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“Supay,” said Seeley at last. “I think you are Supay.”

Inside, the Mexicans dispersed, returning to their tasks. La Señora’s dry fingers stroked Seeley’s face, the right index coming to rest against his lips. When she spoke again, it was in her usual register.

“How much longer?” she asked.

“As soon as night falls,” said Seeley to the god of the underworld, the god of the dead and dying.

La Señora nodded. Seeley stood. He re-entered the building, went to the bathroom, locked the door, and tried to scrub away the memory of her touch.

CHAPTERLXXXII

Macy agreed that the police lacked probable cause for a warrant to search Triton’s property, and Yarmouth PD, with fewer than twenty officers, didn’t have the resources to mount a major surveillance operation. The FBI’s Art Theft Program would be able to do it, assuming they were interested, but they’d need time to set up. Their resources weren’t as limited as Yarmouth’s, but they were as stretched as any other branch of law enforcement. Macy thought it might take them between two and three days to get moving, though Ross might be able to help accelerate the process.

“You contact him,” she said. “I’ll alert Falmouth to what’s happening, detailing the source of my information. Even if they can’t do much, the machinery will have been set in motion, and both of us will be unsullied. I know you were trying to help Zetta, and save Wyatt Riggins too, but if you’re right about everything, the best way to do that is to bring in Ross and the feds.”

Sometimes, that’s the way cases peter out: without a satisfactory resolution and with only a semblance of order restored. Anyway, order, justice, and reason were myths. Underlying all was chaos. The natural order was disorder.

“Until the feds or the local law get involved,” I said, “we’ll keep Tony and Paulie where they are—with assistance.”

Macy glared at me.

“You’re going to join them, aren’t you?”

“The fresh air will do me good.”

“If anything happens—”

“Nine-one-one, I promise.”

She kissed me, carefully avoiding my ruined nose.

“I want this relationship to work,” she said.

“So do I.”

“It can’t work if you’re dead.”

She kissed me again.

“I’ll stay out of trouble,” I said.

“Liar.”

“But one with the best of intentions.”

I was tired of being alone. I hadn’t realized just how tired until I wasn’t alone anymore.

MACY CONTACTED YARMOUTH PD.She informed them that I continued to regard Zetta Nadeau as a client and, in line with my commitment to her, had arranged to watch her place of residence, and by extension that of her landlord, Mark Triton. I called Ross from Louis’s car, as he, Angel, and I drove north to join the Fulcis. I put Ross on speaker and gave him everything I had, holding nothing back.

“Why didn’t you just bring in the Portland resident?” he asked.

“Because he’d call his boss, who’d call his boss, who’d call you. This way, I’m saving the taxpayer money.”

“You’re sure about Triton?”

“Close enough. Do some digging, and you should find the tie to Devin Vaughn. Triton’s an art dealer, not a criminal—though given some of the prices he charges, that may be a moot point. But somewhere, he’s been careless.”

“I’ll talk to Boston,” said Ross. “If I can bring them around, we couldhave people on this by tomorrow morning. If I can’t, you’ll have to rely on the natives. I was about to add ‘and your own discretion,’ but you don’t have any.”