The old pay phone at the marina had better reception than Mulrooney"s cellular phone and provided him with a spectacular view of the yacht basin as he dialed Chief Clemente"s office. On the third ring, he abruptly hung up. He decided he wanted to get Clarke"s input on this new bit of evidence before consulting with Clemente. Mulrooney had set up a tail on Lauren, so he felt secure about keeping her at close range. And he would deal with Atilla in the morning.
Instead, he rang the Department of Anthropology at Cal. State, San Bernardino. As he waited for an answer, he spotted two enormous starfish in the marina scouring the rocks for food. When it occurred to him that he hadn"t eaten, he suddenly remembered his lunch plans with Kate. Dr. James Peterson"s greeting interrupted his thoughts.
