The Night Crew

know you were a hotshot when you were with the sheriff’s department, but I don’t think we really need . . .’’
    Harper grinned at her and said, ‘‘Shhh . . .’’
    ‘‘What?’’
    ‘‘Just a minute ago you were really worried about Creek. That’s a very nice aspect of your personality.’’ He looked at Anna and tipped his head toward the door. ‘‘Let’s go. We can be back in two hours.’’ On the way to UCLA, Harper said, ‘‘I’ve got a question, but I don’t know exactly how to phrase it.’’
    ‘‘Think real hard,’’ Anna said. ‘‘Pretend the question is a putt.’’
    ‘‘Okay. The thing is, you’re an interesting woman. We’re just starting to know each other, and I figure we can go one of two ways—we can have a pure business relationship, or we can think about maybe, you know, doing something together. I mean, not for sure, but leave the possibility open, since you don’t seem to be involved with anybody. You know what I mean?’’
    ‘‘No. I don’t think I understood the last sentence at all; it was too complicated,’’ Anna said. She understood. She was also enjoying herself.
    ‘‘I’m saying that I’ve been tempted to come on to you, just a little bit,’’ Harper said.
    ‘‘A little bit tempted, or a little bit come on?’’
    He changed lanes with a lurch, cutting off a Mercedes that had been coming up from behind. ‘‘A lot tempted to come on a little bit.’’
    ‘‘Okay, I’ve got that. Go ahead.’’ She put her feet on the dashboard.
    ‘‘But if there’s no point, I’ll forget it,’’ he said. ‘‘Give up. On the other hand, if there is a point, then I’ll continue to be tolerant and charming and liberal and shit, in my own cowboy way.’’
    ‘‘Jesus,’’ Anna said, pinching the bridge of her nose. ‘‘Cowboy. You were probably born in Reseda.’’
    ‘‘So is there a point, or not?’’
    ‘‘Well,’’ she said, letting her eyelids droop, ‘‘I wouldn’t totally give up.’’
    ‘‘Totally,’’ he said, satisfied. Tracing Bob took time. The administration offices were closed, but they found a course guide in the library. Anna thought Bob and Jason had been taking an editing course together: they found a course description that might be right, located the classrooms on a map. They got into the building as a kid was coming out, then walked through the hallways, looking for someone who might be a teacher. They didn’t find any, but after talking to a few students, scored with two pale-faced kids in an editing room.
    ‘‘Red-haired guy, skinny, sorta hard-faced like a skater,’’ Harper said, giving them a description from Anna.
    ‘‘Like from Arkansas, or somewhere? This hillbilly accent?’’ asked one of the kids.
    Anna snapped her fingers: ‘‘That’s him: I forgot the accent.’’
    ‘‘Well, his name’s Bob, all right. I don’t know his last name, but he works at Kinko’s, at night.’’ Bob was already on the job, and recognized Anna as soon as they walked in. He lifted a hand, walked over: ‘‘How’s it going?’’
    ‘‘We need to talk,’’ Anna said. ‘‘About Jason.’’
    ‘‘Jason? I haven’t seen him for a couple of weeks.’’
    ‘‘We do need to talk,’’ she said. She looked around. ‘‘Who’s your supervisor?’’ They took him out behind the Kinko’s, into an overflow parking lot, where he lit a cigarette and said, ‘‘Jesus, I can’t believe he’s dead. Dead?’’
    ‘‘We’re gonna send his ashes back to Indiana,’’ Anna said.
    Bob—his last name was Catwell—shuddered: ‘‘When I die, I hope they don’t send me back to Fort Smith. Nasty.’’
    ‘‘He was murdered,’’ Harper said. ‘‘The guy who did it took his time. Beat him to death. His skull was in about fifty pieces.’’
    ‘‘Aw, man,’’ he said. Then: ‘‘What do you want? Why are you talking to me?’’
    ‘‘Whoever killed him may be coming after me. I don’t know why, but that’s the way it is,’’ Anna said. ‘‘There’s a possibility that whoever did it was somehow involved in dealing drugs to Jason. You know Jason got into it a little heavy—and the last time I saw you, you both were into it.’’
    ‘‘Oh, no,’’ Catwell said. He flicked the cigarette in a bush and took a step back toward the store.
    Harper moved quickly—very quickly—between Catwell and the Kinko’s back door. Anna remembered the ease with which he’d taken her at the