I made up the story about Flora, or what?”
“No. I think she believes that. I think she just wants to get Vera to confirm your story and to tell her everything she knows about Flora.” She took a sip of her coffee. “She really liked this man Jim, and I think she’s hurt.”
“Do you think she’ll confront Jim?”
“Maybe.”
“If she happens to call you, or if she comes home before going to the library, please ask her not to say anything to Jim. If she compromises Sheriff Norville’s investigation, he’ll have both our hides.”
Okay, he’d have my hide; but if I went down, I was gonna take Tansie with me. This whole mess was mostly her fault anyway. First, I had to get her daughter out of that trouble a while back. If it hadn’t been for that, I wouldn’t know what a good detective I am. Plus, she’s the one who sent me to that stupid consignment shop. See? We can lay this whole predicament right on her front porch. And now that she’s made this mess, I was gonna have to clean it up.
I hurried home, got Matlock, and we hit the road. I knew it’d take a good two hours for the crew at Tilt-A-Curl to fix Tansie’s hair. If I hurried, I could get to Vera before Tansie got out from under the dryer.
I was still hurrying, mind you, but I decided to take a detour by Sheriff Norville’s office. First off, I wanted to see how much hot water I was in with him. Maybe Tansie did call him and just didn’t tell Melvia. I had another reason, too. But I’ll get to that in a minute.
I put the car windows down for Matlock and told him I’d be right back. He laid down in the back seat like he didn’t give a hoot when I’d be back.
I went in and asked to see Sheriff Norville. The police station was a noisy place—typewriters clacking, phones ringing. I looked around but didn’t see anyone in handcuffs and shackles. That was a little bit of a letdown. The secretary said Sheriff Norville was in a meeting; but luckily for me, he came out while she was still talking.
“Ms. Crumb, how nice to see you again.”
I couldn’t read his face, so I couldn’t tell if he was being sincere or being sarcastic. He said his good-byes to the uniformed officer he’d been meeting with and ushered me into his office.
“Did you think of something else you needed to tell me about the Adams’ case?” he asked as he shut the door.
“In a way,” I said slowly. “See, right after you left yesterday, my neighbor Tansie Miller came over. She’s been seeing Jim some, too.”
“Seems Mr. Adams gets around.”
“Right. So, naturally, when she got to nosin’ around in my business and askin’ why you’d stopped by and everything, I told her about Jim bein’ a murder suspect.”
“You did what?” His eyes bulged out, making me think of Ricky Ricardo. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d called me “Lucy” and asked me to “splain.”
I cleared my throat. “Well, I—”
“You’ve compromised my investigation!”
“No, not really.”
“What do you mean ‘not really’?”
“Tansie ain’t about to go runnin’ to Jim to ask him whether or not he killed his wife. As a matter of fact, when I first told her, she thought I’d made the whole thing up. Jim told her he’s been a bachelor all his life.”
“Then how do you know she won’t talk with him about what you told her?”
“One, because if she makes him mad, he might kill her, too. And, two, she knows that me and you are working together to bring this case to a close.”
“Excuse me?”
“Which brings me to the other reason I stopped by. Is there any way I can get some sort of honorary or temporary badge? I feel it would go a long way in—”
“Good day, Ms. Crumb.” He got up and opened the door. “I’ll ask you to leave now before I say something I’ll regret.”
I stood up, fluffed my hair and smoothed my jacket. “I’m
“No. I think she believes that. I think she just wants to get Vera to confirm your story and to tell her everything she knows about Flora.” She took a sip of her coffee. “She really liked this man Jim, and I think she’s hurt.”
“Do you think she’ll confront Jim?”
“Maybe.”
“If she happens to call you, or if she comes home before going to the library, please ask her not to say anything to Jim. If she compromises Sheriff Norville’s investigation, he’ll have both our hides.”
Okay, he’d have my hide; but if I went down, I was gonna take Tansie with me. This whole mess was mostly her fault anyway. First, I had to get her daughter out of that trouble a while back. If it hadn’t been for that, I wouldn’t know what a good detective I am. Plus, she’s the one who sent me to that stupid consignment shop. See? We can lay this whole predicament right on her front porch. And now that she’s made this mess, I was gonna have to clean it up.
I hurried home, got Matlock, and we hit the road. I knew it’d take a good two hours for the crew at Tilt-A-Curl to fix Tansie’s hair. If I hurried, I could get to Vera before Tansie got out from under the dryer.
I was still hurrying, mind you, but I decided to take a detour by Sheriff Norville’s office. First off, I wanted to see how much hot water I was in with him. Maybe Tansie did call him and just didn’t tell Melvia. I had another reason, too. But I’ll get to that in a minute.
I put the car windows down for Matlock and told him I’d be right back. He laid down in the back seat like he didn’t give a hoot when I’d be back.
I went in and asked to see Sheriff Norville. The police station was a noisy place—typewriters clacking, phones ringing. I looked around but didn’t see anyone in handcuffs and shackles. That was a little bit of a letdown. The secretary said Sheriff Norville was in a meeting; but luckily for me, he came out while she was still talking.
“Ms. Crumb, how nice to see you again.”
I couldn’t read his face, so I couldn’t tell if he was being sincere or being sarcastic. He said his good-byes to the uniformed officer he’d been meeting with and ushered me into his office.
“Did you think of something else you needed to tell me about the Adams’ case?” he asked as he shut the door.
“In a way,” I said slowly. “See, right after you left yesterday, my neighbor Tansie Miller came over. She’s been seeing Jim some, too.”
“Seems Mr. Adams gets around.”
“Right. So, naturally, when she got to nosin’ around in my business and askin’ why you’d stopped by and everything, I told her about Jim bein’ a murder suspect.”
“You did what?” His eyes bulged out, making me think of Ricky Ricardo. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d called me “Lucy” and asked me to “splain.”
I cleared my throat. “Well, I—”
“You’ve compromised my investigation!”
“No, not really.”
“What do you mean ‘not really’?”
“Tansie ain’t about to go runnin’ to Jim to ask him whether or not he killed his wife. As a matter of fact, when I first told her, she thought I’d made the whole thing up. Jim told her he’s been a bachelor all his life.”
“Then how do you know she won’t talk with him about what you told her?”
“One, because if she makes him mad, he might kill her, too. And, two, she knows that me and you are working together to bring this case to a close.”
“Excuse me?”
“Which brings me to the other reason I stopped by. Is there any way I can get some sort of honorary or temporary badge? I feel it would go a long way in—”
“Good day, Ms. Crumb.” He got up and opened the door. “I’ll ask you to leave now before I say something I’ll regret.”
I stood up, fluffed my hair and smoothed my jacket. “I’m
Similar Books
