The rest of the trip was uneventful. The traffic was light and fast so nothing slowed Ann down and she kept the cruise control at 70 miles an hour. She stopped only once at a rest stop to answer the call of nature and stretch her legs.

Ann got to Philadelphia that evening at five fifteen and drove directly to the Fremont hotel. It was a large building, set apart from any other buildings around it. There were parking areas at the front and on both sides. Ann Parked in the front and walked through the door into an expansive lobby. She brought her overnight case with her.

She approached the desk where a young attractive woman was standing. The girl said with a smile, “I’m Anita. You must be Ms Barton.”

Ann was surprised. “Yes I am,” she answered.

“We’ve been expecting you. Welcome to the Fremont Hotel. Your room is ready and if you’ll just register right here, I’ll have a bell boy help you with your case,” and she pushed a large open registration book toward Ann and handed her a pen.

Ann took the pen and signed the register. Then she asked, “How did you know who I was?”

“I got a very good description of you from your friend, Mr. Prosser,” she said with a grin. “Especially your green eyes.”

Ann didn’t return the smile. “I see,” she said.

She nodded and picked up her case and asked where her room was and Anita told her how to get there.

A bell boy appeared and reached for her case but Ann said she could handle it and she walked toward the elevator. The bell boy shrugged and didn’t follow her.

Ann’s room was a large suite with a dining area, a kitchen area that included a refrigerator and microwave oven and a coffee pot and several packets of coffee, sweetener and creamer and a living area that included a sofa, an easy chair and a large screen TV and a desk that had writing paper, envelopes and a pen. There was also a large note pad. In the rear was the queen sized bed and a dressing room with the toilet and shower. Alongside the bed was a lamp stand with a lamp and a Gideon Bible. There was, also, a TV in the bedroom wall and a remote.

“Not bad,” said Ann aloud. She put her case and clothing on the bed and pulled open a drawer of the dresser. It looked clean so she unloaded her things from the case and put them into the drawer. Then she opened a closet door and hung her change of clothing in the closet.

All of a sudden Ann realized she was hungry. She walked to the desk and opened a menu that was there. The menu was in three sections, one for each of breakfast, lunch and dinner. She checked the dinner menu. It was extensive with many different selections. She saw a six ounce steak dinner with a baked potato among other things. The price was $14.00 and that included a beverage, soup and salad. She considered showering but decided to eat first then shower. She compromised by washing under her arms and applying a deodorant and powder.

Ann carefully adjusted her weapon under her arm and stepped out into the hall. She checked the door to be sure it was locked and walked toward the elevator. She found it open and went inside and pressed the number one button. The doors silently slid shut and the elevator began a smooth descent. At the first floor the doors opened and Ann stepped into the lobby. She remembered the “Restaurant” sign pointing to her left and she walked that way.

Just ahead on the left was a set of double doors with a sign that read, “Conference Room.” Ann stopped and looked at the doors. Each door had a bar across it that, when pushed, open a door separately from the other. She looked at her watch. The café stayed open until nine o’clock. There was plenty of time to eat and her curiosity won over her appetite and she pushed the bar on the right and the door swung open. Ann stepped inside and looked around at a very large room, empty except for rows of chairs. The chairs were the kind that looked like they were fastened to the floor but they were not. They had to be brought in and placed in rows but they were very nice comfortable chairs with arms on each of them. Ann could imagine what a job it must be to place this many chairs in such straight rows.

She heard a faint murmur at the other end where the stage was. Someone was coming through a door at the rear of the stage. There were two men coming out of a back room. They walked onto the stage and stopped in the center and began talking. One of the men looked vaguely familiar to Ann and she looked more closely at him. Then a light began to come on in her brain and she realized it was Gerald Prosser, the reporter from the Philadelphia Enquirer. For a second she considered turning and leaving. But before she could act on it, he saw her and called out to her.

“Detective Barton,” he said, “How nice to see you.”

Ann didn’t answer immediately. She stood still and waited to see what he would say next. She felt oddly rankled that he was here and had recognized her immediately.

He turned to the man with him and said, “Gary, this is Detective Ann Barton from the Tulla City, Ohio police department.”

Ann began walking slowly toward the stage where the men were. As she approached the stage the other man walked to the edge of the stage and, with a smile, said “How do you do, Detective Barton. I’m Gary Sherman, the sound man for this seminar.”

