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How many were out there? Perry couldn’t tell. He could never tell for sure.

He’d picked up a few wisps that morning. Like smelling something in your apartment, something you smelled only if you turned a certain way, and then it was gone. And you know that smell, because you’ve smelled it before. You just can’t remember what it is. It was that kind of familiarity.

Familiar, yet different. There was something else in those wisps. Something less random. More powerful, maybe?

Perry knocked on the door to Room 207. Dew answered.

“Hey Perry,” he said, and smiled, almost as if Dew were happy to see him. “Come on in.”

Perry followed him into the room. Baum and Milner were there, as was Amos, who had a bagel in one hand, a stack of papers in the other and a laptop sitting on his legs. Baum and Milner stiffened. Amos’s eyes immediately shot to the door. As soon as Perry moved into the room, Amos dropped the bagel, shut the computer and ran out.

“d.a.m.n, that little guy is twitchy,” Dew said.

“Yeah,” Milner said. “Can’t imagine why.”

Perry stared at the smaller man. “Milner, I’m standing right here if you’ve got something on your mind.”

Baum laughed. “You sure you want some? You look a little roughed up from your last go-around.”

“Baum, shut the f.u.c.k up,” Dew said. “If you think you can take Dawsey, I’ll be happy to move all this stuff out of the way and you two can have at it.”

Baum stared at Perry and said nothing.

Perry couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Was Dew sticking up for him? Well, not sticking up, exactly, but calling Baum out to back up his mouth.

“Well?” Dew said to Baum.

Baum shook his head. “I’m good.”

“Then keep your pie-hole shut,” Dew said. “Milner, you too. Now, Perry, what have you got for us?”

“I’m hearing chatter,” Perry said quietly.

All three men perked up.

“Where?” Dew asked.

Perry shrugged. “Not sure yet. Southeast is as close as I can get.”

“Michigan again?” Dew asked. “Maybe Ohio?”

Perry shrugged once more.

“So why haven’t you gone after it?” Milner asked. “Got in your fancy car and headed out.”

“Because he and I have come to an understanding,” Dew said. “Perry’s part of the team now.”

Milner laughed. Dew shot him a you’re already on thin ice glare, and Milner’s smile faded.

“What’s it sound like?” Baum asked, his disdain for Perry suddenly gone.

“Can you pick out any names? Places?”