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"He lied."

"I'm establishing that."

"For two hundred dollars."

"I'm establishing that too."

Hutchins looked at me through the bars.

"With the coercive messages, the false representation about withdrawing the complaint, and the likely purchase of a witness statement, Mr. Kane is no longer being treated solely as a complainant."

Suspect.

The word wasn't said. It didn't need saying.

The machine Derek built had begun taking his hand.

Cash braced both palms on the bars. "I'll get you out."

I looked at my little brother. Snow melting off him. Left shoulder held low. Eyes wrecked and fierce.

"You already did," I said.

He stared at me.

It was too large a thing for the office and too plain to take back.

Hutchins turned away, giving us the privacy of not being watched.

Cash lowered his head once.

Then the outer door opened again, and cold swept through the county building around a small woman carrying her coat over one arm.

"Marnie?" I said.

She wore her Bluebird cardigan under the coat she had forgotten to put on. Snow melted in her faded auburn hair and darkened the shoulders of her uniform. Sensible shoes left wet prints across the county floor.

She looked at Cash.

Then Hutchins.

She did not look at me.

"Need a private word, Dale."

Hutchins studied her a second. "Regarding the current complaint?"

"Regarding the file in your bottom drawer."

Everything in the room stopped.

Cash looked at me.

I looked at Marnie.

She still didn't look back.

Hutchins took off his reading glasses. "Come in."