'Chief, Rangers, you name it, they've done that, Hap. I mean, we might ask something they didn't ask 'cause we know Florida better than them, but I don't put lots of stock in it. Ultimately, we're just amateurs, and we ain't worth a damn at it. Earnest. But stupid.'
'I'll buy that. But there's another thing she'd do. She'd go see Soothe's grave.'
'Why?'
'Think a minute.'
Leonard did just that. He said, 'All right, I thought about it and I don't get it. She might want to see where he was buried, but I don't see that matters much as far as finding her goes.'
'I think she might have thought she ought to move Soothe.'
'Dig him up?'
'If Florida was here to do an investigation, was convinced Soothe was murdered, she might get to thinking someone like Reynolds, or whoever, might figure an inquiry by outside authorities could result from her snooping around, doing an article, and the outside authorities would come in and want Soothe exhumed—'
'To see if he hung himself, or was hung?'
'Yep. So she dug up the body to keep it out of the hands of anyone who might spoil it, want to destroy autopsy evidence that could prove Soothe was murdered.'
'She did dig him up, where'd she put him, Hap? And another thing, Florida, petite as she was, wasn't all that suited for grave
digging.'
'She didn't like getting dirty either. However, she wasn't above using her feminine charms when it suited her needs. What she would need was a horny sap who thought doing a favor might get him a little stinky on his dinky, even if all Florida really planned to give him was her heartfelt thanks. Get my drift?'
'Well, I'll be goddamned. You mean—'
'Yep.'
Chapter 29
We sat there about an hour, until the rain slacked, then we started for Grovetown. When we got there the water was running wild and deep through the streets, and we had to park up by an antique shop and wade to Tim's station.
The water pushed at us so hard it was difficult to stand, but we made it. The station was locked up. We went around to the back and beat on the door there, and after a moment Tim opened up. He didn't look that thrilled to see us. He told us to go around front, and closed the door.
He let us into the store. The room was still warm, but the heater was down to coals. We went over and sat by it anyway. I checked out the junk under the stove again. It was becoming my focus point, especially that little blue object.
Tim said, 'I've closed up for the day. Weather isn't giving me any work. Unless I can do something for you guys right away, I think I'm gonna pack a few things, go out to Mom's see if I can get her to come with me, head out till all this passes. I'm not wanting to be rude, but
'Tim,' I said, 'you took Florida out to Soothes grave, didn't you?'
'What?' he said.
I knew I was taking a hell of a flier, but the more I thought about it, considering what I knew of Florida, how she thought, I figured it was as good a flyer as I might ever take.
'She wanted to move Soothe to another place, didn't she? She asked you to take her out there and help her do it.'
'Why would she do that?'
I told him what I thought. He said, 'That's ridiculous,' but he had a look on his face like we'd just caught him jacking off to a grainy photo of a shaved dog butt.
'You took her out there, and you helped move the body. All we want is you to show us where.'
Tim studied the floor. He said, 'If she did want it moved, and say I did help her, and showed you where the body is, what difference would it make now? All the time he's been in the ground, I don't know they could tell much.'
'Not for us to say,' Leonard said. 'Forensic people can do pretty amazing things.'
'And how would that help you find Florida anyway?' Tim asked. 'That's what you're after, isn't it? Florida? Not this Soothe thing.'
I knew I had hit pay dirt. I tried not to stare directly at Tim, lest I unnerve him. I focused on the blue object under the stove when I spoke.
'I'm not trying to say you did anything wrong, though Texas frowns on bodies being moved around after they're in the ground. But if Florida had you help move the body, and then someone, Reynolds, your father, lackeys, went out there to steal and destroy Soothe's corpse because they thought there might be an autopsy, and the body wasn't there, they might figure since Florida was asking around about Soothe, trying to prove he was murdered, well, they could put one and one together, decide she moved the body. They might not figure on you, but they'd think of her.'
'Then,' Leonard said, 'they kidnapped her, made her tell where it was.'
'Considering the boys around Grovetown can be real persuasive,' I said, 'I think she told, showed them where it
