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After the three cops finished their search of the dorm room, Cynthia immediately tried calling Robbie. She did not answer so Cynthia left the first of several frantic messages. It wasn’t until the next morning, the end of a sleepless night for Cynthia, that Robbie called back.

“Where are you? I’ve been calling…” Cynthia started to say.

“I stayed at my Dad’s place. Why, what’s wrong?” Robbie replied.

“The cops were here last night. They had a search warrant and went through our room. Two women detectives and a guy in a uniform. What the hell, Robbie?”

“Did they find anything? Did they take anything? I don’t know what they could’ve been looking for,” Robbie said.

“They made me stay in the hall. They wouldn’t let me in. I called my dad and he called a lawyer. They came here but the cops had already left.

“The lawyer read the search warrant and said it looks to be in order. I don’t know. What the hell is going on, Robbie?”

“I’m not sure,” Robbie said.

“I think they looked under your bed, I mean, in between the mattress and boxspring,” Cynthia told her.

“Oh, no! My diaries. Did they take my diaries? Look please. They should be between the mattress and box spring…”

“They’re not there,” Cynthia said less than a minute later. “What’s in the diary? Why would they take them?”

There was silence on Robbie’s end for a minute while she thought about the missing diaries.

“Robbie, you there?”

“Yes, sorry, I was thinking. I have no idea what they want with them,” Robbie said. “Is there a copy of the search warrant there?”

“Yeah, it’s on your desk.”

“Okay, go to class. I’ll come by and get it. Don’t worry, I’m sure this is no big deal. Thanks, I’ll see you later. ”

Even before she read the search warrant, the first thing Robbie did back at the dorm was to go into her middle desk drawer. She found Marc’s card immediately then dialed the number.

“Marc, there’s a Robbie Craig on line three for you. She says it’s urgent. What do you want me to do?” Ryan the receptionist said through Marc’s open door.

“Robbie Craig, I thought, it was Powell,” Marc said. “I’ll take it.”

“Marc Kadella,” he said answering the phone.

“Mr. Kadella, Marc it’s Robbie, Robbie Powell. I used to be Powell now I’m using my Dad’s name,” Robbie said too quickly.

“Robbie,” Marc said then paused.

“Yes?”

“Slow down. Now, what’s wrong?”

Fifteen minutes later, Robbie entered Marc’s office through the back door. Ryan was expecting her and buzzed Marc before Robbie could introduce herself.

Marc came out to fetch her. As he did, Ryan said, while pretending to write it down, “Hold Marc’s calls.”

Ryan then looked and mouthed, “I know” at him.

Once inside Marc’s personal office he asked to see the search warrant.

When he finished reading it, he asked Robbie, “All they took were your diaries?”

“Yes, that’s all I found missing,” Robbie said. “My roommate said they wouldn’t let her in until they were finished. She didn’t see anything that they took. Why me?”

“I’m not sure,” Marc said. “They need probable cause which, if you own a TV, I’m sure you’ve heard that many times.”

“Yes, but what does it mean?”

“Whatever the judge who signs the search warrant says it means,” Marc said.

“There’s really not much I can do,” Marc continued. “These killings, these Klaw Hammer killings in the paper, they involve people you know from your trans surgery. I’m guessing that’s it. You know anything about them, the killings?”

“No, I swear,” Robbie said then raised her right hand in a two-finger Cub Scout salute which made Marc laugh.

“One of them was the shrink, Friedman. The one a couple days ago, the surgeon, was he your surgeon?”

“Yes, Dr. Miller,” Robbie softly said.

“Your Mother….”

“That was a burglar,” Robbie protested.

“I know, but it still makes the cops suspicious. There’s not much I can do about this. Do you have five dollars?” Marc asked.

“Yeah, sure,” Robbie said then pulled her wallet out of her bag.

Marc took out a one-page document from a desk drawer. He filled out some blank spaces then signed it. Next, he took the five dollar bill Robbie was holding and gave the form to her.

“Sign it down on the bottom where it says client.”

When Robbie finished signing she handed it back to Marc who said, “Good, now I represent you and I have enough money to tip the waitress at lunch.

