with that nut case.” She quickly put her hand to her mouth and glanced at Meg. “Whoops, sorry, she a friend of yours?”
“I know her from business, that’s all. She can be a pain. Says all brokers are trying to rip her off. Sorry I invited her. Is there any way I can help with all this?”
“That would be great, if you want to,” Sandy said. “So, you deal in securities and financial matters. I guess you have access to credit and financial reports on people?”
“All the time.”
“Then I’m going to get real pushy. Can you pull reports on Loraine, Tammy, Norma Martin, Sonny Barner, Towson, and the Postmaster General? I’m joking about that last one, but you get the idea—everyone connected with the case. Is that too much?”
“Oh, Sandy, I’d like to help, but I don’t dare to give you actual reports on anyone. My securities license mandates strict privacy. What are you after?”
“Financial problems, lawsuits, convictions, and such. I understand your delicate situation. I suppose social security numbers are out. What about birth dates? With a birth date I can go online.”
“Can’t do, but how’s this: I’ll quietly review a few things myself and let you know if anything suspicious pops up. I already have files on everyone you named except Norma and Barner. I’ll get back to you. Give me your cell. Must go now. You two have serious things to cover.” Meg said her goodbyes.
Sandy watched her leave. “Impressive woman. Okay, Raymond, where were we? Ah, yes, back to the seductive woman who drives her lovers to disaster. Loraine’s a
“That’s not fair, Sandy, I didn’t want to discuss it while Meg was here, but the woman you’re describing isn’t the one I slept with after that party.”
“Bullshit, men will screw anything that moves and an astonishing variety of things that don’t.”
“Well, she wasn’t just anything. She was something, and a damn attractive something. Excuse me for being human.”
“And you were helplessly ensnared in her bonds of irresistible desire. Next, you’ll tell me she was also a virgin. Get off it. She lifted her skirt, and you charged off to tilt at windmills. Your bizarre sex drive got you in jail and got me down here ruining my life to help you.”
“If I was like that, we would have had sex again at that motel. There was no second time in spite of her naked body laid out before me like some sexual smorgasbord. Don’t you understand? The melodramatic story that got me charged up came from the sweet Loraine.”
“Have you ever in your life said no to a woman asking for anything?”
“Okay, I’ll admit she conned me, but not back into bed, although she sure tried. I didn’t know any of the people she named. It all sounded plausible at the time. But yes, I couldn’t wait to race off and make an ass out of myself.”
“Somehow, Raymond, you never quite know what’s going on with women. Women aren’t just tall Girl Scouts. You think you owe every woman something, don’t you. With your quiet childlike charm if you ever did figure them out you’d be gold. Women like quiet men like you, they think you’re listening.”
“I don’t care if I understand them. I just want to meet a woman who smiles at me because she means it.”
“Well, don’t get married again before I size up the prospect.”
“Do I detect a slight hint of caring, like you actually give a damn?”
“You’re right. I don’t. That was a joke.”
“Not difficult to screw up choosing a partner. How are you doing, for example?” He was upset and said it without thinking. He immediately wished he could take the words back. Her face flushed and he knew he had hit the target. “I’m sorry, Sandy, I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No, you’re right. I’m guilty of screwing up relationships. The difference is I work at them, at least the worthy ones. Most went bad but I was in there trying. But you, my apathetic sibling, just take up space waiting for someone to come to you. Someone who had better be prepared to call all the relationship shots because your mind has more important concerns.”
“Wow. This isn’t really about me, is it? It’s about us. You’re talking about you and me—and my failure to redeem myself with you.”
“I’ll leave sibling redemption to the psychologists.”
“I’m truly sorry, Sandy. I’ll try to change. I’ll try to work on our connection.”
“I don’t care what you do. My concern is getting back to my life in Philly. That means I first must clean up your mess. Where did we leave off?”
“I’m a doofus.”
“Oh yes, Loraine using you. I guess the Barner rape was the angle she thought would set you off. She wanted you to go to Towson’s, to see Norma, and to barge in on Tammy. She wanted you seen all over town.”
“She outsmarted me. If I’d called the police at three o’clock, as I originally intended, I’d have been talking to them at the time of murder and would never have been a suspect. I’d be home reading a book right now, just taking up space, and you’d be in Philly. I don’t think Tammy understands all that. Do you think she’d be willing to come here and talk with me?”
“No, I don’t. Tammy thinks you’re straight out lying. She doesn’t think Loraine has anything to do with this. She thinks you fought with Towson and shot him. That’s what she told Goddard. She doesn't think much of you. She said it's tragic an accomplished man with such a promising future should have his life cut short because some jerk drifts into town and wipes out years of accomplishments with two little bullets.”
“When we met, I felt there was something between us. I’d like to see her again.”
“That’s understandable, she has that big boob thing going for her.”
“Sandy, please get off the oversexed notion. I’m not like that. You don’t know me any better than I know you.”
“You think Tammy would come here to jail to see you? Forget about it. She’s very upset. You know I don’t have all the time in the world for this project of yours. I’ve a long list and seeing Tammy twice isn’t on it. Do yourself a favor and forget about her. She doesn’t like us, and you two simply aren’t on the same side.”
She looked at him sitting there—pathetic in that stupid jumpsuit, with two precious paperbacks and a bag of chocolate covered pretzels tightly gripped in his handcuffed hands. He seemed so fragile. So far, he was dealing with this horrible situation, but she wouldn’t be surprised if he soon flipped over into depression. She should let up on him. Stop blaming him for trying to help someone.
“Okay, I’ll go see her, just to give her your message. Maybe I’ll find an excuse to cross paths with Detective Chip Goddard again.”
Chapter 15
Being state attorney put a sizeable hammer in Lawrence Moran’s hand. His office had no lack of possible targets to hit. Goddard had observed that the merciless Moran used the law to come down hard against minor offenders and unwary letter-of-the-law violators. He noticed Moran seemed to enjoy smashing little bugs with his big hammer. He relished those opportunities where he could penalize the likely innocent on a technicality. Such power made the fight unfair.
Although Goddard had to live with it, he usually didn’t have to deal closely with him. Usually A shoots B, Goddard arrests A, a trial is scheduled, and Goddard goes home. The Towson case would be different. It would be complicated and he didn’t like having Moran so involved in the investigative part of it.
Moran wanted a meeting, so Goddard drove back to the station and headed for the chief’s office. As he opened the door, he could hear Moran’s high-pitched voice criticizing the chief for the lack of progress. Moran
