Lou and I took seats on the couch. I sat down and fluffed my
pillow before continuing, but I didn't wait to see if we were going to get an
invitation to supper. I started with a little small talk.
"Nice place you have
here."
"I like it. It's home."
"I bet it's quiet, too."
"Well, the Canada geese can be a little noisy when
they fly over, but other than that, it's pretty quiet. Not a lot of traffic.
Not a lot of neighbors."
"One less neighbor now. Tell
me what you know about Portwood."
"Not much to tell. Nice
enough guy. Talked a lot. Wrote books. Dated the woman next door to him. Never
caused anyone any trouble. Not the kind of guy you'd murder."
"What kind do you
murder?"
"One who is full of hatred,
threatens you or someone you love, someone who brightens a room when he
leaves."
"Who do you love?"
"It's just me here. I asked a
woman to marry me once. She said 'no.' I never asked another one."
"I asked a woman to marry me
once. She said 'yes,' so I never asked another one."
Barney laughed.
"How often did Portwood have
visitors?"
"You mean someone who didn't
live on this road?"
"That, and the two of you.
Visitors. Someone who showed up at his house. And did any of his visitors ever
come by way of the river?"
"So, you already know about
Miss Longacre?"
"A little. What can you tell
me about her?"
"She's okay. I think she was
more interested in the Colonel than he was in her, but they did spend a lot of
time together. They had done that for a long time."
"So, they got along
okay?"
"As far as I know. Some
people said they were fixing to get married. Not sure about that. The Colonel
didn't seem like the marrying kind. But he liked her okay."
"You didn't answer my
question about company."
"Most of the time if somebody
drives down this road, they're lost. I don't remember anybody being there
lately. Is that what you mean?"
"It is. Anybody ever come by
boat?"
"Not that I know of."
"Would you have heard them if
they had?"
"I doubt it. It would have to
be a noisy boat, or a noisy person. And the wind would have to be blowing the
right way."
"What about Miss Longacre?
How often did she go over to see Portwood?"
"Pretty near every day as far
as I know. And he'd go over and see her from time to time. Sometimes they ate
together."
"Did you hear Portwood come
home Saturday night?"
"Yep. Didn't think nothing
about it. He came home and drove into his garage. At least I assume it was him.
It was dark time he got home, so all I saw were headlights. But since no one
else came down the road that night and he was found dead in his garage the next
morning, my guess is it was him. Never suspected that he drove in there and
died."
"Did Miss Longacre go over
there Saturday night?"
"I thought I saw her running
across the yard going back home from his house, but she said she never went
over until she found him on Sunday morning."
"What about you? Did you go
over?"
"Not until the sheriff showed
up. I walked over to see what was going on."
"When was the last time you
saw him before he died?"
"I think it was Tuesday or
Wednesday. I saw Miss Longacre out at the mailbox. Oh, the mailman came by
everyday. If you want to call him a visitor, but he never came up and knocked.
Well, he came every day any of us got mail, which wasn't everyday. None of the
three of us get much mail. And there's only a half dozen houses on this whole
road, and most of us who live here are getting up in age. Anyway, I saw Miss
Longacre at her mailbox and she said the Colonel was sick. He was supposed to
leave for that book fair on Tuesday, like he always did, but he didn't leave
until early Thursday morning. Anyway, I went over one day and asked if I could
do anything for him, but he said he would be fine in a day or so. I never saw
him again after that."
"Was he able to pay his bills
on time?"
"I didn't mess with anything
that wasn't my business, but I'm sure he could. Some people said he was doing
okay, as if maybe he had more money
pillow before continuing, but I didn't wait to see if we were going to get an
invitation to supper. I started with a little small talk.
"Nice place you have
here."
"I like it. It's home."
"I bet it's quiet, too."
"Well, the Canada geese can be a little noisy when
they fly over, but other than that, it's pretty quiet. Not a lot of traffic.
Not a lot of neighbors."
"One less neighbor now. Tell
me what you know about Portwood."
"Not much to tell. Nice
enough guy. Talked a lot. Wrote books. Dated the woman next door to him. Never
caused anyone any trouble. Not the kind of guy you'd murder."
"What kind do you
murder?"
"One who is full of hatred,
threatens you or someone you love, someone who brightens a room when he
leaves."
"Who do you love?"
"It's just me here. I asked a
woman to marry me once. She said 'no.' I never asked another one."
"I asked a woman to marry me
once. She said 'yes,' so I never asked another one."
Barney laughed.
"How often did Portwood have
visitors?"
"You mean someone who didn't
live on this road?"
"That, and the two of you.
Visitors. Someone who showed up at his house. And did any of his visitors ever
come by way of the river?"
"So, you already know about
Miss Longacre?"
"A little. What can you tell
me about her?"
"She's okay. I think she was
more interested in the Colonel than he was in her, but they did spend a lot of
time together. They had done that for a long time."
"So, they got along
okay?"
"As far as I know. Some
people said they were fixing to get married. Not sure about that. The Colonel
didn't seem like the marrying kind. But he liked her okay."
"You didn't answer my
question about company."
"Most of the time if somebody
drives down this road, they're lost. I don't remember anybody being there
lately. Is that what you mean?"
"It is. Anybody ever come by
boat?"
"Not that I know of."
"Would you have heard them if
they had?"
"I doubt it. It would have to
be a noisy boat, or a noisy person. And the wind would have to be blowing the
right way."
"What about Miss Longacre?
How often did she go over to see Portwood?"
"Pretty near every day as far
as I know. And he'd go over and see her from time to time. Sometimes they ate
together."
"Did you hear Portwood come
home Saturday night?"
"Yep. Didn't think nothing
about it. He came home and drove into his garage. At least I assume it was him.
It was dark time he got home, so all I saw were headlights. But since no one
else came down the road that night and he was found dead in his garage the next
morning, my guess is it was him. Never suspected that he drove in there and
died."
"Did Miss Longacre go over
there Saturday night?"
"I thought I saw her running
across the yard going back home from his house, but she said she never went
over until she found him on Sunday morning."
"What about you? Did you go
over?"
"Not until the sheriff showed
up. I walked over to see what was going on."
"When was the last time you
saw him before he died?"
"I think it was Tuesday or
Wednesday. I saw Miss Longacre out at the mailbox. Oh, the mailman came by
everyday. If you want to call him a visitor, but he never came up and knocked.
Well, he came every day any of us got mail, which wasn't everyday. None of the
three of us get much mail. And there's only a half dozen houses on this whole
road, and most of us who live here are getting up in age. Anyway, I saw Miss
Longacre at her mailbox and she said the Colonel was sick. He was supposed to
leave for that book fair on Tuesday, like he always did, but he didn't leave
until early Thursday morning. Anyway, I went over one day and asked if I could
do anything for him, but he said he would be fine in a day or so. I never saw
him again after that."
"Was he able to pay his bills
on time?"
"I didn't mess with anything
that wasn't my business, but I'm sure he could. Some people said he was doing
okay, as if maybe he had more money
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