“Here, fill out the top part of this with name, address and phone,” Marc said handing her an intake sheet.

“Are you getting any money from your mother? From life insurance or her estate?”

“No, my dad gets it all. She had a Will leaving it to him and then me if he dies before her. That’s what he told me. They weren’t divorced yet.”

“Okay. For now, go back to school and try not to worry. I know who to call to find out what the cops are up to. They probably won’t tell me anything, but they will know you are represented.

“If I find out anything, of course, I’ll let you know. If anything happens, call me right away.”

“Here he is,” Melissa said.

Lucy swirled around in her chair to see their boss, Owen Jefferson, go into his office. The two detectives were waiting for him .

“Yes, come right in,” Jefferson sarcastically said when Lucy opened his door and they went in and sat down.

“You in a bad mood today?” Lucy asked.

“I don’t know. Tell me something good.”

“Okay, we heard back from the lab and Dr. Benny. Nothing on the hammer. No blood, tissue, hair, fingerprints, nothing. It looks pristine from a forensic point of view. Looks pristine but it’s not,” Lucy began.

“But,” Melissa said, “Dr. Benny believes and will testify it is the hammer. The one used in every killing.

“The claws match exactly and there are small, barely visible to the human eye, scratches on the claws. The M.E. put the hammer under an electron microscope and compared the scratches on the claws to similar marks on the skulls of all of the victims. Benny says they’re all a match.”

“Get an affidavit from Benny and get your arrest warrant,” Jefferson said.

“There’s a problem,” Lucy said.

“What?”

“The diaries. We’ve read through the most recent one. The ones she wrote on during and after the killings,” Lucy said.

“They all claim Robbie Powell had no memory of where she was or what she did at the time of each murder. It’s either legit or she is setting up some type of insanity or at least diminished capacity defense,” Melissa said.

“Not our problem,” Jefferson said. “Get your supporting documents ready and get an arrest warrant. We at least have probable cause for that.”

“We’re already on it,” Lucy said. “We sent one to Benny to sign and send back. We may already have it.”

Jefferson’s desk phone rang and he picked it up while saying, “Wait a second,” to Lucy and Melissa.

“Jefferson,” he said into the phone.

“Lieutenant, it’s Marc Kadella.”

“How do you keep getting my personal office number?”

“I’m engaged to Maddy, remember? She has your home phone number, too. That she hasn’t given me. I’m sure your wife would like to know how she got it.”

“Oh, God, don’t go there. That’s all I need is to have to explain that. The boss knows Mrs. Kadella.

“Okay counselor, why are you calling?” Jefferson asked.

“Just curious about where you are on this Klaw Hammer Killer case the media talks about,” Marc disingenuously replied.

“Not a chance, counselor,” Jefferson said. “Now who are you…”

“A little birdy told me your detectives served search warrants on Robbie Powell yesterday. Just wondering what you found,” Marc asked.

“Because you’ve been retained by her, Roberta Craig-Powell, correct?”

“Um, well, ah, yeah, now that you mention it,” Marc said.

“Sneaky damn lawyer. I couldn’t tell you anything anyway,” Jefferson said. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”

“I am, comes with the job. I called to let you know I have been retained. Is she going to be arrested?”

“I can’t tell you that, either,” Jefferson said.

“Yes, you can. If you’re getting an arrest warrant, let me know. I’ll bring her in. You don’t need to drag her out of school or any of that nonsense. No Gestapo stuff.”

“Hey, don’t give me that! If we can’t act like histories most efficient law enforcement agency, the Gestapo, what’s the point of becoming a cop?”

“I can’t believe you said that out loud. I’m glad I’m recording this,” Marc said.

“You are not,” Jefferson said.

“You’re right, I’m not,” Marc replied.

“Are you? That’s illegal,” Jefferson said sounding worried.

“Actually, no it isn’t. But, you’re right, I’m not. What can you tell me?” Marc asked.

“Always a pleasure having these little chats, counselor. Tell you what, next time, have Maddy call. She might have more luck. Have a nice day.”