Ann said, “How do you do, Mr. Sherman.”

Gary Sherman was an average looking man, not someone who would stand out in a crowd. He was about 5 feet and nine inches tall and just a little on the chubby side. He had a roundish face with a wide smile and close set blue eyes that sparkled when he spoke. He looked like someone who enjoyed his work.

Ann looked at the reporter.

“You’re here early, Mr. Prosser,” she said. The seminar’s not until tomorrow.”

“I wanted to be sure to get a good seat,” he said, “and a room.” He grinned impishly and waited for a response from Ann.

When she didn’t respond, he said, “I’m in room 210, right down the hall from you.”

“Fancy that,” said Ann. Squinting her eyes she asked, “How do you know which room is mine?”

“I asked the clerk,” he said. “Anita is a sweet girl and crazy about reporters.”

“You could have asked me. Maybe I’ll find out how she feels about detectives,” said Ann without a smile of her own.

All of a sudden Prosser realized he had violated Ann’s privacy. A small panic roiled his stomach for a second. He knew he had to say the right thing now to restore any credibility he had had with Ann.

His face went solemn. He waited a moment then said, “I’m sorry. You’re right. That was thoughtless and presumptuous of me. I’ll get another room.” He started to turn away and Ann said, “No, it won’t matter now. Keep the one you have.”

Ann turned to Gary Sherman and said, “It must be quite a chore, getting the sound just right for a hall this big.”

The sound mans’ eyes lit up and he replied with a grin, “It’s a bit of a job. This hall isn’t as bad as some I’ve had, though. I’ve had some that were so big and hollow that you could speak through a megaphone and do about as well as with a PA system.” Gary loved talking about his job and it showed in his exuberance.

“I’m trying a new set-up I’ve only done once before. It’s signal splitting. Would you like to hear about it?”

Ann considered his question. She was a bit hungry and had been on her way to the café when she stopped here but her curiosity was getting the better of it.

“Yes I would,” she responded. “How does it work? I know a little about frequencies from using the police radio and my CB.”

“It’s funny you should mention frequencies because that’s what it’s all about. Come up onto the stage and I’ll explain what I’m doing,” he said.

Ann walked to the steps leading onto the stage then turned and asked, “Mr. Prosser, are you coming?”

Immediately the reporter answered, “You bet. This sounds interesting.” He was glad she had acknowledged him.

They walked up the steps onto the stage and stopped in the middle. Gary looked toward the back of the stage and Ann did the same.

“What do you see back there?” Gary asked.

Ann looked the area over. “Nothing,” she answered.

Gary took a small microphone from his pocket and spoke into it. His voice boomed across the hall.

“Look around the hall,” he said.

Ann perused the hall and said, “What am supposed to be looking for?”

“Listen,” Gary said. He spoke into the microphone and his voice again boomed out into the hall. Ann looked around the hall and said, “Where are the speakers?”

“They’re there,” Gary said, “You just can’t see them.

They’re set into the wall with hundreds of very small slit openings that cover a wide area to allow the sound through. The slits are made to blend in with the wall designs. It is very hard to spot them, even if you were to try.”

“Where are the amplifiers located?” Ann asked.

Gary said, “They’re behind the back wall. There are no plug-ins for the mikes. They’re all cordless. The amps are all completely electronic; no tubes or anything else that could produce noise. That’s why the sound is so clear.” He grinned broadly at that revelation.

“It sounds like you’ve thought of everything,” Ann said and she made a move as if to leave.

“Wait,” cried Gary, “You haven’t heard the best part yet. I’d like to use you and Mr. Prosser in an experiment, if you don’t mind. It’ll only take a few minutes.”

“I’m game,” Ann said, “if Mr. Prosser is.”

“Count me in,” said Prosser.

“All right,” continued Gary, “This is what I need you to do. Both of you go to the center of the hall and take a seat and engage in a conversation. It doesn’t matter what it’s about as long as you talk to each other. Use hushed tones as if there was a speaker up here giving a speech or something. While you’re talking to each other, I’ll give the Gettysburg Address over the pa. Do both of you know how the Gettysburg Address goes?”

They both acknowledged they did.

“Now, while you’re talking, also listen to the speech. You know how hard it is sometimes to understand what someone is saying when there is more than voice going. I want you to pay attention to whether or not you can understand both voices. Do you know what I mean?”

They said they did and walked off the stage. They went about half way down the aisle and walked between the seats until they were half way to the other side where they sat down.

