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'How do you know you don't have it？' he carefully asked。
'I don't know。'
'Then you could be infectious。'
'No； I couldn't be。 A rash is the first sign of that； and I check myself daily。 At the slightest hint of such a thing； I would go back into isolation。 I would not e within one hundred feet of you or anybody else； Benton；' I said； my anger unreasonably spiking at his suggestion that I might risk infecting anyone with even a mundane cold。
He glanced over at me as he unlocked doors； and I knew that he was far more upset than he would let on。 'What do you want me to do； Kay？'
'Take me home so I can get my car；' I said。
Daylight was fading fast as I followed miles of woods thick with pines。 Fields were fallow with tufts of cotton still clinging to dead stalks； and the sky was moist and cold like thawing cake。 When I had gotten home from the meeting； there had been a message from Rose。 At two P。M。； Keith Pleasants had called from jail； desperately requesting that I e see him； and Wingo had gone home with the flu。
I had been inside the old Sussex County Courthouse many times over the years； and had grown fond of its antebellum quaintness and inconveniences。 Built in 1825 by Thomas Jefferson's master brick mason； it was red with white trim and columns； and had survived the Civil War； although the Yankees had managed to destroy all its records first。 I thought of cold winter days spent out on the lawn with detectives as I waited to be called to the witness stand。 I remembered the cases by name that I had brought before this court。
Now such proceedings took place in the spacious new building next door； and as I drove past； heading to the back； I felt sad。 Such constructions were a monument to rising crime； and I missed simpler times when I had first moved to Virginia and was awed by its old brick and its old war that would not end。 I had smoked back then。 I supposed I romanticized the past like most people tended to do。 But I missed smoking and waiting around in miserable weather outside a courthouse that barely had heat。 Change made me feel old。
The sheriff's department was the same red brick and white trim； its parking lot and jail surrounded by a fence topped with razor wire。 Imprisoned within； two inmates in orange jumpsuits were wiping down an unmarked car they had just washed and waxed。 They eyed me slyly as I parked in front； one of them popping the other with a shammy cloth。
'Yo。 What's going；' one of them muttered to me as I walked past。
'Good afternoon。' I looked at both of them。
They turned away； not interested in someone they could not intimidate； and I pulled open the front door。 Inside； the department was modest on the verge of depressing； and like virtually all other public facilities in the world； had profoundly outgrown its environment。 Inside were Coke and snack machines； walls plastered with wanted posters and a portrait of an officer slain while responding to a call。 I stopped at the duty post； where a young woman was shuffling through paperwork and chewing on her pen。
'Excuse me；' I said。 'I'm here to see Keith Pleasants。'
'Are you on his guest list？' Her contact lenses made her squint； and she wore pink braces on her teeth。
'He asked me to e； so I should hope I am。'
She flipped pages in a loose…leaf binder； stopping when she got to the right one。
'Your name。'
I told her as her finger moved down a page。
'Here you are。' She got up from her chair。 'e with me。'
She came around her desk and unlocked a door with bars in the window。 Inside was a cramped processing area for fingerprints and mug shots； a banged…up metal desk manned by a heavyset deputy。 Beyond was another heavy door with bars； and through it I could hear the noises of the jail。
'You're gonna have to leave your bag here；' the deputy said to me。 He got on his radio。 'Can you get on over here？'
'Ten…four。 On my way；' a woman answered back。
I set my pocketbook on the desk and dug my hands in the pockets of my coat。 I was going to be searched and I did not like it。
'We got a little room here where they meet with their lawyers；' the deputy said； jabbing his thumb as if he were hitching a ride。 'But some a these critters listen to ever word； and if that's a problem； go upstairs。 We got an area up there。'
'I think upstairs might be better；' I said as a female deputy； hefty with short frosted hair； came around the corner with her hand…held metal detector。
'Arms out；' she said to me。 'Got anything metal in your pockets？'
'No；' I said as the detector snarled like a mechanical cat。
She tried it up and down one side and the other。 It kept going off。
'Let's get rid of your coat。'
I draped it on the desk as she tried again。 The detector continued to make its startling sound as she frowned and kept trying。
'What about jewelry；' she said。
I shook my head as I suddenly remembered I was wearing an underwire bra that I had no intention of announcing。 She put down the detector and began to pat me down while the other deputy sat at his desk and watched slack…jawed； as if he were gawking at a dirty movie。
'Okay；' she said； satisfied that I was harmless。 'Follow me。'
To get upstairs； we had to walk through the women's side of the jail。 Keys jangled as she unlocked a heavy metal door that loudly banged shut behind us。 Inmates were young and hard in institutional denim； their cells scarcely big enough for an animal； with a white toilet； bed and sink。 Women played solitaire； and leaned against their cages。 They had hung their clothes from bars； and trash barrels were close and crammed with what they hadn't wanted for dinner。 The smell of old food made my stomach flop。
'Hey mama。'
'What we got here？'
'A fine lady。 Umm…umm…umm。'
'Hubba…hubba…hubba！'
Hands came through bars； trying to touch me as I went past； and someone was making kissing sounds while other women emitted harsh； wounded outbursts that were supposed to be laughs。
'Leave her in here。 Just fifteen minutes。 Ooohhh e to mama！'
'I need cigarettes。'
'Shut up； Wanda。 You always needin' something。'
'Y'all quiet on down；' the deputy said in a bored singsong as she unlocked another door。
I followed her upstairs and realized I was trembling。 The room she put me in was cluttered and disorganized； as if it might have had a function in an earlier time。 Cork boards were propped against a wall； a hand cart parked in a corner； and some sort of pamphlets and bulletins were scattered everywhere。 I sat in a folding chair at a wooden table scarred with names and crude messages in ballpoint pen。
'Just make yourself at home and he'll be up；' she said； leaving me alone。
I realized that cough drops and tissues were in my pocketbook and coat； neither of which I had with me now。 Sniffing； I shut my eyes until I heard heavy feet。 When the male deputy escorted Keith Pleasants in； I almost did not recognize him。 He was pale and drawn； thin in baggy denims； his hands cuffed awkwardly in front of him。 His eyes filled with tears when he looked at me； and his lips quivered when he tried to smile。
'You sit down and stay down；' the deputy ordered him。 'Don't you let me hear no problem up here。 Got it？ Or I'm back