Your Honor, Burger said, this is a preliminary hearing. The object of a preliminary hearing is to determine whether a crime has been committed, and if so, whether there is probable cause to believe the defendant guilty of that crime. First class, Dino replied. I started up the stairs and didnt meet anyone until I reached the second landing and turned to go up the remaining flight to the third story. A man came down the stairs. He was in a hurry, maybe even a rush, because he took the steps two at a time. I stepped back out of his way. He didnt see me at first because he was watching his feet, making sure not to trip. He looked up finally, saw me, hesitated — or seemed to — and then kept on going. I thought he even picked up a little speed. Sometimes luck has nothing to do with it. Sometimes it just happens when you least expect it to. The devill Mason exclaimed. You do know you saw this woman on the afternoon or evening of June third? Mason asked. Yes, I was. We worked together. We were friends, as I told you on the phone. Im very sorry shes gone. A woman named Jean Fellows had been a reporter before retiring. She was second in command here. She should have been first. All Id heard about the number one, someone named Mary Schmidt, was that Jean had to follow her around and fix her mistakes. Schmidts husband had contributed something like seventy thousand dollars to the coffers so his wife had her choice of positions. That would explain some things. And Stamos and Sara were apparently a couple but keeping it under wraps. Maybe thats why Stamos was killed. More luck than not. No, Your Honor, Hamilton Burger said. This witness will undoubtedly be subjected to a long and grueling cross-examination. He is a surprise witness and— HerI sure love you, Daddy was the security blanket I needed tonight. He told me about you and Murfin at that meeting. Does Murfin always carry a blackjack? The smells didnt miss them. A woman from one crew kept saying she was going to upchuck and the man of the other said the whole place smelled like an Afghan whorehouse. Sure, Mason said, you looked the walls over. You didnt look at the ceiling. Yes, thereis a chance, the witness admitted. Judge Garey glanced at the prosecutor. Just roommates dont give women who are moving into a guys bedroomthat look. She might as well have peed on the floor to mark her territory. She was standing at the far end of the beer-slopped bar. The place was full of young people and the occasional person over fifty trying and failing to fit in. Devine looked to be the only thirty-something there, but maybe his math was off. And he looked older than he actually was; mortal combat just did that to you..