Paulina came into the living room. Joe was talking on his cell phone.

"Yes, Josie, leaving your gun out was your fault, but taking it to school was Rain's fault. And it's not so much a question of whether
she deserves to be spanked. It's a question of relieving some of the guilt she feels. And, Josie..."
Joe was silent for a few seconds.
"Maybe you should think of having to spank Rain as part of your punishment for leaving your gun out."

"I have to go. Paulina needs me." Joe ended the conversation, and turned around. "Oh, you're up, Blue Eyes," he said.

"Yes, I'm up, Joe. Now, tell me the truth."

"The truth about what?" Joe asked, afraid that he already knew.

"You were talking to Josie just now, weren't you?"

"Yes," Joe said, "I was."

"What was that about Josie leaving her gun out?" Paulina demanded.

Joe didn't answer.

"Joe, I asked you a question."

Joe sighed.

"It was Josie's fault, wasn't it? She left her gun out, didn't she?"

Joe nodded his head.

"And you didn't fire her?"

"No," Joe said, "I didn't."

"Why not?" Paulina asked. "Why the Hell didn't you fire her for leaving her gun out?"

"Because," Joe said, "it wouldn't have made any difference. Firing Josie would not... it wouldn't bring Dante back."

"So you let her off without any punishment."

"No," Joe answered, "I didn't. I came down on her pretty hard."

"Oh?"

"Yes. She's suspended from the force without pay for as long as Rain is suspended from school, plus one week."

"Well, that's something," Paulina conceded, "but I think Josie should be punished for a much longer time."

"Blue Eyes," Joe pleaded, "try putting yourself in Josie's place."

"I wish I were in Josie's place," Paulina said. "Her child is still alive."

"But think of what they are going through right now."

"What about what we are going through? What about what I'm going through?"

"Paulina," Joe said, "we're all hurting, and we're going to hurt for a long time. But Josie and Rain will have to live
not only with grief, but with guilt, for the rest of their lives."

"And we will have to live without Dante for the rest of our lives," Paulina said angrily,"but that obviously doesn't matter to you
HALF as much as your precious pet detective and her daughter do!"

She went upstairs.

A few minutes later, Joe heard the bedroom door slam. Then he heard the lock click.