“Melinda waited on them?”

“Yeah, that’s right. When she came to the kitchen to place the order, she told us we should check her out. All us guys already had.

“She knows all the guys are talking about her. Man, it’s nearly freezing outside and she’s wearing this tiny top, showing off her belly button.”

“She have a ring in her belly button?”

“Oh yeah, a little silver ring. And boy, her belly’s sweet, a little baby fat, but sweet.”

“Do you ever get close enough to hear them speak to each other?”

Silence, then a slow nod. “Yeah, I’m taking a combo meal, a surf ’n’ turf thing, to this couple sitting two booths down from them. I sort of slow down, you know, because she winks at me, really winks, and gives me a big grin, tosses her head. She’s got four gold earrings up her right ear.”

“Do you hear anything they say before she notices you and winks?”

Dewayne nodded. “Something about a redhead—that was the old guy talking. He looks crazy, you know? Those army fatigues and those stupid army boots, all scuffed up, muddy, like he’s been out on a battlefield, you know? I didn’t know who this redhead was they were talking about, but I wanted to hear her talk some more so I walked slower. She says something like, ‘I’m thinking the next stop should be a bank, Moses. What do you think?’ And the old guy grins some more and shakes his head. ‘I don’t think so, sweetcakes.’ Yeah, that’s what he called her. I nearly laughed to hear that old buzzard call the little chick that. Then the folks hollered at me to get them their food, so that’s all I heard. No, wait a second. I think he said something like, ‘He’s probably got himself all staked out like a goat, waiting for me to call.’ ”

Savich waited a beat, but there wasn’t any more. He said, “That’s excellent, Dewayne. Okay, now you go outside for the cigarette break. You’re smoking when you see that pretty girl walk out of Denny’s, right?”

Dewayne jiggled the change in his pocket. “Yeah, there she is.”

“Tell me exactly what you see.”

“She’s pulled that fluffy jacket back on but it isn’t long enough to cover her butt. Man, she’s got a fine butt, really nice, and she’s swinging it all over the parking lot. She knows I’m watching, even looks in my direction and smiles at me, but she’s really not paying me much attention because she’s talking on her cell phone, real intense now. Then the old guy comes roaring out of the restaurant, maybe because he sees her on the cell phone. He starts yelling at her. I thought he was going to hit her for a moment, and she says something like ‘Don’t hurt me.’ He grabs the phone, still yelling, and pushes her into the van.”

“Look at the van, Dewayne. Do you see it?” At the young man’s nod, Savich continued, “That’s it. I want you to look at the van now, not the girl. Tell me what you see.”

“It’s hard, man.”

Savich waited.

“I’m still looking at her, hoping the old guy doesn’t hit her. I watch her put those big sunglasses back on. Then she turns to look at me and blows me a kiss. Do you believe that chick? Okay, the van. It’s an old Ford Aerostar, filthy white, makes me wonder what kind of slob that old man is to let his wheels get that dirty. It’s one of those cargo vans—you know, windows on one side but not on the other. It’s got a roof rack and sliding side doors.”

“Is there anything on the side of the van except dirt?”

Dewayne frowned at Savich, jiggled his change. Savich said, “It’s okay, take your time. Look closely, Dewayne.”

Dewayne Malloy scratched his ear, began beating his right foot heel to toe on the floor, and continued to jiggle his change. He had incredible coordination, Savich thought.

“Yeah, Agent Savich, there’s a picture of something, maybe a lawn mower. Yeah, that’s right, a lawn mower.”

Dr. Hicks thought for a moment that Savich was going to leap to his feet for some high fives, but instead he asked carefully, “A lawn mower—like it’s some sort of gardener’s van?”

“Yeah, maybe. There’s some writing under the lawn mower, but it’s real dirty, I can’t read it.”

“You’ve got great eyes, Dewayne. Keep looking, don’t think about anything except those letters. What color are they?”

“Black.”

“Words?”

“Yeah, there are words, I think.”