“You all did good. Now it might be better if you let her breathe.” Jack ran along the row of houses that backed up to the beach. He saw about a dozen beachgoers wondering what was going on, but no one suspicious looking. He noticed the young man was running beside him.

“I only heard one shot. Did you hear any more?”

“Nope, only one. The guy couldn’t have driven in, that’s for sure. He’d have had to run Chad down first. That’s a public beach not fifteen feet away. He could have come under the fence, fired at her, crouched next to the Sanderson house, then run out again.”

They made their way through scattered groups of people who rose to watch them. “Right about here, I’d say. By the way, my name’s Mark Nickels. I’m a senior at USC, in film.”

Jack nodded. “Chief of Police Jack Wolf.”

“Wow, man, you’re the chief of police of L.A.?”

“No, Goddard Bay, Oregon. To be the Big Dog here, you’ve got to know where all the bodies are buried. You think he was standing-where, right there?”

“Yeah, that seems right. It’s nice and sheltered. I doubt anyone got a good look at him before he went back under the fence.”

Jack knew he was right. He called Daniel to send in anyone close by, which would help only in case the shooter was dumb enough to draw attention to himself. He cupped his hand over his mouth. “Listen up, everyone! I’m Chief Jack Wolf. If any of you saw anything having to do with this shooting, come over and tell me.”

Mark Nickels yelled, “The guy tried to shoot Mary Lisa, so if you’re worried about the hassle or about missing a wave, forget it. Tell the chief what he needs to know.”

A few people detached themselves from some of the groups and headed toward them.

Jack flipped out his badge, showed it around. “Chief Wolf.”

The first kid who stepped up was so tanned and loaded down with tanning lotion, he looked like polished leather. “Dude, this sucks. Someone shooting up our own beach. I hope you guys catch this creep.”

It was the third person to step up, a girl no older than sixteen, California tan and California beautiful, who had actually seen anything useful. “I know I saw him, Chief, a brief flash, like a speeded-up scene in a movie, but it was him-he wasn’t all that tall, but tall enough, about like Dougie here, only skinnier. He was wearing a ball cap, backwards, you know? White T-shirt loose over baggy jeans, real dark lens sunglasses.”

“Could you tell his age?”

“Well, I turned when I heard the shot and he moved fast, like he was young.”

Jack called Daniel again with the description, but beyond that, the well was dry.

Jack thanked all of them, took the girl’s name and cell phone number, and walked back to Mary Lisa.

Mark said, “Do you think this is a good description?”

“Maybe. If they spot him right away. Thanks for your help, Mark.”

“That paparazzo guy still missing?”

Jack nodded.

It took Jack a few minutes to detach Mary Lisa from all the teenagers, but finally he walked her back to her house, staying on the beach side of her. She was still rubbing sand off herself where all the bodies had pressed down on her.

“Are you all right, Mary Lisa?”

If he expected her to be terrorized, she surprised him. “I have only a couple of hours to get myself together and cleaned up.”

“You mean for the party? Why don’t you cancel it?”

She shook her head. “No. After what happened, I want to be with some of my friends and neighbors. They deserve to know what’s going on here in the Colony. They all live here too.”

“Did John call you back?”

“Not yet. I called him but got his answering machine.”

“You want to go back home?”

That stopped her in her tracks. “Back home,” she repeated, and she frowned.

“Goddard Bay.”

“Yeah, that’s what you meant. Funny thing is, that isn’t home any longer. I can’t leave anyway. I’m solid on the soap for the next week. You know, we’re taping the reunion of Sunday and her father. And I’m not going to let this…monster make me run and hide.”

They had reached the house, and she turned to face him. “Thank you for being here. I’m not sorry I threw the pillow at you, but I’m glad you stayed.”

“You’re welcome.”

“You know what? I’m thinking I’d feel a whole lot better if I took a hand in this.”

He opened the deck gate for her. “What does that mean?”

“I’m not going to sit back any longer like a helpless ninny. I’m going to make a pretty good investigator, with me as my first client.”

Dallas was broadcast in fifty-seven countries and seen by 300 million viewers.

On Sunday morning, shortly after eight-thirty, Mary Lisa made her way through her trashed living room to the front door.

The doorbell sounded again and a big fist pounded on it three times.

She threw it open to see Jack Wolf and Detective Vasquez standing side by side in front of her. The morning sun blasted her in the face.

“I can’t believe you two are here at this hour. You were the last to leave the party. Go away. It’s early, my house is wrecked, and I want to go back to bed.”

“We’ll help you clean up,” Jack said and simply pushed past her. “This is important, Mary Lisa. We need to talk.”

She turned around and left them standing in her front door. Jack yelled, “I’m making coffee. Get your butt back out here in ten minutes or I’m coming in after you.”

Her bedroom door slammed.

Daniel looked after her, then back at Jack, a dark brow raised. “What’s with you two?”

“I told you what she let drop yesterday, about wanting to become her own investigator. I tried to pin her about it last night, but she wouldn’t talk about it. This is something we’ve got to nip in the bud, Daniel.”

“Yeah, well, on the other hand, it got a little wild here in the house last night-outside too-so I can understand her wishing we weren’t here on Sunday morning.” Daniel looked down at his watch. “I go to ten o’clock Mass. I got maybe thirty minutes with her, tops.”

“Good morning, boys. How’s things?”

Lou Lou walked into the living room, her hair tousled about her head, wearing a man’s short-sleeved black T-shirt that came to the top of her thighs and nothing else. Well, maybe bikini panties, but Jack didn’t want to think about that. She yawned hugely.

They heard another yawn and another woman appeared, this one wearing pale pink pajama bottoms that came to mid stomach and a dark blue short-cropped top. She looked over at the two men, nodded. “Good morning, Detective Vasquez. Chief Wolf. I forgot to ask last night-chief of what?”

Lou Lou laughed. “Don’t shred his manhood this early, Elizabeth. He’s the chief of police from Goddard Bay, Mary Lisa’s hometown. He’s here to assist Danny.”

“That’s me, Danny’s assistant.”

Elizabeth rubbed a hand over her very firm, tanned belly, both men’s eyes on those moving fingers of hers. She yawned, streaked her fingers through her hair. “Good to see both of you again. But it’s very early, you know.”

Daniel said, “Lou Lou said you were flying home yesterday, but you didn’t get here until about one o’clock in the morning. What happened?”

“Lucky me, the plane was delayed.” She gave another huge yawn.

Jack was studying her, a slight frown on his face. “I thought this last night-you look familiar.”

Lou Lou laughed. “She’s Elizabeth Verras. She’s one of our local TV newscasters.”

Daniel Vasquez was walking toward the kitchen. “You want coffee, Lou Lou? Elizabeth?”

“That’d be nice, Danny. What are you two doing here? It’s barely dawn.”

“I know you didn’t expect us, but why don’t you go cover yourself up a bit, Lou Lou, Ms. Verras? Detective Vasquez here was just planning to go to church.”

Lou Lou yawned again. She grinned now at Detective Vasquez. “Don’t be a prude, Jack. Come on to the kitchen, I’ll make the coffee. Elizabeth, you want tea?” Jack pictured her stretching up to reach the coffee or some mugs and made no move to join her.