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hadn’t killed him, he’d taken the round in his
intestines. He’d been eating baby food since. And he was considered lucky.
    Nick
stepped out of the car and crossed over to the house, giving a half nod to the
backup. Sam walked beside him, the two of them like normal people coming for a
visit. Reaching the front door, he paused and looked at Sam. When she nodded,
he knocked three times. After a moment, the door squeaked open and little Molly
stood half hidden behind it.
    Nick
bent down a little as he spoke. “Molly, I’m looking for the man who’s here. Do
you know him?”
    Molly
looked up and then behind her.
    Nick
stepped into the house. “Ms. Mayes. Mr. Lugino,” he called out.
    No
one answered.
    “Where’s
your grandma?” Sam asked.
    Molly
looked around as though someone might help her with the answer.
    “I’m
the detective helping with your mommy’s case. Can you tell me where your
grandma is?”
    Molly
shook her head, strands of light brown hair falling across her cheeks. “She’s
not here.”
    “Is
there a man here, Molly?” Sam asked.
    Molly
shook her head.
    He
didn’t get angry with her. These kids had been trained to lie. The abused ones
had been doing it since they could talk. Nick stooped lower so his gaze was
level with Molly’s. “Molly, it’s very important that I talk to him. Where is
he?”
    Molly
looked puzzled, then put a hand on one hip like a miniature grown-up. “He went
out when you got here.”
    Nick
stood. “Went out where?”
    She
pointed behind her. “The back door.”
    “You’re
sure?”
    She
nodded seriously and pointed to the door. “See, it’s still open.”
    Nick
cursed inwardly. “Did he know who I was?”
    She
smiled proudly. “I told him you were Mommy’s ’tective.”
    Sam
laughed at her antics, and Molly’s grin widened.
    Giving
her a smile, Nick scanned the room. He didn’t think she was lying. “Good girl.
Now lock the doors,” he said, as he raced back outside and scanned the street
for Lugino. Sam was on his heels. The officers were still sitting in the car.
McCafferty got out.
    “He
bolted,” Nick said. “McCafferty, call for backup and then stay posted on this
car.” He pointed to Lugino’s Skylark. “Lewis, head around the block from this
side. He’s got to be on foot.”
    “They
would’ve seen him if he’d come this way,” Sam said. “We should check the next
block down.”
    Drawing
his gun, Nick nodded and made his way around the side of the house. There was
nowhere to hide in the Walters’ small backyard, so Nick assumed Lugino had
taken off. Despite his frustration, he couldn’t help but smile when he
remembered the sound of Molly’s little voice talking about her mommy’s
’tective.
    Nick
ran to the street behind the Walters’. Sam held back ten feet or so, covering
in case Lugino appeared. Like Molly’s house, the houses on this street were
small, mostly ranch-style single-family homes.
    Nick
looked in both directions. The streets were clear. He hadn’t expected to find
Lugino on the street, though. If Nick were the one on the run, he would want to
find a place where the cops couldn’t find him. He looked back at Sam, and she
pointed to the right. “Further from the main street.”
    Nodding,
Nick followed her lead. Moving down the middle of the street, he surveyed each
house. He was looking for deep bush, a hidden stairwell, a visible backyard, an
empty-looking house—anything big enough for a human body. He got halfway down
the block when something stirred behind him. He whipped around to see a little
black girl coming out of a house, cradling a baby doll in her arms and
whispering to it. She walked down the three steps to the sidewalk and started
to climb onto a tricycle.
    “Back
inside,” he urged her.
    The
girl froze and looked up, her eyes wide.
    “Please
go inside,” he repeated, motioning to her. He didn’t want to scare her, but he
didn’t want her on the street at the moment, either.
    She
looked around,