Larkin grabbed Herbie by the collar with his free hand.Bring the papers, he said. Tutor nodded. Backstage was crowded. As I worked my way toward Jesss room I saw two of Dorseys people talking to a collection of reporters. Theyd be telling the same kind of lies I usually did. Just earning their paychecks. Ekman glanced at Shoemaker.It goes no further, Devine. Who has the other? Nobody knew as much bad news as Joel Bradshaw. It wasnt that he enjoyed it, but he knew he needed to share it because that was the best way to address it. Then she made a telephone call at the phone booth, and walked back to the taxicab which had been kept waiting. No, Dino said, thats whatyou think. She smiled again.Maybe next time. He looked at his watch. Six thirty. Speers would not expect him to be home. He walked over to the wall separating their bedrooms and put his ear to it. He heard clicking. She was on her laptop. He stood there, hoping that she might make a call and he could attempt to listen, but that didnt happen. The clicking stopped. A minute or so passed and her door opened and she passed down the hall. He opened his door a crack to see her at the top of the stairs dressed in her yoga clothes. She went down the steps. She paused once again. He bought a ticket at the box office for the Sunday matinee. After that he turned toward Downtown and soon pulled up to the place in the Village where he had fought the three men. He parked diagonally behind a car at the curb and looked around. There was no police tape up, and he saw no other evidence of this being any type of crime scene. Maybe Stamos had been telling the truth. He next drove farther south to the Cowl Building and stopped in front. He could see the security guard through the glass. Id once seen a documentary on those things. How the producers of the shows ripped off the parents and how the parents — especially the mothers — turned their innocent little daughters into frightened participants in a nightmare of exploitation. Mothers screaming at their daughters when they didnt perform well; mothers evenslapping already neurotic and scared little daughters. Oh, Sig would help me. Sara told Jennifer Stamos to check out the Lombard Theater. She was worried. She was scared. Then she ended up murdered. I checked the property records and found it was owned by the Locust Group. Just like your walk-up. Im pretty sure Cowlis the Locust Group. The sheriff, angrily indignant, strode to the door, opened it, and ran down the steps. Mason, Paul Drake, and Della Street followed behind. What happened next was one of those moments you never forget. Years later it would come back to me and still have impact..