Fred suggested, "Perhaps Pipe...Ray...took the gun from where it fell outside the window of the Lewis house, then traded it to Michael Trapp for drugs."

"Exactly so," said Joel.

Nora demanded, "Can you prove it?"

"Indeed I can," Joel replied. "Stan and Dave had the condemned house bugged with video and sound. They’re after a major drug dealer known as Cowboy, but they don’t know his real name. The roof of that house leaks. Water got into the basement. It killed the transmitter, so we didn't get a signal out in the truck, but the rest of the equipment still functioned. Dave had a videotape recording going in the house itself. It only goes on when there is activity in the house, so the tape doesn't run out too fast."

Nora asked, "Do you have that tape?"

"Indeed, I do," Joel said, unable to keep joy from his voice.

He turned on the VCR and TV. The TV screen showed Michael Trapp alone in the house. A time code in the corner showed it was 9:40 p.m. with yesterday's date. Trapp got out a small silver mirror. He poured out white powder on that, which he formed into lines. He rolled up a dollar bill. He stopped when there was a knock on the door. He answered it, letting in Ray and Beth. Ray addressed Trapp as Cards. Ray asked if he had seen Cowboy recently. Trapp said that Cowboy was not there, but he had seen Cowboy only yesterday, so was very well stocked. Ray said that he wanted to buy wet.

Nora interrupted, "What did Ray ask?"

Joel hit pause, then said, "We don’t know whom he means by Cowboy. I talked to Ray last night, but he claims all he knows is the streetname and that Cowboy dresses...well...like a cowboy. Big hat, cowboy boots, and so on."

Nora said, "I meant what wet object is Ray trying to buy."

Joel explained, "Ray means wet as a noun. It is marijuana or tobacco laced with PCP or formaldehyde. In this case, it was marijuana with PCP. Ray had a bag of it in his pocket when we caught him. You’ll see him get it in a moment."

Joel hit play again. Trapp said that Ray already owed him money. Ray said that he had a handgun he'd stolen from his father. He said that his father wouldn't miss it because his mother made him store the gun in the attic. Ray said that he was going to pawn it, but thought he might get a better deal offering it to Cards or Cowboy directly. Ray proudly pulled out the gun.

Fred muttered, "I think that's Eric's gun."

Joel was unabashedly grinning from ear-to-ear as he paused the tape and declared, "That's it!"

Nora remarked, "Shouldn't you state that cautiously?"

Joel said, "Dave and I compared the firing pin from that gun with the imprint in the casing in Eric's room. Perfect match. Same with the gun's ejector and the ejection marks on the shell. Besides that, the gun has a scratched handle. Dave took a casting in the mud outside the window where the gun had fallen. The casting shows the same scratch in the imprint as is on the handle of the gun. Here, in this folder, I have the photographs showing all that."

Joel pulled those out.

Fred asked, "What about ballistic tests?"

"About five in the morning, Dave fired the gun into a gelatin block. Under the microscope, the markings match the slug taken from your vest and the slug taken from Sharon's leg. A formal report will be done later, but I looked under the microscope personally. It matches."

Joel continued the tape. They saw Trapp examine the gun. He said that it paid off Ray's debt, plus a little extra. He handed over a plastic bag filled with a brownish material. Ray took some out of the bag, put that in his pipe, then put the bag with the rest in his pocket. After this exchange, Beth asked for heroin.

Nora commented, "She didn't use a slang term. Is the popular slang term still smack?"

Joel replied, "I think so."

Nora said, "Since she said heroin, we won't have to translate to a jury. I notice Michael Trapp uses the nickname Cards, Ray Newman uses Pipe, and an unknown man uses the name Cowboy. Yet, Beth is just called Beth."

Joel said, "I don't know why Beth doesn't have a streetname."

Nora claimed, "It seems sexist the guys get streetnames, but she doesn't."

"Not one of the things I'm too concerned about," Joel said. "You'll be interested in what happens next."

On the tape, Ray claimed that as long as the drugs were only smoked rather than injected, he would be safe from addiction. Beth ignored Ray. She pulled out some twenties. Michael Trapp handed over a small packet and also an injection needle.

"Ray's claim is absurd and dangerous," Nora snapped.

Both Fred and Joel nodded, as they'd seen ample evidence of that over their many years on the force. Fred thought back to when he had been in college and his fellow students had claimed that cocaine wasn't really addictive. It'd been many years since he'd heard anybody claim that, as so much overwhelming evidence showed how addictive cocaine could really be. Fred thought of how many foolish ideas he'd had back in college.

