D eputy Marshal Parks, what can I do for you today? How about I cop to a couple of misdemeanors, do community service, and let's call it a day?" King was sitting on his front porch watching the lawman climb out of his car and then head up the steps. The big man was dressed in jeans and a blue windbreaker that, ironically, read "FBI" and a baseball cap with the initials "DEA."

In response to King's look, Parks said, "I started doing this when I was a D.C. cop way back in the seventies. I get this stuff from every agency there is. One of the few perks we in law enforcement have. For my money, DEA has the nicest stuff." He sat down in a rocking chair next to King and rubbed his knees.

"When I was young, it was pretty cool being so big, a star football and basketball player in high school with the pleasant duty of nailing all the cheerleaders. I even carried the pigskin to pay for college."

"Where was that?"

"Notre Dame. I never started, but I played in pretty much every game. Tight end. Better blocker than receiver. Only had one career touchdown but it was sweet."

"That's impressive."

Parks shrugged. "Now that I'm not so young, it's not so cool anymore. It's just a big pain in the ass. Or the knees or the hips or the shoulders-take your anatomical pick."

"So how'd you like being a cop in our nation's capital?"

"I like being a marshal a lot better. Those were weird times. Lots of shit going on."

King held up his bottle of beer. "You off duty enough to have one?"

"No, but I'll enjoy a smoke. Got to combat this fresh, bracing mountain air somehow. Nasty stuff. Don't know how you folks stand it."

Parks pulled a cigarillo from his shirt pocket and coaxed it to life with a mother-of-pearl lighter, then snapped the lid shut. "You got a nice place here."

"Thanks." King watched him carefully. If Parks was heading up the investigation of Howard Jennings's death along with his other duties, he was a busy person, and his being here had to have a purpose.

"Nice law practice, nice home, nice little town. Nice guy who works hard and gives back to his community."

"Please, I'll start blushing."

Parks nodded. "Of course, nice successful people kill other people all the time in this country, so that doesn't mean shit to me. Personally I don't like nice guys all that much. Mark 'em as pantywaists."

"I wasn't always so nice. And it wouldn't take too much of an effort for me to revert to my old asshole ways. In fact, I feel an explosion coming on."

"That's encouraging, but don't try and get on my good side."

"And how nice can I really be? My gun was the murder weapon."

"Yes, it was."

"Would you care to hear my theory on that?"

Parks eyed his watch. "Sure, if you can spare a second and fetch me one of those brews. Funny thing, I just went off duty."

King did and handed the bottle to him. The marshal sat back in his chair and propped his size fourteens up on the railing and took a swig in between cigar puffs.

"Your theory on the gun?" he prompted as he watched the sun setting.

"I had it with me at the time Jennings was killed. According to you, that same gun killed Jennings."

"Seems pretty straightforward so far," Parks said. "In fact, I can handcuff you right now if you want."

"Well, since I didn't kill Jennings, it seems pretty clear that I didn't really have my gun with me."

Parks shot him a glance. "You changing your story?"

"No. On the six days I don't use it I keep my gun in a lockbox. I live alone, so I don't always lock the box up."

"Pretty stupid."

"Trust me, after this it goes in an underground vault."

"Go on."

"Theory number one, someone takes my gun and leaves a substitute in its place, which I take with me that night. This same person uses my gun to kill Jennings, then puts it back in my box, retrieving the substitute. Theory number two, a substitute gun is used to kill Jennings, and that substitute is placed in my lockbox and becomes the one the ballistics test was run on."

"The serial numbers on the gun we ran matched the one registered to you."

"Then it's my first scenario."

"So you're saying somebody took your gun way back when, because they would have had to do that to make an exact replica, and then did this substitution to make it look like your gun killed Jennings?"

"That's what I'm saying."

"Are you telling me a former lawman doesn't know his own weapon?"

"It's a mass-produced nine-millimeter, Marshal. It's not some fancy-ass museum piece with diamond studs. I got the gun when I became a deputy. I wear it once a week, never take it out of its holster and then forget about it. Whoever copied it knew what they were doing, though, because it seemed just like mine, weight distribution and feel of the grip."

"And why go to all this trouble to pin it on you?"

"Well, murderers often try to pin it on someone else, don't they? I mean that's sort of the point. Jennings worked for me. Maybe they thought folks would think what you said earlier, that I killed Jennings because I caught him stealing or he caught me stealing. Motive, gun match, no alibi. Lethal injection here I come."

Parks put his feet on the floor and sat forward. "Very interesting. Now, let me give you a theory in return. Jennings had lots of guys looking to kill him. That's why he was in the program. So maybe you knew he was WITSEC and ratted him out for a chunk of cash. Then whoever hired you paid you back by using your gun and stiffing you in the form of a frame. How's that?" Parks eyed him steadily.

"Actually that one works too," conceded King.

"Uh-huh." Parks drained his beer, stubbed out his cigarillo and stood. "How are the media hounds?"

"Not as bad as I would have thought. Most haven't discovered my house yet. When they do, I'll just chain off the road at the bottom of the hill, post signs and start shooting trespassers."

"Now, there's my kind of asshole."

"I told you I had it in me."

Parks headed down the stairs to his car.

King called to him. "So how come I'm not under arrest?"

Parks opened the car door. "Well, primarily because I think your theory number one has some validity. Maybe youwere carrying a substitution weapon while your gun was used to kill Jennings."

"I actually didn't think you'd accept my theory that easily."

"Oh, I'm not saying you didn't have Jennings killed and did the gun substitution yourself. Although my favorite scenario still has you ratting him out and the actual triggerman framing you for it." He looked down at the ground for a second. "No witness in the history of WITSEC who stayed in the program and followed the rules has ever been killed. That was a great sales point to potential witnesses. Now we can't claim that anymore. And it happened onmy watch. I placed Jennings here, and I feel responsible for his death. So just so you know, if you did set him up, I'll personally select the prison you'll be going to, and it'll be one where you'll scream for the death penalty about three hours after you check in, asshole or not." Parks opened his car door and touched the brim of his DEA baseball cap. "Now, you have a real nice evening."