“If you’re ready, begin speaking and I’ll start the speech.”

Ann and Prosser looked at each other and for a second there was an awkward hesitation.

Ann said, “I guess we can talk about anything.”

Prosser agreed and Gary, seeing them beginning to speak, began the speech:

“Four score and seven years ago…”

“I’m glad I was invited to this seminar,” Prosser said. “More glad since you are here.”

Ann’s face reddened slightly and she said, “I don’t think me being here makes much difference. I tried to get the old man to send Tom Shelton since he’s the senior detective, but he said no, I was it. So, here I am. Maybe I’ll learn something.”

Prosser grinned slightly. “Or maybe everyone else will,” he said with a chuckle.

“Whatta you mean by that?” Ann asked.

“Maybe we’ll learn how you solved the Abbot case,” Prosser said.

“You already know all there is to know about that,” said Ann. “I told you how I did it. I just played a hunch and tried something a little unusual but it was mostly luck and the killers’ conscience that really did it.”

“…that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom –“…Gary’s voice droned on as Ann and Prosser spoke. He was nearing the end of the speech.

All of a sudden Ann stopped talking and looked at Gary on the stage.

“You know, I heard every word he said clearly and I can hear him now, even while I’m talking!” she said.

“Whoa, so can I,” said Prosser. “I think that was what he wanted us to see.”



Gary finished the speech and call out to them; “Well, what do you think? Could you understand me while you were talking? “

Ann and Prosser agreed they could understand him perfectly. Then they stood up and started toward the aisle. They walked back to the stage and Ann asked Gary how he had accomplished that.

Gary answered, “It’s what I call, ‘frequency splitting.’ I’ve been experimenting with it for a while but I’ve just figured out how to do it.”

“Frequency splitting,” repeated Prosser, “How does it work? I thought a frequency was unique and took up only its own space.”

“That’s the common belief but, as you’ve seen, it’s not necessarily so,” answered Gary.

What do you do that is different?” asked Ann.

“I thought you’d never ask,” said Gary with a grin.

“It’s a secret,” said Gary. “I could tell you but then I’d have to kill you.” He ended the sentence with a very serious look.

Ann looked a question at him and Gary grinned.

“Just kidding,” he said. “Just like anything else, it’s easy if you know how. I just adjust my system to a certain frequency and begin exploring either side of the frequency.”

“I’m sorry but that doesn’t make any sense to me. You speak of a frequency as if it were some kind of solid that can be stretched and twisted like a string.”

Gary looked at Ann quizzically. “You just described what it took me years to accomplish. That’s exactly how it works and that’s exactly how I do it. It would be almost impossible to explain in words alone how it’s done. I’d have to actually do it as I explain it in order for you to understand how it works. It’s a very precise procedure.”

“I first find a specific frequency, whichever one I need to transmit, and then I move it ever so slightly one way then the other. The movement is so slight that if it were a solid, you’d have to have an atomic microscope to detect it.

At some point a small gap occurs between my frequency and the next. I tap into that gap, slightly touching both sides of the frequency band with my signal.”

All at once Gary stiffened. He looked at Gerald Prosser as if he were just now seeing him for the first time as a reporter.

“Mr. Prosser, I hope you’ll be discreet about what you’ve heard here. I never really meant to make this public. I certainly hope you won’t consider this newsworthy enough to print in your paper. I’d like this discovery to be mine alone, at least for a while.”

Prosser grinned broadly. “What’s it worth to you?” he said impishly.

Gary flushed a little. “How about dinner?” he asked.

“Detective Barton, too?” he asked, “That is, if she’d like dinner?”

Gary looked at Ann. “How about it, detective, is that all right with you?”

“I can buy my own dinner,” she said, “I don’t need to be bought off.” She glanced at Prosser and winked.

“I—I didn’t mean...” Gary started to stammer.

Ann laughed aloud and said, “All right, I give up. Come on and let’s eat. I’m hungry!”



The trio headed for the restaurant with Ann in the lead. All of a sudden she was really hungry. They found a table near the front of the restaurant and sat down. A waitress immediately appeared with a tray of water and menus.

“There is a special for dinner; stuffed pork chops. It's on the first page of the menu. If you like, I'll give you a moment,” she said.

Ann smiled her assent and the waitress left.

“I think I'll have the special,” Ann said. Prosser said that sounds good and Gary agreed, “Me, too.”

