Page 35 of The Grave Artist

Jake blinked.

“Oh, sorry,” the detective said. “It’s a phrase from—”

“World of Stone.”

“Shit,” Tandy said. “You mean, you’re a nerd too?”

“Have a degree in it.”

WOSwas an online role-playing game of geopolitics and domination—like a more subtle version of the famous Risk.

“StaleState” was a term that meant two countries or armies were at loggerheads.

“One of my faves.” A shrug. Followed by a pause. Then Tandy asked, a bit awkwardly, “Maybe sometime you want to go online as a team? Or have a beer and watch the pros on Twitch?”

Jake had played the game with his brother and his niece, though that was years ago. He was suddenly looking forward to the idea. “Sure.”

“Good.”

As Jake put his tablet away and slung his backpack over his shoulder, his phone rang. He answered. “Sanchez. Have any luck?”

“None. Liam either. You at the cemetery?”

A pause. “I’m with Frank. You’re on speaker. We’ve got a lead to Ms. POI.”

A delay in her response too, then: “You’re in the field?”

There was no answer other than yes, and so he told her that.

She seemed to sigh. Sanchez hadn’t exactly told him to stay put and not go in search of a murderer, but that was clearly the implication.

“Frank.”

“Hey, Carmen.”

“Where are you?”

“North of the cemetery a half mile. No sign of HK. But Ms. POI went this way around the time your suspect disappeared. But a lot of people left so it’s not necessarily suspicious.”

“Okay. Reason I called, I heard from one of Liam’s people at the cemetery. They found that girl that HK was talking to. The teenager. She’s there with her family. She’s willing to talk. I’m a half hour away. Can you get over there and start interviewing her?”

“Sure,” Tandy said.

“Her name’s Sylvie. She’s thirteen. Sounds older, so I’m hoping what she has to say will help.”

“Maybe better if Jake goes? I might need to flash my badge to get store clerks and pedestrians to talk about Ms. POI.”

A pause. “Okay,” Sanchez said. “Just make sure she and her parents stay put. I’ll be there soon.”

They disconnected.

As Jake turned and started back toward the cemetery, Tandy said, “Ask you kind of an odd question?”

“Does anybody ever say no when somebody asks can they ask an odd question?”

“Of course they don’t.” Tandy’s grin didn’t last long. And he was suddenly uneasy—in a youthful, embarrassed way. “So. Are you and Carmen a unit?”

“Unit?”