Stone contemplated a sandy-haired nobody with indistinct features.Thanks, Lance, its useless; probably fifteen, twenty years old. In our changing world constancy is a treasure. The neighborhood was quiet. No teenagers driving up and down. No music shaking the stars. No shouts from arguing couples. Her knocks were sharp as gunshots. Mr. Barrington, this is Henry Parker at Page Six; are you aware that your name is on a death list? I know. My smile was intended to make us both feel better. But Im sure youll hear all about it.’ Its Bromfield. And stupid Hancock, after being nearly knocked off his feet by the falling MP5 guy, was spraying pistol shots indiscriminately, in a wide arc. That was fine if you had another shooter doing the same from a parallel position. Then the field of fire was overlapping and you got your target nine times out of ten. But the field of fire was not overlapping, and thus the man was screwed. I already arranged that. Shes at this old friend of hers. Stone switched on the overhead light and went carefully through each section of the wallet. There was everything a normal person would carry— drivers license, a health insurance card, three credit cards, a Bloomingdales charge card. The last thing uncovered was a piece of paper, folded and pressed very flat from being stuffed into the wallet. Listen to this, Stone said, holding up a sheet of stationery. There was a silence and then he said,Howd you get tied up with Roger Vullos outfit? Before I could say anything he held up his hand, palm outward like a traffic policeman, and said, “Dont worry, I haven’t been running a check on you. Jenny’s got a friend that works down at Vullo’s place. They gossip a lot. Sometimes it’s useful. I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy. There was even more press up by the highway. In the paper this would be page four at best. If tomorrows six oclock news was story-hungry enough it would be story three or four. What did you have against me? During the next ten minutes, Mason looked at his watch at least ten times. Then Della heard the tapping of quick steps in the corridor and impatient knuckles on the door of Masons private office. Ill take a polygraph if you show me where Sara names me as the father and you swear in an affidavit that its legit and not made up to get me to confess to something I didnt do..