“No,” she said, with equally phony politeness. “I’ll
be with you today.”
I made a mental note to drop by Ellis Glover’s office
sometime today, see if it was me our Clerk of Court was
annoyed with or Ally Mycroft.
“In fact,” Ally said, “Mr. Glover has assigned me to
your courtroom for the rest of the week.”
In my head, Brook Benton began singing his world-
weary “Rainy Night in Georgia.”
188
C H A P T E R
22
Deputies McLamb and Dalton
Tuesday Morning, March 7
% “Better not block the driveway,” Deputy Raeford
McLamb said and Sam Dalton, the department’s
newest detective trainee, parked at the curb in front of a
shabby little house in sad need of paint. A white Honda
stood in the driveway. On the small porch, a young man in
a UNC hoodie with a black-and-silver backpack dangling
from his shoulder shifted his weight from one foot to the
other as an older woman carrying a big red-and-green
striped umbrella came out and locked the door behind her.
He held out his hand and she gave him the keys. Both of
them looked at the detectives suspiciously as McLamb got
out of the prowl car and approached in the pouring rain.
“Mrs. Stone?”
“Yes?” A heavyset, middle-aged black woman, she
wore a clear plastic rain bonnet over her graying hair.
189
MARGARET MARON
“Colleton County Sheriff ’s Department, ma’am.
Could we step inside and talk a minute?”
Mrs. Stone shook her head. “Is this about my daddy
again?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“What is it?”
“Ma’am—”
“I’m really sorry, Officer, but if I don’t go on now,
I’m gonna be late for work and they told me if I’m late
again, they’re gonna lay me off. Whatever you got to
say’s just gonna have to wait till this evening. I’ll be
back at five.”
“Where do you work? Maybe we could drive you?”
She paused indecisively and the teenager jingled the