They called the waitress over and gave their orders. She smiled and asked if they would like a drink while they waited. Ann asked what kind of beer was on tap and the waitress said, Bud Light. Ann ordered a glass and Prosser and Gary followed suit.

“They have rings through their noses,” thought Ann with a smile.

The meal went quietly with no one seeming to want to say much. Ann was glad when it was over. She said goodnight and went to her room. All of a sudden she was very tired.



Ann awoke at the sound of her phone ringing. She had left a wake-up call for six AM. She came fully awake immediately and got out of bed feeling very rested. Now she looked forward to the first day of the seminar.

She freshened up and put on her make-up, not much, just a few highlights, and went down to the restaurant for coffee. It was six thirty and she was one of only four people there. She ordered coffee and a short stack of hot cakes and settled back to relax.

“You’re up early,” a voice said. She knew without looking who it was. Gerald Prosser asked if he could join her and she nodded yes. He sat across from her and motioned to the waitress. She came over and he ordered coffee and a maple bar.

Ann hadn’t spoken to him yet; she rubbed soft butter over her pan cakes and poured maple syrup and boysenberry syrup over them, cut a small piece off the stack and savored a bite. The waitress brought Prossers’ order and he did his ritual thing; dropped in one sugar, a small amount of cream and stirred the coffee twice with his spoon.

Ann asked, “What do you think this seminar will emphasize?”

Prosser thought for a moment then said, “Probably different methods of deduction and crime solving. I attended a similar seminar a few years ago and, after a few mandatory jousts into normal operating crime solving procedures, the spokesman singled out a certain detective and, using him as an example, explored new techniques of information gathering and deductions that were results of work that particular detective had done. The guy ate it up. His name was on the news for quite a while after that. His fifteen minutes, plus.

“Who was he?” Ann asked.

“He was a big old red faced Irishman named Morton McFee. He worked at the Cincinnati PD for eighteen or twenty years. He retired a couple of years ago. He only had twenty some odd years in but I think the notoriety got to him. He told me once, off the record, that solving crimes had gotten much harder since the seminar. Go figure.”

“Oh, and by the way, he started at your police station in Tulla City. He was there the better part of a year then went to Cincy. How’s that for a coincidence!”

Ann felt the muscles in her neck tighten and she swallowed the bite of pancakes and pushed her plate back. She looked directly at Prosser. Her eyes seemed to burn into his and he moved slightly, nervously.

“Did I say something wrong?” he asked.

“No, I’m just not as hungry as I thought I was,” and she sipped her coffee noisily. It was cold. She motioned to the waitress for more coffee.

“Why did you tell me that story?” Ann asked.

Prosser held his breath for a second then exhaled slowly and relaxed.

“I don’t know why this seminar is being held but I do know why the last one was held and what it was about. I thought you needed to know, too, just in case.”

“Is this the reason you were so interested in me when you were in Tulla City?”

“That’s part of it. Now I need to know why you are interested in me.”

Ann felt the blood begin to rise in her face but was brought back by a familiar voice.

“Hello, Detective,” the voice said.

Ann looked up to see BJ Lassiter, the editor of the Tulla City Crier, walking toward her booth. A feeling of relief came over her and she was glad her last conversation had been interrupted.

“Well, well! Look at who’s here!” Ann said with a grin. She liked the editor from Tulla City. “Come on over and have a seat!”

Looking at Gerald Prosser, she said, “You won’t mind if Tulla City’s ace reporter joins us, do you Mr. Prosser?”

Prosser stood up and said, “No, of course not,” and he offered his handshake to the Crier editor.

Lassiter shook the extended hand vigorously and proffered his own to Ann who accepted it in a like manner.

He sat down and motioned the waitress over and ordered coffee. Ann felt her appetite returning with this change of events and reached for her plate.

“I knew you couldn’t eat just one bite,” said Prosser with a chuckle.

“When did you get here?” asked Ann.

“Just this morning,” said Lassiter. “I stayed in a motel in West Chester and came on in early to miss the traffic. Probably shoulda come on last night but I got sleepy. Old age, I guess!”

“Are you going to stay here tonight?” Ann asked.

“I don’t know,” Lassiter said, “It depends on what happens at the seminar.”

Prosser slyly winked at Ann and asked, “What could possibly happen at a seminar?”

Lassiter said, “You never know. A lot of things go on behind the scenes sometimes that most of don’t even know about.”

