his head.
“Somebody did.”
“Who?” he said. “Who the cracker that took money out my pocket and how much I git, I take him out?”
“So if it wasn’t Clipper or Rainer’s goons,” Ray said, “who was it?”
We were back in his car nearing downtown.
“No idea.”
“You don’t think the girl could have—
“No,” I said. “No way.”
“Okay, partner,” he said. “I just thought somebody should ask.”
“What about her husband?”
“Harry?”
“Or someone he hired.”
“He hired me.”
“And you have no idea what Mrs. Lewis is hiding?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No,” I said, “but it probably involves a man her husband doesn’t know about.”
He pulled up in front of the Cove Hotel and parked at the curb but didn’t kill his engine.
“You gonna be okay?” he asked.
I nodded, which in the streetlamp he could see.
“What’d Lewis say?” I asked.
“That Howell is bent,” he said, “and we’d be far better off with him as mayor. Can’t just hire us. Has to make political speeches first. Wants us to find out what Howell is up to, if he’s using someone close to Harry.”
“You tell him it wasn’t his wife?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Didn’t come up.”
“You take the job?”
He nodded. “Told him I’d work it in when I wasn’t in court, helping you, working other cases, or running our agency.”
“And what’ll you do on the weekends?” I asked. “Wipe out the Japs and Germans?”
Chapter 22
When I walked into the office the next morning, July frowned at me, and I wondered if she already knew about last night.
“I’m doing the best I can,” I said.
“What are you talking about?” she asked.
“Why are you frowning at me?”
She handed me a small slip of paper. “Lauren Lewis called,” she said, her frown deepening.
A small flock of butterflies fluttered around my stomach, and I was unable to suppress a certain twitching of my lips.
I had always thought that if I could have her just one more time, I could get her out of my system. If I could have her and be the one to leave . . . I couldn’t have her now, but if she wanted me and I could reject her, then maybe I could be free of her.
“I thought you were going to stay away from her?”
“I am,” I said.
“Then why is she calling you?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. What’d she say?”
I looked at the small slip of paper, resisting the urge to rub my finger over her name.
“I’m not sure I can remember,” she said with a wry smile. “In fact, I may have forgotten to write her number down.”
She snatched the paper from my grasp and looked at it.
“I sure did,” she said. “How could I be so stupid? Well, I am just a part-time secretary. It’s not like anyone around here trusts me enough to do something important.”
At first I thought it was just because she wanted to spend more time with Ray, but I had increasingly become convinced that July really wanted to be a detective.
She then wadded up the paper into a little ball and tossed it into the small trash can behind her.
“Rations,” I said. “The war. Ring any bells? I don’t think you’re supposed to be wasting paper.”
“You’re just sore you don’t have the number.”
“Yeah, that’s it,” I said, heading toward my office. “It’s not like I could still remember it or find it in the directory.”
In my office, I snatched up the receiver, punched in the number, and sat down.
After two impossibly long rings, a man’s voice answered.
I hesitated a minute, then said in my most professional tone, “Lauren Lewis, please.”
“Who?”
“Lauren Lewis.”
“Wrong number.”
I repeated the number I had dialed.
“Right number,” he said. “Wrong person.”
“How long have you had this number?”
“About six months. Any other personal information I can give you, pal?”
“Sorry,” I said and hung up.
Everything changes, I thought. Everything has changed.
I walked around my
“Somebody did.”
“Who?” he said. “Who the cracker that took money out my pocket and how much I git, I take him out?”
“So if it wasn’t Clipper or Rainer’s goons,” Ray said, “who was it?”
We were back in his car nearing downtown.
“No idea.”
“You don’t think the girl could have—
“No,” I said. “No way.”
“Okay, partner,” he said. “I just thought somebody should ask.”
“What about her husband?”
“Harry?”
“Or someone he hired.”
“He hired me.”
“And you have no idea what Mrs. Lewis is hiding?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No,” I said, “but it probably involves a man her husband doesn’t know about.”
He pulled up in front of the Cove Hotel and parked at the curb but didn’t kill his engine.
“You gonna be okay?” he asked.
I nodded, which in the streetlamp he could see.
“What’d Lewis say?” I asked.
“That Howell is bent,” he said, “and we’d be far better off with him as mayor. Can’t just hire us. Has to make political speeches first. Wants us to find out what Howell is up to, if he’s using someone close to Harry.”
“You tell him it wasn’t his wife?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Didn’t come up.”
“You take the job?”
He nodded. “Told him I’d work it in when I wasn’t in court, helping you, working other cases, or running our agency.”
“And what’ll you do on the weekends?” I asked. “Wipe out the Japs and Germans?”
Chapter 22
When I walked into the office the next morning, July frowned at me, and I wondered if she already knew about last night.
“I’m doing the best I can,” I said.
“What are you talking about?” she asked.
“Why are you frowning at me?”
She handed me a small slip of paper. “Lauren Lewis called,” she said, her frown deepening.
A small flock of butterflies fluttered around my stomach, and I was unable to suppress a certain twitching of my lips.
I had always thought that if I could have her just one more time, I could get her out of my system. If I could have her and be the one to leave . . . I couldn’t have her now, but if she wanted me and I could reject her, then maybe I could be free of her.
“I thought you were going to stay away from her?”
“I am,” I said.
“Then why is she calling you?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. What’d she say?”
I looked at the small slip of paper, resisting the urge to rub my finger over her name.
“I’m not sure I can remember,” she said with a wry smile. “In fact, I may have forgotten to write her number down.”
She snatched the paper from my grasp and looked at it.
“I sure did,” she said. “How could I be so stupid? Well, I am just a part-time secretary. It’s not like anyone around here trusts me enough to do something important.”
At first I thought it was just because she wanted to spend more time with Ray, but I had increasingly become convinced that July really wanted to be a detective.
She then wadded up the paper into a little ball and tossed it into the small trash can behind her.
“Rations,” I said. “The war. Ring any bells? I don’t think you’re supposed to be wasting paper.”
“You’re just sore you don’t have the number.”
“Yeah, that’s it,” I said, heading toward my office. “It’s not like I could still remember it or find it in the directory.”
In my office, I snatched up the receiver, punched in the number, and sat down.
After two impossibly long rings, a man’s voice answered.
I hesitated a minute, then said in my most professional tone, “Lauren Lewis, please.”
“Who?”
“Lauren Lewis.”
“Wrong number.”
I repeated the number I had dialed.
“Right number,” he said. “Wrong person.”
“How long have you had this number?”
“About six months. Any other personal information I can give you, pal?”
“Sorry,” I said and hung up.
Everything changes, I thought. Everything has changed.
I walked around my
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