couldn’t do a bit of fishing around and figure it out? You still have the man’s letter? You have the envelope he pushed under the door?”
Bruce thought for a minute, then uttered, “I’m not too sure.”
“Maybe you wouldn’t mind having a look,” Trevor suggested. “It might save Madison’s life. You, Bruce, might single-handedly save Madison’s life.”
“I’ll see what I can do. It’s late now. Let me go.” And off he went.
“Don’t forget, Bruce,” Trevor shouted, following him as he left the bakery. “A matter of life and death.” Bruce kept walking and, without looking back, waved his hand in the air.
Randolph pulled up in the bakery truck right then and saw Bruce leave. “Any luck, Dad?” he asked, as he slammed the door of the vehicle.
They entered the shop together just as Raoul reached the bakery in a taxi. (All the drivers knew Raoul and drove him for free, trips he repaid at the Belly with rounds of rum or beer.)
“Raoul!” Trevor said, surprised. “What are you doing here at this hour?” Though it wasn’t ever too late to find company or comfort at the bakery, it was unusual for Raoul to seek either at this time of night. Twice in three days meant something was up. “Trouble with the missus?”
“No, everything’s good,” Raoul said. Without explaining his private interest in the bicycle case, he added, “The police have been to see me. I was just wondering about this murder talk. What’s the word?”
“Good question,” Trevor said. He proceeded to recount to Randolph and Raoul the conversation he had had with Bruce. He told them he harbored little hope of learning the truth about thead, but he hoped he had made Bruce feel important enough to use his news story to Madison’s advantage. If not, however told, the story would serve its purpose. The islanders, at least those in town who knew Madison, would be outraged to see such an honest man accused. And, too, spreading word of Rena’s disappearance could only help Madison’s case. Somebody might have seen her, might know what happened or where she was.
Flimsy hopes, these, but maybe Bruce would surprise them.
There was little else to do, they all agreed, but await the morning edition, so Trevor and Randolph locked up the bakery and drove the bakery truck home, dropping Raoul at his cottage on the way. Tired and tense, Raoul crawled into bed and—lucky again!—succumbed to the still-awake and amorous Ms. Lila. When they had finished canoodling, he dozed in the crook of her arm, until at last even the moon succumbed to morning.
----
Fisherman Suspect in Glutton Hill Murder
Search Warrant Expected
Sources tell this reporter that charges will shortly be brought against Mr. Madison Fuller for the cold-blooded murder of Ms. Rena Baker of Glutton Hill. Mr. Fuller, fisherman, of Port-St. Luke, denies the charges that he killed Ms. Baker, his longtime girlfriend, and then placed an ad in this very newspaper to solicit her replacement. The investigation, led by Officers Arnold Tullsey and Joshua Smart of local football renown, pointed to Mr. Fuller when it was learned that the missing Ms. Baker routinely took the fisherman hislunch. The loyal readers of this paper will recall that in the ad allegedly placed by Mr. Fuller, a young woman with a bicycle and cooking skills was sought. Though Ms. Baker was not known to own a bike, and was in fact known to be an avid and exclusive walker, police surmised that, as the only lady currently missing on Oh, she could be none other than the victim of the hit-and-run near Thyme, at the scene of which a mangled and abandoned bicycle was discovered. Police Chief Lucas Davenport has ordered that the investigating officers file a petition to obtain a search warrant for the home and property of Mr. Fuller, who has already undergone a preliminary interrogation. Police have also interviewed the two young men who happened upon the mangled bicycle, Mr. Jarvis Coutrelle of Beaureveille and
Bruce thought for a minute, then uttered, “I’m not too sure.”
“Maybe you wouldn’t mind having a look,” Trevor suggested. “It might save Madison’s life. You, Bruce, might single-handedly save Madison’s life.”
“I’ll see what I can do. It’s late now. Let me go.” And off he went.
“Don’t forget, Bruce,” Trevor shouted, following him as he left the bakery. “A matter of life and death.” Bruce kept walking and, without looking back, waved his hand in the air.
Randolph pulled up in the bakery truck right then and saw Bruce leave. “Any luck, Dad?” he asked, as he slammed the door of the vehicle.
They entered the shop together just as Raoul reached the bakery in a taxi. (All the drivers knew Raoul and drove him for free, trips he repaid at the Belly with rounds of rum or beer.)
“Raoul!” Trevor said, surprised. “What are you doing here at this hour?” Though it wasn’t ever too late to find company or comfort at the bakery, it was unusual for Raoul to seek either at this time of night. Twice in three days meant something was up. “Trouble with the missus?”
“No, everything’s good,” Raoul said. Without explaining his private interest in the bicycle case, he added, “The police have been to see me. I was just wondering about this murder talk. What’s the word?”
“Good question,” Trevor said. He proceeded to recount to Randolph and Raoul the conversation he had had with Bruce. He told them he harbored little hope of learning the truth about thead, but he hoped he had made Bruce feel important enough to use his news story to Madison’s advantage. If not, however told, the story would serve its purpose. The islanders, at least those in town who knew Madison, would be outraged to see such an honest man accused. And, too, spreading word of Rena’s disappearance could only help Madison’s case. Somebody might have seen her, might know what happened or where she was.
Flimsy hopes, these, but maybe Bruce would surprise them.
There was little else to do, they all agreed, but await the morning edition, so Trevor and Randolph locked up the bakery and drove the bakery truck home, dropping Raoul at his cottage on the way. Tired and tense, Raoul crawled into bed and—lucky again!—succumbed to the still-awake and amorous Ms. Lila. When they had finished canoodling, he dozed in the crook of her arm, until at last even the moon succumbed to morning.
----
Fisherman Suspect in Glutton Hill Murder
Search Warrant Expected
Sources tell this reporter that charges will shortly be brought against Mr. Madison Fuller for the cold-blooded murder of Ms. Rena Baker of Glutton Hill. Mr. Fuller, fisherman, of Port-St. Luke, denies the charges that he killed Ms. Baker, his longtime girlfriend, and then placed an ad in this very newspaper to solicit her replacement. The investigation, led by Officers Arnold Tullsey and Joshua Smart of local football renown, pointed to Mr. Fuller when it was learned that the missing Ms. Baker routinely took the fisherman hislunch. The loyal readers of this paper will recall that in the ad allegedly placed by Mr. Fuller, a young woman with a bicycle and cooking skills was sought. Though Ms. Baker was not known to own a bike, and was in fact known to be an avid and exclusive walker, police surmised that, as the only lady currently missing on Oh, she could be none other than the victim of the hit-and-run near Thyme, at the scene of which a mangled and abandoned bicycle was discovered. Police Chief Lucas Davenport has ordered that the investigating officers file a petition to obtain a search warrant for the home and property of Mr. Fuller, who has already undergone a preliminary interrogation. Police have also interviewed the two young men who happened upon the mangled bicycle, Mr. Jarvis Coutrelle of Beaureveille and
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