He looked at Ann. “You even been to one of these?” he asked.

Ann said she hadn’t. Lassiter said he went to one quite a few years back and still wondered about how and why that one went the way it did.

He kept looking at Ann.

“We had a Tulla City cop at that one, too,” he said. “Afterward he left Tulla City for the big time. I don’t think the change turned out to be too good, though, at least for him it didn’t. He retired early for some reason.”

“Do you know what the seating arrangement is?” Ann asked, to either man.

Prosser said, “We’re in the fourth row, aisle.”

Lassiter chuckled, “Yeah, right next to me!”

“This should be interesting,” Ann said airily.



It was getting closer to start time for the seminar and Ann excused herself to go to her room before things got going. She needed a few minutes to get her thoughts together. She needed to determine how she would approach Prosser and when to do so. All of a sudden she felt very inadequate. She almost wished the ‘voice’ were here to advise her; almost, but not quite.



Ann brushed her teeth and checked her hair to assure she was presentable to the public. The seminar was scheduled to begin at eight o’clock sharp and it was now a quarter past seven. She decided to go on down to the meeting room and check things out. Maybe she would see someone else she knew, although that wasn’t very likely, considering how few people she actually did know.

The hotel lobby was beginning to get busy, folks getting off the elevators and crisscrossing the lobby, going in and out of the front door. Ann watched the lobby for a while and wondered what business so many people had at this time of morning. She wondered if everyone else was wondering the same thing.

She walked to the entrance of the conference room where the seminar would be held. On a table right next to the entrance was a stack of seminar programs. Ann picked one up and thumbed through it. It had a picture of a detective badge on the front page with the inscription, “Defend and Serve,” on it.

On the second page was an index that listed the different lectures and lecturers, the times and durations and a short summary of each topic. One topic title appeared a bit amateurish to Ann. It read, “How Do We Solve Crimes, Really?” Ann thought, “Really!”

A voice behind her asked, “Really what?”

She turned to see BJ Lassiter and realized she must have spoken aloud. She handed the program to Lassiter and pointed out the title. He perused it quickly and agreed with a grin, “Yeah, really. It does kinda’ grab you, doesn’t it?”

Ann left that program with the Crier editor and picked up another one. She moved through the door of the hall and looked around. There were already quite a few people there and their mingled voices were an audible hum.

Ann turned to Lassiter and asked, “Do you want to go ahead and be seated?”

“I don’t think so; not quite yet. I want to watch and see who else comes in first.”

Ann agreed and they moved to the left side of the entrance, just out of sight of anyone entering, and stopped. Ann saw a movement on the stage and recognized the sound man, Gary. He looked up and waved to her and Lassiter and they responded with waves of their own.

It was now seven forty and more people were starting to file in. Lassiter wondered aloud about where Prosser was. Ann looked at him but didn’t say anything.

Just then Prosser walked through the door and looked down the aisle toward their seats. He stopped and looked around and saw Ann and Lassiter.

“There you are,” he said.

Lassiter grinned and nodded, “Yep, we’re here! How about it, you want to go ahead and take our seats?” he asked them both. Ann responded by starting down the aisle. When she got to the fourth row, she stepped aside for the men. She wanted to sit on the aisle. Both men entered the row and sat down.

Ann sat and continued to examine the room and it’s inhabitants, searching for anyone familiar. It was a ways back to the entrance but she wanted to get one more look in that direction before settling in all the way so she turned to look back toward the door.

She felt the hair stand up on the back of her neck as she glimpsed the back of a man just stepping through the door, headed out. She caught only a very brief glimpse but something about that back seemed annoyingly familiar. She felt her breathing increase slightly and her heart rate speed up, as if she had been jogging.

“I’ll be right back,” Ann said as she quickly stood up and started toward the door.

Prosser stood, too, but by the time he turned toward the aisle, Ann was half way to the entrance so he sat back down.

“Where the hell is she going?” he heard himself say aloud.

Lassiter was looking back, too, and said, “Maybe she has to answer the call.”

Ann reached the door in just a couple of seconds and stepped through quickly and looked around. The lobby was teeming with people, some leaving the hotel and others walking toward her, probably headed into the conference room.

Ann hurried to the front exit and stepped outside the hotel and looked around. She saw no one who looked familiar. Whoever it was she thought she had seen, was gone. She went back into the hotel and back to her seat and sat down.

