"Agent Eppes?" Don turned to find a good-looking man in his early forties standing behind him. The man held out his hand and Don shook it firmly. "Gordon Fischer," he continued with a soft mid-western drawl. "Mandy's my…" He paused, sucked in a breath and went on "Was my stepdaughter."

"Mr. Fischer," Don replied. "I am so sorry for your loss."

Fischer nodded. "Thank you," he said. "They told me you're handling the investigation into…" Again he broke off. "They said you'd know what's going on."

Don picked up a folder from his desk and guided Fischer to one of the conference rooms, closing the door behind them. "Mr. Fischer," he began when the other man was seated. "I'm afraid I can't comment on an ongoing investigation, but…"

"What do you mean 'ongoing'?" Fischer demanded, half-rising out of his seat. "They said on the news that you got the guy!"

"Mr. Fischer," Don said, holding his hands up in a placating gesture. "Please – sit down." When Fischer complied, he went on "We have a suspect in custody, yes. But the investigation isn't complete." The other man opened his mouth to speak but Don cut in "You wouldn't want your stepdaughter's killer to get away because we didn't have enough evidence, would you?"

"No," he mumbled to the tabletop. "I guess not."

Don opened the folder in his hands and took a chair opposite. "Now, I'm very sorry, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you some questions about Mandy." Fischer waved a hand vaguely, a gesture Don took to mean he should continue. "What was her full name?"

"Amanda Josephine Fischer."

"Her birth date?" They already had the information, obtained from Mandy's ID and a records check, but Don used the questions to calm the other man's rattled nerves. When he was done the statistical information, Don asked, "When was the last time you talked to your daughter, Mr. Fischer?"

He sighed and ran a hand over his face wearily. "The day that…" he began. "That day."

"Did everything seem alright with her?" Don went on. "Did she seem upset, or worried?"

"No." The other man shook his head. "She was happy – excited."

"Why was that?"

Fischer looked up. "She was in California," he replied, as if that explained everything. "She was on spring break – her classes at the university were wearing on her, I could tell. She was finally getting a chance to relax and cut loose."

Don smiled. "I've been to college myself, Mr. Fischer."

"Mandy wasn't like that," the other man retorted. "She was a good girl who applied herself to her classes. She never fooled around when she was at school. That's why…"

Silence fell between them. After a moment, Fischer coughed and said, "That's why I wanted her to go. She didn't want to, you see – she never did. We only saw her at Christmas. I talked her into it."

Don nodded sympathetically. "It's not your fault, Mr. Fischer. You couldn't have known this would happen."

"All Mandy's friends wanted to go to Florida," Fischer continued. "I said California would be safer." He barked a short laugh. "Safer!" he repeated. "How wrong can you get?"

"I'm sorry," Don said. "What was Mandy studying?"

Fischer waved his hand. "Engineering – some kind of biology thing. I never knew what it was. She said she wanted to do it, so I let her."

"Was she on some kind of scholarship?"

The man nodded. "But if she wanted anything else, I paid for it." He met Don's eyes. "She was my only daughter, Agent Eppes. The only one."

Don glanced down at the file. "Mandy attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, is that correct?" He waited until Fischer nodded again and continued, "Sophomore year, lived off campus…"

"I told her it was safer to stay in a dormitory, what with security and everything, but she said it was too distracting." The older man sighed. "I was only trying to protect her."

"Distracting?" Don echoed.

He nodded. "Said she couldn't concentrate on her studies." He looked at Don. "She was a good girl," he added softly.

Don nodded. "I'm sure she was," he agreed quietly. He hesitated for a moment and then asked, "What do you do, Mr. Fischer?"

"I'm a farmer," he replied. "Corn, mostly."

"And do you make a fairly good income from that?"

Fischer narrowed his eyes. "What are you getting at, Agent Eppes?" he demanded.

"Just answer the question, please." Don met his gaze squarely.

After a moment, the older man sighed and shrugged. "I do okay, yeah," he replied. "Why?'

Don chewed his bottom lip while he considered. At last he said, "Mr. Fischer, your stepdaughter was found wearing a pair of very expensive earrings." He paused. "Would you happen to know where she got them?"

"I bought her stuff," Fischer replied. "My wife bought her stuff. I think JoBeth might have bought her some earrings once. I could ask."

Glancing at the file, Don asked, "JoBeth Fischer is Mandy's mother?"

The man nodded his head. "Mandy's dad died right after she was born."

"I see." Don thought for a second. "Did your wife and Mandy get along?"

"Now wait a minute, here!" Fischer protested. "Just what are you driving at?"

Don held up a hand placatingly. "I'm just trying to do my job, Mr. Fischer," he answered calmly. "Just relax."

"Relax?" he demanded. "You're asking me questions about my wife like you suspect her for…" he broke off. "What the hell are you implying?"

"I'm not implying anything," Don continued in an even tone. "I'm just trying to cover all the bases." He turned a page, pulling out a large color photograph and sliding it across the table. "Do you recognize those, Mr. Fischer?"

Fischer's jaw worked angrily for a moment as he stared at Don. At last, he looked down at the photo. "No," he bit out. "I haven't seen them before. Those the earrings you're talking about?"

Don nodded and took the picture back, replacing it in the folder. "Mandy was wearing them when she died," he replied. "They're valued at over five thousand dollars."

Fischer's mouth opened in a silent 'o'. "I never would've bought her something like that," he whispered. "Neither would JoBeth."

Standing, Don replied, "I believe you, Mr. Fischer."

"You do?"

He nodded again. "Those earrings were stolen last month during a home invasion," he replied. "The homeowners – a man about your age and his wife – were murdered."

Fischer stared at him in shock. His throat worked silently and then he said, "Mandy wouldn't have been a part of that, Agent Eppes. I know she wouldn't."

Don reached for the door handle. "Mr. Fischer," he replied quietly. "Obviously, somehow, she was." He opened the door and went out.