"And she was able to resist an eighth-level sorceress?"

"And she was able to resist an eighth-level sorceress?"

"That's impossible," said Stanley.

"Yeah? Tell her. It threw me for a loop, I can tell you. And before I could recover, this police lieutenant

named Loomis walks in on me and starts raising hell about how I didn't follow correct procedure."

"Loomis," said Rosowitz. "That's the cop who's handling the case with Ramirez?"

"Yeah, that's him. And get this, he knew the girl. Said her name was Kira and she was Ramirez's live-in

girlfriend. Said it had to be some sort of mistake. And right then, she pops up with this cock 'n' bull story

about how Ramirez requested a printout of my file and left it in the office, so he sent her back to get

it—at what, four in the morning?—and she forgot the key, so she broke in and set off the alarm. I never

heard a more ridiculous story in my life, but Loomis lets her walk!"

"Doesn't sound as if he had much choice," said Rosowitz. "You did screw up the bust."

"Okay, I admit it, but there's no way I buy her story. And you tell me how she was able to resist my

spell."

"There's only one way I can think of," Stanley said.

"Right. I thought the same thing," said Megan. "And would you believe it, she had the nerve to tell me

that if she were a necromancer, she wouldn't be there and I'd be dead!"

"And this girl lives with Ramirez?" Rosowitz asked.

Megan nodded. "I want you to call headquarters and find out if Ramirez requested a copy of my file.

And if he did, then I want the name of the stupid son of a bitch who let him have it and blew this

operation. Only I don't think that's what happened."

"Some clerk at HQ must've screwed up," said Rosowitz.

"Maybe. Or she cracked the database."

"No way," said Stanley. "With a little office P.C.? It's impossible."

"I'm not saying she used the computer in the office," Megan said. "I don't buy that some clerk screwed

up on something as basic as unauthorized access to confidential personnel files. And I don't buy that

Ramirez put in a request for my jacket and I especially don't buy that he left it sitting around in his office

and then sent his girlfriend in to pick it up. I've read his file. He's a good man. Studied under Ambrosius

himself. He wouldn't be that sloppy. Not unless somebody got to him. I want you to check it out. Get a

list of all the calls from that office last night. I want to know if that file came down from headquarters or

somewhere else. Meanwhile, I intend to find out everything I can about this Kira person. One thing I can

tell you right away, she's not from around here. She's got a New York accent."

"What else can you tell us about her? Got a last name?"