“What was that all about?” asked Lassiter.

“I thought I saw someone I knew,” Ann said, “But I guess I was wrong.”

She checked her watch and said, “It’s about time for this thing to get started.”



Just then, a voice boomed through the loudspeaker, “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the ‘Defend and Serve’ Seminar. I’m Detective Lieutenant Floyd R. Johnson, of the Philadelphia Police Department, and I’ll be emceeing the seminar. Please sit back and relax and we’ll get started. I trust each of you picked up a program from the table at the entrance of the hall.” These three agreed they had indeed picked up program schedules and all three perused them.

When the first speaker, a forensic evidence expert, started his spiel, it became obvious this seminar would be very unexciting. He spoke in monotone and, using a large blackboard, dealt more with numbers and graphs, with probability averages rather than with actual hard evidence. His presentation lasted a very long and boring hour.

Ann squirmed in her seat, as did Prosser and BJ Lassiter made a few notes on a notepad then retired his pen and pad to their hiding place in his inside jacket pocket.

By lunchtime, three more speakers had covered three more very dull and boring subjects and Ann began to wonder if this was why her fellow officers had expressed no desire to be the representative attendee from Tulla City.

When the announcement to break for lunch was made, there was a unanimous sigh of relief from all present and Ann and her cohorts hurried to be among the first out of the hall.

They went to the restaurant and found a booth and were seated. A waitress appeared immediately with three glasses of water and Ann ordered a cheeseburger and coffee and the men gave their orders of two house specials of meat loaf and the waitress left. Their orders came surprisingly quickly and Ann wondered aloud if they had been pre-prepared and kept heated. The waitress grinned and suggested Ann was a very apt detective; she had guessed it.

The three ate in silence, each reluctant to mention the seminar. Finally Lassiter said, “I could have left my pen and notebook at home for all it has been needed. What a bust this has been so far.”

He looked at the others, ready for their response and it came quickly. Both Prosser and Ann agreed the seminar, so far, had been both tedious and boring. Prosser quipped he could be covering an obit right now instead of this and there would be very little difference since both were dead.

After the lunch break, the three of them returned to the hall and their seats. Each hoped the second half of the first day would be more informative, if not entertaining. And each had decided to make this the last day if things didn't get better.

Lt. Johnson, the emcee, stepped up to the mic and greeted the crowd of listeners with a robust, "Howdy, folks," and a few folks 'howdied' in response. Then Lt. Johnson said something much unexpected; he said, "You may have noticed the first half of today's seminar was extremely dull. Does anyone agree?"

There was silence for a second then half or more of the detectives, et al, loudly voiced an agreement! Someone said, "Dam tootin'! It's been the shits, a waste of time!" And someone else asked when the real thing would get started. Lt. Johnson was quiet for a moment, letting it all sink in, and then said, “I have a surprise for you that might pick things up a bit. There is a detective out there who has been an inspiration to a lot of us, whether she knows it or not. She wasn’t told she would be part of this seminar and I sincerely hope she will agree to speak to us for a while.”

He then looked directly at Ann and said, “Let’s put our hands together and ask Tulla City’s top detective, Ann Barton, to honor us with her presence on this stage!”

There was thunderous applause as every head turned in Ann’s direction. She was stunned. It took a second for what was happening to sink into her consciousness. She felt her face redden and her throat began to close up. She couldn’t talk at first then, only haltingly and in sputters. It raced through her mind she should leave immediately; or sooner. Her legs felt weak and she wondered if she could even stand.

Someone shouted, “We want Ann; We want Ann,” and soon the entire hall reverberated with the chant; “We want Ann!”

Ann looked helplessly at, first Prosser then BJ Lassiter, obviously wanting to hear this wasn’t happening. But it was. She muttered, “Did either of you know about this?”

Prosser crossed his heart he didn’t and BJ agreed, he, also, hadn’t known this would happen.

Ann realized she would have to say something so she got to her feet and headed to the stage. She climbed the steps and was met at the top by Lt. Johnson’s outstretched hand. She took it and, with a slight nod, shook it. Her reddening had deepened and she could feel the heat in her face. A frown creased her forehead and she muttered, “I should leave right now. You should have told me ahead of time.”

“It wouldn’t have been the same,” Johnson said with a grin. He knew she wouldn’t leave.

