Joel said, "About time."

"I was writing my report about last night’s raid when Ralph tracked me down. Hey, tough guy, what's wrong with you? Don't tell me you're crying over her!"

Joel said, "Beth is just a couple years younger than my daughter."

"How's Melissa like California?"

Joel replied, "She loves it. She wants Irene and me to visit for Christmas."

"Maine vs. California in December. I know which I'd choose."

Joel grinned and said, "We'll probably go."

Maureen nodded, then said, "What's up with Beth Droughton?"

Joel explained, "She nearly died a couple hours ago."

"She was screaming obscenities last night. What's wrong with her now?"

"The doctor said it’s withdrawal, but she’s out of immediate danger. Look at her arms," Joel said.

Needle tracks were plentiful on both forearms.

Maureen said, "She did it to herself. Given how happy she was when I accidentally jabbed her hypodermic needle into my glove, I'm not exactly sympathetic."

Joel explained, "Laying there in the bed, she reminds me of Melissa being in a hospital bed not long before she was to leave for college."

Maureen asked in shock, "Melissa had a drug problem? I don't believe it!"

"No, no! I thought she had the flu, but Irene insisted on bringing her to the hospital. An emergency operation was required because her appendix was close to bursting. People sometimes die if it bursts. We were lucky."

Maureen said, "You scared me for a moment. Good people don't ever use illegal drugs."

Joel said, "I've known some who have."

Maureen looked at the sleeping girl, then snapped, "I suppose you might know some people who used pot who came out okay, especially college students, but Beth is on heroin and cocaine. Probably also that PCP-laced crap that Ray smokes. All hard drugs."

"I knew some good people who used heroin who turned out fine," Joel said.

Maureen demanded, "I don’t believe it. When and where?"

"During my Army years. Soldiers back from 'Nam."

Maureen said, "You told me you never went to Vietnam."

"I didn't. I was in the military police, stationed in Germany."

"That's what I thought," Maureen commented.

Joel said, "Some soldiers came back through there. A dirty little secret was heroin was easy to get and popular in 'Nam. It was harder to get in Germany, but could be found. Given the hell they'd just went through, I couldn't condemn them too much. A major epidemic of addiction was predicted, but most soldiers managed to kick the habit. Of course, a lot of soldiers didn't ever touch it, but as an MP, I tended to see the problem people."

Maureen replied, "In history class, we were taught that going to Vietnam was a terrible experience. I could be sympathetic to a user who went through that."

Joel said, "We've no idea what Beth Droughton has gone through."

"Nothing could justify her lying about having a needle, then laughing when I got jabbed. I'm going to make the assault charge stick for that! I heard hippies used a lot of drugs during the time of the Vietnam War, but I never thought about soldiers using them," Maureen remarked, then seeing Joel's quizzical expression added, "What're you looking at me like that for? I was born in '70, so what I know about the Vietnam War came from history class."

"That can't be. You're thirty! 1970 would be...thirty years ago. Man, I feel old!"

Maureen whispered, "Joel, are you referring to yourself? Did you use illegal drugs?"

In a normal tone, Joel said, "Certainly not."

Maureen whispered again, "Not even pot?"

Joel replied, "Never even tried it."

"Are you going to ask me the same thing?"

Joel said, "No."

"Well, I haven't," Maureen insisted emphatically despite his lack of interest. "Even in college, I knew I wanted to become a police officer. I wasn't going to do anything to endanger that."

"That's nice, but I really wasn’t asking. I do have something I need to know," Joel said, getting out of his chair and moving to the far side of the room.

Maureen followed him well away from Beth’s hearing, even though Beth was unconscious so couldn’t hear anything. Moving away from a suspect to talk was such a standard precaution as to have become habit.

"Why’d you let it slip about the gun we recovered being the one used to shoot Sharon?" Joel asked.

"I didn’t," Maureen said.

"Not even to another officer?"

Maureen put her hands on her hips and complained, "I’m not an amateur. Of course not!"

Joel said, "It had to be one of us four officers that were at the house. Dave was by my side all night long until he left to get some sleep. I don’t think it could have been him. Ralph saw a TV reporter named Gary at the hospital last night. Ralph claims he never told Gary, though. I think Ralph is telling the truth. I didn’t tell anybody...Well, not until after the Gary Alexander’s TV news report about it, anyway."

Maureen guessed, "You confirmed it to Fred after that, huh?"

"Yes, and his lawyer," Joel said. "That was after they saw Gary’s TV news report on the twelve o’clock news. How do you explain that Gary found out?"

Instead of answering, Maureen asked, "Was anybody with Beth when you got here?"

"A doctor and her parents. Beth was unconscious," Joel answered.

Maureen said, "Any police, I mean."

"No," Joel said.

"Mystery solved," Maureen said.

"I don’t get it," Joel responded.

"If you weren’t so addle-minded from lack of sleep, you would."

"I admit I’m tired. Spell it out," Joel said.

"Ray Newman knows because he’s the one who took the gun. Dave accidentally let slip to the three suspects that Eric Lewis had died and Ray Newman was a witness. Beth Droughton and Mike Trapp knew that Ray was trading a handgun for drugs. Beth or Mike could easily put two and two together. Any of the three suspects could have told your reporter," Maureen explained.

"Nice theory, but the hospital staff only lets in medical personal, police, or close relatives," Joel said.

Maureen said, "Look at me, I’m not in uniform today. A nurse asked me if I was with the police. I said that I was. She let me on by. Didn’t even check my badge or ID. A reporter could easily do the same. With Gary Alexander being at the hospital confirmed by Ralph, it isn’t that surprising Gary found out somehow...even if none of us officers told him a thing. This wouldn't have happened if we had these three suspects in jail instead of the hospital."

"Beth probably would be dead from withdrawal if we'd done that," Joel remarked.

"What a loss to the world that would be," Maureen said sarcastically. "Just kidding."

Joel scolded, "I don't want her parents overhearing a comment like that!"

"All right, I’ll avoid comments like that around them. I don’t see them here now."

Joel said, "They left to go hire a lawyer. Mr. Droughton claimed their daughter has never touched drugs. It’s all a frame-up, he claimed."

Maureen declared, "This is Beth Droughton’s second drug offense. Pretty sophisticated frame-up to get that other offense in first."

Joel stated, "Unlike her husband, Mrs. Droughton thinks their daughter was drugged. However, she thinks it was against Beth’s will. She says that Beth must have been forcibly given drugs. It’s the fault of the police for not preventing it and protecting her."

"Oh, her parents are like that," Maureen said wearily, having heard denial that went far beyond any reason many times before. "Looking at her arms, that forcing of drugs would have happened dozens of times over months."

Joel said, "The doctor was here and indicated the marks on her arms. Mr. Droughton claimed these were ordinary bug bites. The doctor said that was not the cause. Mr. and Mrs. Droughton shouted at him. At least it was a break from them shouting at me. The Droughtons then left to hire a lawyer, and the doctor left to see other patients."

"I’d hate to get bitten by bugs that could do that," Maureen said with amusement.

Joel rubbed his stubbled chin, then suggested, "Let’s check Michael Trapp. Maybe he’s conscious."

They left Beth’s room and went into another room. A tall, slender, balding man stood beside the bed. The man had a notepad and a pen.

Joel demanded, "Hey, you! What're you doing?"