'Excuse me?'
'Delroy,' I said. 'Where is he?'
'I don't know what you're talking about.'
'The car's registered to Security South,' I said, just as if I had checked.
'How you know that?' he said.
'It's why they make car phones,' I said. 'You picked me up outside the Paddock Tavern and followed me here. Worst tail job I've ever seen.'
'Shit,' the kid said, 'I never done it before. You gonna tell Delroy?'
'Maybe not,' I said. 'My name is Spenser, what's yours?'
'Herb,' he said. 'Herb Simmons.'
He stumbled a little over 'Simmons' and I assumed it wasn't really his name.
'Why are you following me, Herb?'
'Delroy told me to. Said to keep track of you and make sure you didn't get near the house or the stables.'
'The house being the Clives' house.'
'Yes, sir.'
'And if I did?'
'I was to call for backup and we was to apprehend you.'
'Why?'
'Trespassing.'
'Call a lot of backup,' I said. 'How long you been working for Security South?'
'A month.'
'What'd you do before?'
'I was a campus police officer over in Athens. I never had to follow nobody.'
'A good thing,' I said. 'Where's Delroy as we speak?'
'Up in Saratoga. Hugger Mugger's running in the Hopeful.'
'So Penny's up there too.'
'Miss Penny, everybody. Everybody goes to Saratoga in August… Hell, I never been to Saratoga,' he said. 'Except when I was in the Air Force, I ain't never been out of Georgia.'
'No reason to go,' I said.
'You gonna tell Delroy?'
'No,' I said. 'How about your relief, when's he show up?'
'I got no relief. Delroy says we're shorthanded and I'm on you by myself.'
'Hard to tail somebody by yourself,' I said.
'Damn straight,' Herb said.
'Why doesn't he cut back a couple of guards at the stable area, and help you out?'
'There ain't no guards on the stables no more. They figured it would be more efficient just to put somebody on you.'
'Who do you call for backup?'
'There's guys at the house. I call them.'
'Why are they guarding the house?'
'I don't know. I know nobody's supposed to go in there.'
'Well,' I said. 'I'm going in now and have a sandwich, and watch the Braves game and go to bed.'
Herb didn't know what to say about that, so he tried looking stalwart.
'Have a nice night,' I said.
I walked back past my car and into the motel lobby. I looked at my watch. It was 6:35. I went through the lobby and out the side door and walked through the gas station next door and out onto the highway. It was about two miles from the motel to Three Fillies Stables. I strolled. Even in the early evening it was very hot, and by the time I got to the stable area at seven, my shirt was wet with perspiration. Mickey Blair was still there washing one of the horses with a hose. The horse seemed to like it. I could see why. It looked like I would like it.
'Hello,' I said. 'I'm back.'
'Oh, hello,' Mickey said. 'I thought…'
'Yeah. I was let go, but now I've been hired again. Anyone in the office?'
'Nope. It's all locked up.'