As the tape continued, they saw that Trapp said that while he liked heroin, he liked snorting coke also. He pointed out the mirror with white powder. Trapp said that Beth was so pretty that he'd give her have a free snort. Beth put her packet of heroin and the needle into a pocket of her tight jeans, then moved to the counter. Ray squatted on the floor and lit his pipe. Trapp looked at his new gun more closely, hefting it. Then, a shout came that this was the police, followed by a pounding. With the gun still in his hand, Trapp ran from the room, but Beth and Ray stayed as frozen as if deer in a spotlight.

After the video was over, Fred said, "I feel better after seeing that."

Nora said, "Do you know if Eric Lewis was also on drugs?"

Joel replied, "Even the preliminary report for the autopsy isn't done yet, so I don’t know. It'd explain much if he was."

Fred guessed, "Eric Lewis probably was, given his actions. Ray Newman certainly acted under the influence of something when I talked to him outside the house. How's he holding up?"

Joel said, "I had all three suspects sent to the hospital immediately after we arrested them."

Nora asked, "Why'd you do that?"

Joel replied, "As a precaution. We've had addicts die in cells before. Sometimes they die in the hospital too, but they're better prepared with IV's, helpful drugs, and what-not. I can hear Fred's stomach growling again, so I think you two should go eat."

Fred said, "I appreciate that you've already worked so hard at this, Joel."

Nora started to get up, then sat back down and said, "Today's news has Eric Lewis's name in it. Yesterday, the television and late television news did not give a name. Was his name officially released or did Mrs. Lewis herself give it out?"

Joel replied, "We officially released Eric’s name late last night. We held off on until we had informed his father, who is in the state prison. For life."

Fred gave a long whistle.

Nora snapped her fingers, then said, "That his father is a convict might be motive for Eric. He may have hated the police, blaming them for what happened to his father."

Joel added, "That's not all. Mrs. Lewis has had many shoplifting arrests. She even did a three-month jail term after being caught so many times. That was four years ago."

Fred said, "So, Eric had motives for hating the police for what happened to both his parents."

Joel suggested in addition, "Beth claims to have been Eric's girlfriend. Ray confirms that Eric and Beth were dating. She's been arrested before on a drug charge, but didn't serve any time. The judge was lenient because she was a first-time offender and a minor then. She just turned eighteen a week ago. Getting caught now is far more serious. You saw on the tape how she acted when Maureen got the needle stuck in her glove. Beth clearly hates the police too."

Fred claimed, "With the recovery of the gun, the video at the drug house, the various other evidence, and motives for Eric's action, I should get through this okay."

"I think you will," Joel agreed.

Nora warned, "As a football coach once said, 'It isn't over until it's over.'"

Fred and Nora left. A little later, Joel came out of his office.

Ralph was walking down the hallway and said, "Hey, Joel. I just got back after getting some sleep. You look like you could need some."

Joel snapped, "Ralph, did you talk to any reporters?"

Ralph replied, "There was one at the hospital last night. A tall, skinny guy in a cowboy hat, fringed shirt, and snakeskin boots. He told me his name. It was Barry or Gary. Last name of Alexander. Hard to understand him because of his Western accent."

"What’d you tell him?"

Ralph responded, "I just kept repeating that I had no comment. Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?"

Joel replied, "That's right. When was this?"

"Around midnight. The reporter had a portable radio scanner with him. I asked about that. He said that he heard on the scanner that the police were sending people to the hospital. He wanted to know who and why, but I kept up the no-comments. Lots of reporters have scanners, you know. Maybe he got whatever information you’re upset about from one of the doctors or nurses."

Joel stated, "He knew about the gun being the one used to shoot Sharon. The doctors and nurses wouldn’t know that! Are you sure you didn’t tell him about recovering it?"

Ralph said, "Of course I didn’t mention that to him! I know how important it is."

Joel remarked, "Somebody did. Did you mention it to any other officers? Think hard."

"Certainly not. Besides, after getting the trio to the hospital, I went home and went to sleep. I live alone, so there wasn’t anybody around for me to tell. I just got back in here. Maybe Maureen or Dave mentioned it."

Joel said, "Dave was here with me all night, until I finally sent him home to get some sleep just a couple hours ago. I don’t think it was him."

Ralph said, "Speaking of sleep, are you going home to get some? You look terrible."

"No, I'm heading off to the hospital. Go find Maureen. Wake her up if you have to. Tell her to meet me at the hospital," Joel ordered.