Summary

The missing Alice Metcalf and the knowledge that he failed when working her case haunts Virgil Stanhope in Chapter 7. Although he works as and calls himself a professional private investigator, when he wakes from a drinking binge, he hears Alice’s voice telling him he isn’t the professional he thinks he is.

Virgil remembers that his senior officer, Donny Boylan, was two weeks away from retirement when Nevvie’s death was reported. He and Donny had to wait nearly two hours in a small office while the workers corralled the elephants into barns so the scene could be investigated. Virgil was looking at some strange writing on the wall of the office when Thomas Metcalf entered. After all the elephants but one were corralled, Donny, Virgil and some other officers were allowed into the area. Gideon, whom Virgil described...