It was nine o'clock, the latest polite hour for a social call. I wassitting at my vanity in my prettiest nightgown and peignoir, brushing myhair. A hu...dred strokes every night after moisturizing myself, the finalstep in my beauty routine before bed.A knock at the door startled me. Usually Madam just barged right in. "Whois it?" It is Roberto, signorina."Oh, God. Why him, why now? Had Madam sent him? I set down my hairbrush,checked in the mirror, quickly touched up my lip gloss. Was. Things as portable cranes they lifted out the damaged engine shielding, shot up parts of engines and damaged internals. You figure the engine alone on a Union is over six hundred tons of dead weight. That was the easy one to repair. You could see what damage had been done and repair it. The burned one caused many headaches.The fire had burned out many connections between the bridge and the engine room. Many of the controls no longer worked properly and much of the internal bracing had been. Elizabeth was on the other bed. Carlo was on an air mattress.Melinda’s thighs were getting antsy again. She had been playfully spooning with Jia before she fell asleep. She watched Carlo under his covers. Such an awkward, straight-arrow college boy. He’d probably work in politics one day, she figured. Or be a public defender. He had showered right before bed, she remembered for some reason.Jia had flirted with a lot of guys during the trip. Even Elizabeth had gotten to dance with a few guys. I opened my purse and pulled out my badge. "I'm on the job in Houston."He took it and looked it over, his eyebrows rising. "Pretty odd that a homicide detective happens on a murder scene right after it happens."I shrugged and took my badge back. "Call it a gift. Look, it's been an odd week. You've got her initial statement. Let the crime scene boys take her and get what they need. Then, you can grill me." Well, Lieutenant Hawkins, that's my call to make, not yours," he said, leaning his chair.