with a smirk on his face. “How about it? Say in an hour?”
My stomach growled, reminding me my last meal had been one cookie. I didn’t feel hungry but Ed’s information might whet my appetite. “See you there.”
So much traffic on a Saturday . It took me a while to get there, plus I didn’t see the place and drove by it twice. Turned out, the Owl was a hole-in-the-wall greasy spoon with ripped pleather booths and waitresses who called you Hon. I hurried in; Ed had already dug into a plate of enormous pancakes.
He waved his loaded fork at me. “About time you got here. Want some cakes?” He called to the waitress.
His butter and syrup-laden pancakes looked delicious, but I wasn’t up to that. “A cinnamon bagel. No butter or cream cheese.”
He grimaced. “Jeez, no wonder you got no meat on your bones.”
Obviously, the man was delusional. “What’ve you got for me?”
He shoveled in a bite and with his mouth full, mumbled, “Mallorie’s dead.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.” I raised an eyebrow. “But how did you find out?”
He pushed away his plate and burped into his hand. “Cops came around, snooping. Must have been about 6:30 or 6:45 last night. Anyway, they questioned everyone still at Triton. They also wanted to know who wasn’t at work and should’ve been.”
“And?” He had to have more information than that.
“And…” He stuck his tongue between his teeth and sucked. “Eagleton left early yesterday. So did his go-for, Sean.”
My spine straightened. “Do the police know?”
He looked at me like I’d asked him what a bear does in the woods. “You kiddin’ me? Course they do. I told ‘em.”
“But you don’t like cops.”
“Someone had to tell them. Might as well have been me. Lots of people noticed them gone. Maybe now the cops will really put the screws on and Eagleton will slip, you know?” He leaned back a little and squinted at me. “You’re not lookin’ so healthy. Like real pale.” He glanced around the restaurant. “Hey, how’d you know about Mallorie so soon?”
I gave him the rundown of the previous night’s events, including that frightening call. But, not wanting him to think I crossed to the other side, left out calling Corrigan. My description must have whetted his appetite because he drew his plate back, slowly pouring more syrup on what was left of his breakfast. If he didn’t say anything soon, I’d fall asleep, with my bagel as a pillow.
He recapped the syrup bottle. “So that’s why you look like hell.”
“Thanks for the compliment.” I leaned forward and hissed, “I happen to be trembling in my suede boots.” There was more to my feelings than that. Slowly, my anger revealed itself and I slapped my palm against the Formica table. “You know, whoever killed Constance and Mallorie wants me out of the picture. So I’m staying in.”
Ed ran his tongue over his lower teeth and smiled. “Atta girl.”
The waitress sauntered over, “You two finished?” We nodded and she dropped off the bill. I reached out, but Ed grabbed it. “After the night you had, the least I can do is buy you a bagel.”
When we stepped outside, he lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. “It’s time we rattled Sean’s cage. I’m guessing he ain’t got it in him to kill someone, but he knows something.”
“Maybe so, but shouldn’t we wait to see what the police turn up?” I regretted the question as soon as it came out. It made me sound timid, hesitant, not a good thing. For us to work together well, Ed had to stop thinking of me as a little lost girl, so I added, “But it’d be better if we figured it out on our own.”
Ed nodded his approval. “Got that right.” He pulled a thick metal ring full of various keys and dangled them in front of me. “Bet we could learn a lot about Sean and Eagleton just by seeing what they have in their offices.”
The gleam in his eyes worried me. He actually enjoyed this, while my head pounded as soon
My stomach growled, reminding me my last meal had been one cookie. I didn’t feel hungry but Ed’s information might whet my appetite. “See you there.”
So much traffic on a Saturday . It took me a while to get there, plus I didn’t see the place and drove by it twice. Turned out, the Owl was a hole-in-the-wall greasy spoon with ripped pleather booths and waitresses who called you Hon. I hurried in; Ed had already dug into a plate of enormous pancakes.
He waved his loaded fork at me. “About time you got here. Want some cakes?” He called to the waitress.
His butter and syrup-laden pancakes looked delicious, but I wasn’t up to that. “A cinnamon bagel. No butter or cream cheese.”
He grimaced. “Jeez, no wonder you got no meat on your bones.”
Obviously, the man was delusional. “What’ve you got for me?”
He shoveled in a bite and with his mouth full, mumbled, “Mallorie’s dead.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.” I raised an eyebrow. “But how did you find out?”
He pushed away his plate and burped into his hand. “Cops came around, snooping. Must have been about 6:30 or 6:45 last night. Anyway, they questioned everyone still at Triton. They also wanted to know who wasn’t at work and should’ve been.”
“And?” He had to have more information than that.
“And…” He stuck his tongue between his teeth and sucked. “Eagleton left early yesterday. So did his go-for, Sean.”
My spine straightened. “Do the police know?”
He looked at me like I’d asked him what a bear does in the woods. “You kiddin’ me? Course they do. I told ‘em.”
“But you don’t like cops.”
“Someone had to tell them. Might as well have been me. Lots of people noticed them gone. Maybe now the cops will really put the screws on and Eagleton will slip, you know?” He leaned back a little and squinted at me. “You’re not lookin’ so healthy. Like real pale.” He glanced around the restaurant. “Hey, how’d you know about Mallorie so soon?”
I gave him the rundown of the previous night’s events, including that frightening call. But, not wanting him to think I crossed to the other side, left out calling Corrigan. My description must have whetted his appetite because he drew his plate back, slowly pouring more syrup on what was left of his breakfast. If he didn’t say anything soon, I’d fall asleep, with my bagel as a pillow.
He recapped the syrup bottle. “So that’s why you look like hell.”
“Thanks for the compliment.” I leaned forward and hissed, “I happen to be trembling in my suede boots.” There was more to my feelings than that. Slowly, my anger revealed itself and I slapped my palm against the Formica table. “You know, whoever killed Constance and Mallorie wants me out of the picture. So I’m staying in.”
Ed ran his tongue over his lower teeth and smiled. “Atta girl.”
The waitress sauntered over, “You two finished?” We nodded and she dropped off the bill. I reached out, but Ed grabbed it. “After the night you had, the least I can do is buy you a bagel.”
When we stepped outside, he lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. “It’s time we rattled Sean’s cage. I’m guessing he ain’t got it in him to kill someone, but he knows something.”
“Maybe so, but shouldn’t we wait to see what the police turn up?” I regretted the question as soon as it came out. It made me sound timid, hesitant, not a good thing. For us to work together well, Ed had to stop thinking of me as a little lost girl, so I added, “But it’d be better if we figured it out on our own.”
Ed nodded his approval. “Got that right.” He pulled a thick metal ring full of various keys and dangled them in front of me. “Bet we could learn a lot about Sean and Eagleton just by seeing what they have in their offices.”
The gleam in his eyes worried me. He actually enjoyed this, while my head pounded as soon
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