“Ah, well, yes, sometimes,” Sherlock said. She grinned at her husband and poured herself some tea from her mother’s prized Edwardian teapot.

Sean said, “Julia told me about her little boy. She said he died.”

“I didn’t know that,” his father said.

“Do you think Julia and Cheney are working out with Grandpa and Grandma?”

Isabel poured Dix and Ruth more coffee. “Could be, Sean, but first I think they wanted to be alone for a little while, you know, talk things over.”

“The discussion,” Sean said. “But, Isabel, I don’t understand. What—”

“Oh my, Sean, I believe some toast just popped up.” And Isabel escaped to the other side of the kitchen.

Sean said to Dix, “Rob and Rafe told me how their mama, Christie, died a long time ago, Uncle Dix,” and he slipped his hand into his mother’s.

Dix said, tightening all over, “Yes, she did, Sean.”

“I don’t want my mama to die and leave me.”

“She won’t,” Dix said. “That’s a promise from a big bad sheriff, okay?”

Sean nodded.

Dix rose. “That reminds me. I need to speak to my sons, see what they’re up to and hope they’re telling me the truth.”

“Say hello for me,” Ruth called after him. She added, “Hey, Sean, I hear you’re going to go check out the courthouse with your granddad this morning.”

Cheney and Julia appeared in the kitchen doorway. They looked well-rested, and relaxed, and Julia’s eyes were shining.

Nothing like full-bodied discussions to jump-start a person’s day, Ruth thought.

Cheney’s cell phone rang, and he turned away.

When Cheney walked back into the kitchen, he took a quick look at Sean, and said, “That was Makepeace. He told me where Kathryn Golden is. He told me to come get the worthless idiot, she’s of no use to him at all. She’s at the Mariner Hotel in Palo Alto, Room 415.”

“It’s obviously a trap,” Savich said.

“Yes, but it doesn’t matter,” Julia said. “We have to go get her. Let me get my jacket, Cheney.”

Savich said, “Wait. Neither of you is going anywhere. You know very well that Makepeace is probably waiting there with a scoped rifle. No, you’re staying right here.” Savich went into command mode. “Ruth, Dix, you guys head down to Palo Alto. Sherlock and I will follow once I’ve made some calls and gotten as much protection as I can.”

Ten minutes later, Dix and Ruth were on 280 South headed to Palo Alto.

In the Sherlock home entrance hall, not a foot from the front door, Julia stood toe-to-toe with Cheney. “I’m not staying all snug and hidden in the Sherlocks’ damned gym. I’m coming with you and Sherlock and Dillon.”

“No, you’re not, Julia. And don’t even think about comparing yourself to Sherlock. You’re a woman like she is, I’ll go along with that, but she’s a professional, and she’s trained to kick butt. It would be incredibly stupid for you to show up at that hotel. He’s after you, he wants to kill you. I’m not about to take the chance.

Forget it.”

“He’s after you too, Cheney,” Savich said mildly. “I would be if you’d stuck your nose in my business as many times as you have and beaten me. No, both of you are staying right here. Captain Paulette just pulled up. You two tell him what’s going on. I’ve got phone calls to make.”

Cheney and Julia continued to argue. “He’s down in Palo Alto, waiting for us to show.”

“For all you know, he’s off trying to kill the mayor.”

“Don’t be cute. Look, Julia, if I have to tie you down, I will.”

“Or the two of you could pay a nice visit to the gym downstairs again,” Sherlock said.

Savich said, “Listen, when we’ve gotten Kathryn Golden back, all of us need to meet at Julia’s house. We need to find August Ransom’s journals. Just be patient. Sherlock, we’re outta here.”

A minute later, they were on the road in the judge’s black Beemer.

Frank said to Cheney, “If they get the psychic safe and everyone’s back up here, I’ll get everything ready to go—I’m thinking a couple of undercover cops, no SWAT, that’s overkill, what with Makepeace in Palo Alto.”

“You know the available resources better than I do,” Cheney said.

Forty minutes later, Savich dialed Dix’s phone from the car. “You there yet?”