Johnson stepped back to the podium and addressed the hall. “There is always something or other that bothers a police officer from time to time but I think we can all agree, nothing bothers us as much as not knowing how a really hard case is solved. Detective Barton has solved just such a case; a case that for four years went unsolved and, how did she do it? We don’t really know. Maybe here and now, if we ask her very nicely, she will finally explain to us just how she did it. Now, without further ado, I give you the pride of Tulla City, Ohio, Detective Ann Barton!”

The hall erupted in applause as Ann stepped up to the podium. She looked around and, with a wave of her hand, quieted the hall.

Then a strange thing happened. Her fear left her and was replaced with a feeling of calm. The red left her face and strength returned to her legs. All at once she knew everything would be all right.

“Detectives and reporters,” she said, “I didn’t know I would be called upon to speak at this seminar so I have nothing prepared. I have already told how I was lucky enough to solve the murder in Tulla City. I guess everybody has heard it by now. I got lucky. That’s about it.”

The hall was quiet. Everyone waited for the next thing Ann would say but Ann had stopped talking. She was about to thank the crowd and excuse herself when someone shouted, “There’s got to be more to it than what you’ve already told. Cases don’t just solve themselves. What else happened to aid in solving that murder?” Someone added, “Yeah, what else? You owe it to the rest of us to tell us. Remember, we’re all in the same business.”

Ann pondered the question and wondered what she could say that would be all right. Her mind flashed back to the kid from the next town who had totaled her car with his pickup truck for no apparent reason and Billy’s house burning down, also, for no apparent reason and she knew that what she should say is nothing. She said, “I might be able to add a little to what I already told you but not much.”

As she was finishing her sentence, a small amount of static was heard. There was a cough from the back of the hall and Ann saw the back of a man walking out of the room. Then the PA crackled and the sound went off with a ‘pop’. Ann said, “Hello,” into the mike but nothing happened. Then all the lights in the hall went out and the room was left in twilight.

“What the hell,” someone said and someone else asked to no one in particular, “What happened?”

Fear invaded her as Ann realized what had happened. She left the stage as quickly as she could. Lt Johnson grabbed her arm to stop her but Ann said, “I think that’ll be all, Lt. Maybe next year you’ll have someplace that will stand the strain. But don’t look for me to be there. See ya’.”



Ann’s mind raced. She felt very anxious and tight. She thought of the back of the man she watched leaving the hall just before the lights went out. She knew she shouldn’t recognize that man; she knew she had never seen him before and she knew it was probably just some technical thing that went wrong. The sound man, Gary, probably has it fixed already.

Ann heard her name called. She looked back toward the hall where the voice had come from and saw Gary, the man of whom she had just been thinking. She stopped and waited for him. He reached her, breathless from hurrying to catch her.

“I’m glad I caught you before you got out of here. I know what the problem is and I can have it fixed in five minutes.”

“Don’t do it on my account,” replied Ann. “I didn’t have anything to say anyhow. Whoever set this thing up should have let me know they meant to call on me, - (she hesitated a second) and I wouldn’t even have come!”

“Please come back in,” Gary pleaded, “My sound system hasn’t even been heard yet and I really want to test it out.”

Ann looked at Gary and, shaking her head, said, “You can test it all you want to but not on me! Good luck. Now I’ve gotta go,” and she walked away.



“Now what to do?” Ann wondered to herself. She contemplated another cup of coffee but quickly nixed that. She decided to go to her room and call the Chief and let him know what had happened and that she was headed back to Tulla City. She knew he would be disappointed and probably order her to stay until the PA got fixed.

She wondered if the Chief had known she would be called on to talk at the seminar. She hoped not. That would really piss her off.

She pushed the button for the elevator then decided to use the stairs. Maybe the exercise would calm her nerves. She quickly ascended the stairs to the second floor and headed toward her room. As she walked down the hallway, something made her stop. It wasn’t a sound. She didn’t know what it was but she knew someone was watching from the hallway behind her. Her shoulders stiffened and the hair stood up in the back of her neck. Her hands curled into fists and she felt a surge of adrenalin. She whirled around, ready for anything!

“Whoa, Detective!” Prosser said as he quickly backed away from her.

“Oh, it’s only you,” Ann said. She felt her body relax.

A question mark appeared over his head. “Who did you expect to see?” he asked. “You were ready to fight.”

Ann turned and started on down the hall. “Nobody, I guess,” she replied.

Chapter Twelve...