car, a mid-sized sedan, came from out of nowhere and
struck Mr. Kirby down.”
“Heh, heh.” Torchy chuckled. “Now, Mrs. . . . Jones,
a car can’t come out of nowhere. Which direction?”
Renie looked exasperated. “I was watching Mr.
Kirby. You know damned well a car can come from
three directions out there—the parking lot, the main
drive into the hospital, and the ambulance and staff
area off to the right of the main entrance. That is, my
right, from my point of view, through my window.”
Torchy’s expression had grown serious. “Through
this window.”
“Yes.” Renie’s patience appeared to be wearing thin.
“Tell us about the car,” Officer Boxx inquired. “It
was a beige medium-sized sedan. Any idea how old or
what make?”
“Very clean,” Renie answered, “so I thought it was
fairly new. It was shaped like so many cars these days,
especially the Japanese imports. Bill and I have a Toyota,
about the same color as the car I saw. In fact, our car
looks like every other car these days. Sometimes I get
mixed up in a parking lot and try to get into the wrong
one. My husband and I call our Toyota Cammy. Except
Bill says Cammy is a boy. I don’t agree. Cammy’s a girl.”
“Can’t you tell by looking underneath?” Torchy
laughed aloud at his joke.
“I never thought of that,” Renie said with a straight
face and a flashing eye.
“License plate,” Boxx put in. “Did you get any kind
of look?”
“Ah . . .” Renie bit her lip. “I didn’t notice.”
The young policeman frowned. “Do you remember
if it had in-state plates?”
84
Mary Daheim
Her eyes half closed, Renie seemed to be concentrating. “Yes, I think so. I can see it from the rear as it
headed toward the parking lot. I’m a very visual person.”
“Huh?” said Torchy.
“I’m a designer, an artist by trade,” Renie explained.
“I see more than most people do, but sometimes I don’t
realize it until later.”
“But you didn’t see any letters or numbers,” the policeman prompted.
“No.” Renie looked chagrined.
“So this car went where after hitting Mr. Kirby?”
Torchy inquired.
“Toward the parking lot,” Renie replied. “You can’t
see much of the lot because of those evergreen trees
and shrubs. Anyway, I was riveted on Mr. Kirby.”
“How is he?” Judith broke in.
“Kirby?” Torchy turned around. “Broken leg,
