was actually running down the drain. How do you like that? Crime’s over fifty years old, but some details they still remember. The blood running down the drain.”
“I get the symbolism,” Chief Harper said dryly. “I wasn’t planning on writing a book. Where does the gun come in?”
“Ah,” Finley said. “There were two guns used in the robbery. The clerk was shot with a three fifty-seven Magnum. The bystanders were shot with a thirty-two-caliber revolver. This morning, the police in Mobile matched up our bullet with the bullet taken from the body of the witness in the gas station robbery. Needless to say, the police are very interested to know where we got it.”
“What did you say?”
Dan smiled. “I told them the chief of police would give them a full report.”
Chief Harper grimaced. “Thanks a lot.”
Chapter 28
Becky Baldwin nibbled on a french fry.
“How can you eat french fries?” Cora said irritably.
“What? It’s heartless under the situation?”
“No, it’s unfair to eat fried foods and have a figure like that. If I ate french fries, I’d be big as a house.”
“You are eating french fries.”
“I rest my case.”
“What are you so cranky about? You just solved the mystery. You know the secret of Overmeyer’s gun.”
“How do you figure that?”
“Are you kidding? The gun was involved in a shooting. Overmeyer was a robber. He had a partner in crime. His partner was afraid he was about to come clean, so he killed him.”
“Yes, wouldn’t that be nice,” Cora said.
“What’s wrong with it?”
“Just about everything. I spent the morning Googling Overmeyer. Which isn’t nearly as dirty as it sounds. You know what type of records they kept in 1954?”
“None?”
“That’s right. If the son of a bitch had died, I might have been able to find him. But that would have defeated the whole purpose.” Cora frowned. “Uh-oh.”
“What?”
“That’s Bozo.”
“Who?”
“One of Overmeyer’s heirs. I bet he’s looking for you.”
“Big deal. No one knows I’m here.”
Cora and Becky were having lunch at the Wicker Basket. A popular home-style restaurant right in the middle of town, it did a brisk lunchtime business.
“Even so, I bet he is.”
“Don’t be silly,” Becky said. “He’s probably just here for lunch.”
Cruella de Vil stepped out from behind Bozo, pointed a finger.
“Ms. Baldwin?” Bozo said, swooping down on their table. “Ms. Rebecca Baldwin, attorney-at-law?”
Becky smiled. “I’m actually an attorney at lunch.”
“Are you the attorney for the Overmeyer estate?”
“Now, there you are inquiring into matters that are best discussed in a law office.”
“I’m not asking you to discuss the estate. I’m just asking if you’re handling it.”
“Come by my office.”
“There’s no reason to come by your office if you’re not handling it.”
Cora stuck her nose in. “You see this food here? There’s no reason to come by our table if you’re not handling it.”
“I’m not talking to you.”
“You’re not talking to me, either,” Becky said. She looked at her watch. “Two o’clock. In my office.”
“That’s going to be a little awkward,” Cora said as Bozo and Cruella slunk off.
“What?”
“Explaining you’re not the attorney for the estate.”
“It may be awkward for them. Not for me.”
“How are you going to explain that you made an inventory?”
“I’ll refer them to you.”
“Thanks a heap.”
“So, go on,” Becky said. “What’s the deal with this robbery? Which I would assume these jokers know nothing about.”
“I wouldn’t go that far. But Chief Harper hasn’t leaked it yet, if that’s what you mean.”
“Yeah. So what’s the deal? Overmeyer’s one of the robbers. His partner’s the other. If Overmeyer’s about to come clean, his partner’s the logical suspect.”
“Yeah.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
Cora shook her head. “It’s like I said. If
“I get the symbolism,” Chief Harper said dryly. “I wasn’t planning on writing a book. Where does the gun come in?”
“Ah,” Finley said. “There were two guns used in the robbery. The clerk was shot with a three fifty-seven Magnum. The bystanders were shot with a thirty-two-caliber revolver. This morning, the police in Mobile matched up our bullet with the bullet taken from the body of the witness in the gas station robbery. Needless to say, the police are very interested to know where we got it.”
“What did you say?”
Dan smiled. “I told them the chief of police would give them a full report.”
Chief Harper grimaced. “Thanks a lot.”
Chapter 28
Becky Baldwin nibbled on a french fry.
“How can you eat french fries?” Cora said irritably.
“What? It’s heartless under the situation?”
“No, it’s unfair to eat fried foods and have a figure like that. If I ate french fries, I’d be big as a house.”
“You are eating french fries.”
“I rest my case.”
“What are you so cranky about? You just solved the mystery. You know the secret of Overmeyer’s gun.”
“How do you figure that?”
“Are you kidding? The gun was involved in a shooting. Overmeyer was a robber. He had a partner in crime. His partner was afraid he was about to come clean, so he killed him.”
“Yes, wouldn’t that be nice,” Cora said.
“What’s wrong with it?”
“Just about everything. I spent the morning Googling Overmeyer. Which isn’t nearly as dirty as it sounds. You know what type of records they kept in 1954?”
“None?”
“That’s right. If the son of a bitch had died, I might have been able to find him. But that would have defeated the whole purpose.” Cora frowned. “Uh-oh.”
“What?”
“That’s Bozo.”
“Who?”
“One of Overmeyer’s heirs. I bet he’s looking for you.”
“Big deal. No one knows I’m here.”
Cora and Becky were having lunch at the Wicker Basket. A popular home-style restaurant right in the middle of town, it did a brisk lunchtime business.
“Even so, I bet he is.”
“Don’t be silly,” Becky said. “He’s probably just here for lunch.”
Cruella de Vil stepped out from behind Bozo, pointed a finger.
“Ms. Baldwin?” Bozo said, swooping down on their table. “Ms. Rebecca Baldwin, attorney-at-law?”
Becky smiled. “I’m actually an attorney at lunch.”
“Are you the attorney for the Overmeyer estate?”
“Now, there you are inquiring into matters that are best discussed in a law office.”
“I’m not asking you to discuss the estate. I’m just asking if you’re handling it.”
“Come by my office.”
“There’s no reason to come by your office if you’re not handling it.”
Cora stuck her nose in. “You see this food here? There’s no reason to come by our table if you’re not handling it.”
“I’m not talking to you.”
“You’re not talking to me, either,” Becky said. She looked at her watch. “Two o’clock. In my office.”
“That’s going to be a little awkward,” Cora said as Bozo and Cruella slunk off.
“What?”
“Explaining you’re not the attorney for the estate.”
“It may be awkward for them. Not for me.”
“How are you going to explain that you made an inventory?”
“I’ll refer them to you.”
“Thanks a heap.”
“So, go on,” Becky said. “What’s the deal with this robbery? Which I would assume these jokers know nothing about.”
“I wouldn’t go that far. But Chief Harper hasn’t leaked it yet, if that’s what you mean.”
“Yeah. So what’s the deal? Overmeyer’s one of the robbers. His partner’s the other. If Overmeyer’s about to come clean, his partner’s the logical suspect.”
“Yeah.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
Cora shook her head. “It’s like I said. If
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