ey off！ Thank God！ All you have to do is show Mr。 Detterick a picture of William Wharton 。。。 his mug…shot should do。。。〃
Brutal and I exchanged an unfortable look。 Dean was looking a bit hopeful； but Harry was staring down at his hands； as if all at once fabulously interested in his fingernails。
〃What's wrong？〃 Janice asked。 〃Why are you looking at each other that way？ Surely this man McGee will have to…〃
〃Rob McGee struck me as a good man； and I think he's a hell of a law officer〃； I said； 〃but he swings no weight in Trapingus County。 The power there is Sheriff Cribus； and the day he reopens the Detterick case on the basis of what I was able to find out would be the day it snows in hell。〃
〃But 。。。 if Wharton was there 。。。 if Detterick can identify a picture of him and they know he was there。 。 。 〃
〃Him being there in May doesn't mean he came back and killed those girls in June〃； Brutal said。 He spoke in a low； gentle voice； the way you speak when you're telling someone there's been a death in the family。 〃On one hand you've got this fellow who helped Klaus Detterick paint a barn and then went away。 Turns out he was mitting crimes all over the place； but there's nothing against him for the three days in May he was around Tefton。 On the other hand； you've got this big Negro； this huge Negro； that you found on the riverbank； holding two little dead girls； both of them naked； in his arms。〃
He shook his head。
〃Paul's right； Jan。 McG