worried. I'm not as worried now as I was before you told me all those things.'
She did a mental double take on one of them. `But why would he deliberately go and stay with criminals?'
`It isn't clear. He may not have known they were criminals. If you can think of anyone-'
`I'm trying.' She screwed up her face, and finally shook her head again. `I can't, unless they were the same people he had to see that other Saturday night. When he borrowed our car.'
`Did he tell you anything at all about those people?'
`Just that he was terribly keen about seeing them.'
`Were they men or women?'
`I don't even know that.'
`What about the Sunday morning, when you met him here? Did he tell you anything at all about the night before?'
'No. He was feeling really low, after the accident and all, and the terrible row with his parents. I didn't ask him any questions. I guess I should have, shouldn't I? I always do the wrong thing, either by commission or omission.'
`I think you do the right thing more often than most.'
'Mother doesn't think so. Neither does Dad.'
`Parents can be mistaken.'
`Are you a parent?'
The question reminded me of the sad boys in Laguna Perdida School.
`No, I never have been. My hands are clean.'
`You're making fun of me,' she said with a glum face.
`Never. Hardly ever.'
She gave me a quick smile. 'Gilbert and Sullivan. I didn't know detectives were like you.'
`Neither do most of the other detectives.'
Our rapport, which came and went, was flourishing again. `There's one other thing I've been meaning to ask you, Stella. Your mother seems to believe that Tommy wrecked her car on purpose.'
`I know she does.'
`Could there be any truth in it?'
She considered the question. `I don't see how. He wouldn't do it to me, or her, unless-' She looked up in dark surmise.
`Go on.'
`Unless he was trying to kill himself, and didn't care about anything any more.'
`Was he?'
`He may have been. He didn't want to come home, he told me that much. But he didn't tell me why.'
`I might learn something from examining the car. Do you know where it is?'
`It's down in Ringo's wrecking yard. Mother went to see it the other day.'
'Why?'
`It helps her to stay mad, I guess. Mother's really crazy about Tommy, at least she used to be, and so was Dad. This business has been terribly hard on them. And I'm not making it any easier staying away from home now.'
She got to her feet, stamping them rapidly. `Mother will be calling out the gendarmes. Also she'll kill me.'
`No she won't.'
`Yes she will.'
But she wasn't basically afraid for herself. `If you find out anything about Tommy, will you let me know?'
`That might be a little tough to do, in view of your mother's attitude. Why don't you get in touch with me when you can? This number will always get me, through my answering service.'
I gave her a card.
She climbed down the ladder and flitted away through the trees, one of those youngsters who make you feel like apologizing for the world.
6
I MADE MY way back to the Hillmans' house. It resembled a grim white fortress under the lowering sky. I didn't feel like going in just now and grappling with the heavy, smothering fear that hung in the rooms. Anyway, I finally had a lead. Which Hillman could have given me if he'd wanted to.
Before I got into my car I looked up at the front window of Tom's room. The Hillmans were sitting close together in the niche of the window, looking out. Hillman shook his head curtly: no phone call.
