I don’t remember a tractor.”
I briefly recapped. “Diaz took him on at the nursery
after he got fired from wherever he stole the tractor and
he promised to see that the damages were repaired. I
forget if I gave the guy a fine or a suspended sentence.
I’d have to look it up. Anyhow, when Faye was telling
me about Mayleen’s new boyfriend, she said I’d met
him and that this Mike Diaz was the one.”
“Diaz,” Dwight said reflectively. “Why’s that name
seem familiar?”
“Faye said Mayleen met him when she was working a
case back in January.”
“That’s right. I remember seeing his name on one of
the reports she filed. He had some sort of connection
to J.D. Rouse’s wife.” Rouse was a rounder whose free-
wheeling arrogance had gotten him shot. “So Richards
is hooked up with him?”
“According to Faye she is. Remember?” I said smugly.
“I told you she was looking different.”
“Is this where I have to listen to you brag about femi-
nine intuition?” he groaned.
I laughed.
255
MARGARET MARON
“So what does your day look like?” he asked. “You
gonna be able to cut out before five?”
“Unless something unexpected comes up, this could
be a light day. Four of the cases I was supposed to hear
today settled yesterday afternoon and I have good vibes
about another one, so I may be ready to roll by four.
You going to leave on time?”
“I sure hope so. Robert had some seed potatoes left
over. It’s getting a little late to plant them but—”
“Potatoes? And cabbages yesterday? I thought you
were just going to tend a few tomato plants.”
“Yeah, but I forgot how little kids love to scratch
around and find potatoes.”
I patted his arm. “Big kids, too, right?”
He gave a sheepish nod.
Faye Myers was coming on duty when we entered the
basement lobby, so I said I’d catch up with him later
and stopped to chat. There had been a bad wreck last
night, she told me. Two highschool girls killed outright
and another in serious condition at Dobbs Memorial
Hospital. Alcohol and no seatbelts were thought to be
factors.
They were from the eastern part of the county and
unknown to me, but I could still imagine the grief their
families were feeling today. That sort of news always
