“Normal to be angry.”
“God, don’t start telling me I’m normal. I’ve had all the bad news I can handle for one day.”
He smiled. “You’re not as off-beat as you think you are.”
The crew was hammering the boards in place, making a hell of a racket.
“Let’s sit out back,” I suggested. We brushed off a couple of chairs on the back porch and sat down. The winds had died down to a breeze. Crickets had started to sing and the air was laced with the fragrance of jasmine from my neighbor’s backyard.
“Irene, look, I’ve been thinking about it, and I can let you in on a few things under certain conditions. And, well, I’ve got an idea that might work out for both of us. If you’re willing to try it.”
“Go on, I’m listening.”
“You can help me in two ways. I figure the intended target of the bombing may have been O’Connor himself, or his son. Any other possibilities became a lot less likely this afternoon when those shots blasted through your window.
“I think you can help me learn more about O’Connor and his son. In exchange, I’ll tell you whatever I can, on the condition that you do not try to pursue this on your own — that you keep working with me and let the police deal with these people.” He paused. “I mean that, Irene. Whoever they are, they’re dangerous and they mean business. I don’t want your blood on my hands.”
“What are the ‘two ways’?” I asked.
“Promise me you won’t try to play Nancy Drew.”
“Frank, I’m the curious sort. Too many years of reporting to say I won’t snoop into things. But I promise to tell you whatever I learn, and that I won’t intentionally place myself in personal danger.”
He sat there thinking for a while, unconsciously reaching up and touching the scratch marks. “I might as well face it; even this morning I knew you’d start digging around on your own, no matter what I said. You’re about as hardheaded as they come. Maybe if you’ll work with me, we can keep that stubbornness from getting you killed.”
“I’ll be careful. Tell me how I can be of help.”
“I need for you to try to get your job back at the paper. You’ll have to eat humble pie, kiss Wrigley’s behind and tell him that O’Connor told you all about the mayor’s problems and every other story he was working on. Offer to take up where O’Connor left off.”
I nodded. I had been thinking about doing it anyway. It was the only way I could learn more than I already knew about the things O’Connor was working on. Working with Wrigley would be hell on earth, but if I knew him at all, he had already started to worry about what he was going to do with the mayor’s story. I was also pretty sure I could manage getting my job back without too much groveling. Wrigley had already made overtures, which until now I had turned down.
One of the workers made his way back to say they were finished, and I went inside to pay them. I thanked them and closed and bolted the front door after they left.
“Okay,” I said to Frank as I came out back again, “I’m with you as far as the paper goes.”
“Great. I’m afraid the next item involves telling you something that’s not going to make you happy.”
I waited. What could make this day any worse?
“Williams came by a little while ago,” he said. “He told me that Kenny had not checked into the Vista del Mar. He asked the lady across the street from you about the Corvette, she said she saw Kenny pull up and park; shortly after that a tall redhead that she’s seen over here before pulled up behind him; said she thought the woman was your sister.”
“Barbara?!”
“I couldn’t remember if your sister was a redhead from back when you used to talk to me about her. So you think it’s her?”
I nodded.
“Your neighbor said the woman acted like she was going to come to your front door but that the man stopped her, and then they got into her car and drove off.”
I was stunned. Kenny had gone middle-aged-crazy at forty, bought the Corvette and started hopping from bed to bed like crab lice. When Barbara was finally forced to confront him about it, he gave her the “It’s all your fault” baloney and worse. He said things to her that boys in a high school locker room would blush to hear.
“Jesus, Frank. I’ve heard of gluttons for punishment, but this is like volunteering for the Spanish Inquisition. How can my own sister have such low self-esteem? I’m calling her. I’m calling her right now.”
“Hold it, Irene. Barbara’s not a child. Your older sister, as I recall. She can see anybody she wants to.”
“It won’t work. God, he is
He didn’t say anything.
“You’re right,” I said, calming down a little. “You’re right. I’ve got to stay out of it.”
“Well, actually, what I had in mind was a little different. I need you to be sympathetic to her. We’ve got to find out what, if anything, would make someone want to kill Kenny.”
“You’d better arrest me.”
“You know what I mean. From what I can tell at this point, all three of you may be targets. Kenny must be pretty sure he’s a target, or he wouldn’t have left his car here. He may not have wanted to leave it in an unfamiliar neighborhood, or maybe he was trying to draw attention to you, I don’t know. Anyway, I’m going to have it towed in, so you should have some satisfaction.”
