid about that.”
    Dar shrugged, laced her fingers together behind her back, and glanced around the lobby. “Hasn’t changed much.” She accepted Kerry’s curious look. “After I…” Dar paused and inclined her head. “That little incident at the club I think you mentioned once.”
    “Ah.” Kerry did, indeed, remember. “They brought you here?”
    “I was pretty young,” Dar said. “They wanted to make sure one of the jackass’s friends didn’t come after me. They called Dad and he came down to pick me up.”
    Two officers with an obviously inebriated young woman slung between them pushed by. Kerry moved out of the way and ducked as the woman wildly swung an arm. “Whoa.” Dar pulled her to one side and hovered protectively over her. Kerry decided a distraction was appropriate. “So, Dad picked you up, huh?”
    Dar’s nose wrinkled at the sudden stench of vomit. “Yeah.”
    She took another step backwards, tugging Kerry with her. “He was, um…”
    “Proud.” Kerry tried to breathe through her mouth.
    “Well…”
    “Paladar Katherine Roberts, I can just stand here and picture your