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“It was about as solid an ID as I’ve seen.” Deputy Renee McCallister of the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department was waiting for us in the hallway. I was angry and trying not to show it. McCallister had conducted the lineup with Amy Pasko before we got there.

“Did you record it?” I asked. “Do you mind if I review the tape?” McCallister looked at Roy standing beside me.

“I’m sorry,” McCallister said. “Are you questioning my qualifications to run a lineup?”

“No,” Roy answered sharply. “She’s not.”

“What did she say?” I asked. “Exactly.”

Roy pulled on my sleeve. “One second, Renee.” Roy gave me a stern look as Detective McCallister excused herself. Roy brought me into the observation room right next door. The lineup had taken place on the other side of the one-way glass. A few of the decoy suspects were still in there. As soon as Corrine got here, they’d set it up again. The real suspect had been shuffled off to a holding cell.

“What are you doing?” Roy asked.

“You said McCallister wouldn’t mind the extra help. You also said it was my job to make sure everything was being done by the book, so we don’t have any due process issues in court later on.”

“Help,” he said. “I said help. As in assistance. We’re not here to tell a seasoned detective how to do her job.”

There was a voice in my head telling me to shut up. Amy Pasko had sat in my office and shown no sign of recognition at a photograph of Lock. Now, she’d apparently made a positive ID on whoever they’d arrested in connection with Gretchen Small’s case. I should be overjoyed. This had nothing to do with Lock. And yet, I wanted to see Amy Pasko’s reaction for myself. I needed to see it. I’d built it up in my mind that it would allow me to close the door on my suspicions once and for all.

“I’d just like to talk to her,” I said.

Roy grumbled. But before he could lecture me further, Amy herself walked right in front of us.

“I was hoping you’d get here before I left,” she said. She seemed shaken.

“Amy!” I said brightly. “I’m so sorry we didn’t get here in time.”

“Did she tell you?” Amy said. “That other detective?”

“She was just filling us in,” Roy said. “You did good work.”

“I was shaking the whole time. They told me those men wouldn’t be able to see behind the glass. But they seemed so close to me. I swear one of them was looking right at me.”

“There’s nothing to worry about,” Roy said.

“They want me to sign a statement,” she said.

“An affidavit,” I said. “I’m happy to look it over.”

“I just want to get out of here. They’re saying I’ll have to testify. That man will know who I am then, won’t he? He’ll be in the courtroom?”

“One foot in front of the other,” I said. “There’s a lot of things that have to happen before your sister’s case would go to trial. You shouldn’t let yourself get worked up. But you were certain today?”

“It’s him,” she said. “That monster was standing in the next room. I saw it in his eyes. He was smug too. He thought he could grow a beard. Cut his hair. But I know those eyes. I know who he is. I’m not afraid of him. They told me he killed another girl here. Lara wasn’t the only one. That detective said I did good though. I hope I did. That’s all I wanted. I wanted her to be satisfied. I hope I did the right thing.”

Her voice rose as she spoke. She began to tremble with rage.

Her words didn’t sit well with me. She hoped she did good? She wanted McCallister to be satisfied? If I were a defense attorney, those comments would give me pause. Was she truly certain in her ID? Or had she just said what she thought Detective McCallister wanted to hear? I should have been in the room. I would have been able to make sure McCallister didn’t give Amy any hidden cues. Didn’t in some way signal to her who the real suspect was. The stakes were just too high on this. We potentially had a serial killer on our hands. Dammit, there should have been a prosecutor in the room. If it wasn’t me, it should have at least been my counterpart here in Washtenaw County.

“You did just fine,” Roy said.

“Amy?” McCallister poked her head in. “If you’ll follow me, we’ll finish up and get you out of here.” Amy followed her. As the two of them headed down the hall, I heard Amy ask Renee once more whether she did a good job.

I turned to Roy, seething.

“Don’t say it,” he said. “I trust McCallister.”

“The problem is, I don’t trust Amy. If she says something like that on the stand, any half-decent defense attorney would rip her apart. She hopes she did good?”