More Perfect Union (9780061760228) by Judith A. Jance

about her?”
    â€œDon’t you think it’s a hell of a coincidence for two ironworkers to die in separate accidents in less than a week?”
    Usually I’m the one who jumps to conclusions. I wondered briefly if Peters hadn’t been in bed too long and his brain was going soft. “Wait a minute here,” I cautioned. “Logan Tyree died in a boating accident. Angie Dixon fell off a building in front of God and everybody. How can the two be related?”
    Peters didn’t waste any time in throwing his best punch. “Tyree’s ex-girlfriend left town.”
    â€œSo what?”
    Peters went right on, totally ignoring my question. “I was talking to Manny a little while ago, just passing the time of day. I asked how it was going. Manny said he and Kramer talked to Mrs. Tyree and then went to Bellevue looking for the girlfriend. She’s split. Gone. Moved out along with her two kids. They talked to the girlfriend’s mother.”
    â€œWhen did she leave?”
    â€œThis morning, I guess, not long before Manny and Kramer got there.”
    â€œWhere are you going with all this?” I asked. “Did the mother act as though there was any problem?”
    â€œNo, she says Linda always pulls stunts like this, like taking off without telling anyone where she’s going.”
    â€œSo what’s the point? The mother’s not worried, but you are?”
    â€œThat’s right.”
    â€œHow come, Peters? What’s eating you?”
    â€œThink about it for a minute, Beau. Didn’t you tell me that Corbett guy said Tyree had a jealous wife?”
    â€œThat’s what he said.”
    â€œAnd that the girlfriend, Linda Decker, met him while she was attending an ironworking apprenticeship class?”
    â€œThat’s right, too.”
    â€œAnd now this Angie Dixon. She’s an apprentice, too. Maybe Logan Tyree made friends with more than one of his students.”
    It began to come together. I could see the pattern building in Peters’ brain. It didn’t take an overly active imagination. “You think maybe Linda Decker’s scared that she’s next? You think she’s hiding out?”
    â€œThe thought crossed my mind.”
    â€œIn that case, maybe somebody should check out Katherine Tyree.”
    Peters breathed a sigh of relief. “Bingo,” hesaid. “You’re not a fast study, Beau. I thought you’d never pick up on it.”
    â€œIs this a subtle hint?” I asked. “And is the somebody doing the checking going to be me?”
    â€œIt sure as hell can’t be me,” Peters responded bleakly. “In the meantime, those other assholes are absolutely determined that the incidents aren’t related in any way.”
    â€œDid you mention your suspicions to Manny?”
    There was a slight pause before Peters answered. “No,” he said reluctantly. “Not exactly.”
    I laughed. I couldn’t help it. “All right, all right. I’ll do it. I can’t today because in a few minutes I have to be down at the Sheraton, but I told Watty I’d be taking a few days off once we finished up on the movie. I’ll have some time to check into it and no one will be the wiser. You’re still gunning for Kramer, aren’t you.”
    When he answered, Peters’ voice was hushed. “You’d better believe it,” he breathed. “You’d by God better believe it.”

CHAPTER
8
    J ust when I figure I can count on Peters to wake me up, he lets me down. The next morning he didn’t call, and I slept until after nine. Fortunately, I didn’t have to be at work early that day. In fact, I didn’t have to go to work at all.
    My head was pounding. I lay there in bed trying not to move for fear I would shatter into a thousand pieces. Try as I might to remember, the end of the evening was a total blank.
    From seven o’clock on, it had been one long wild