Although I can’t believe he did, and is condemned to suffer in hell through all eternity, we will not know. Such was his life; such was his death: all between his Divine Creator and himself.”
“Despite the circumstances,” Nancy said, straightening her skirt, “it’s good seeing you, Robert.”
Robert did not rise from the bench. Robert did not answer.
“Right,” Fletch said. “Try to get some peace.”
Between the waiting room and the monastery’s main door, Fletch said to Nancy, “Wait one moment for me, will you?”
He crossed the foyer and entered a small outer office lined with filing cabinets.
He then went through an open door into a larger, well-furnished office, where the abbot sat behind a large, wooden desk. The abbot looked up from some eye-saving pale green papers on his desk.
“Pardon the intrusion,” Fletch said.
The abbot didn’t say he did, or didn’t, pardon the intrusion.
“Robert’s father, Donald Habeck, not only died yesterday, he was murdered.” There was no response apparent from the abbot. “It is important for us to know if Donald Habeck came and talked with you, recently.”
The abbot pondered as if this might be a trick question from the body of scholastic philosophy.
“Yes,” the abbot finally said slowly. “Donald Habeck came to see me recently. Yes, we talked.”
“More than once?”
The abbot looked at the open door behind Fletch.
“When he came to see you,” Fletch asked, “did he also see Robert?”
“To my best knowledge, Robert did not know he was here,” the abbot answered.
“Was Robert here yesterday morning?”
“Monday morning? I expect so.”
“May I ask the nature of your conversation with Donald Habeck?”
“No.”
“You can be subpoenaed,” Fletch said.
“You have my address,” the abbot answered. “I am always here.”
Nancy awaited Fletch in the car.
Before Fletch had the key in the ignition, she said, “I need a beer break. The odor of sanctity makes me want to puke.”
“Cecilia’s Boutique. Cecilia speaking. Have you considered jodhpurs?”
“Good afternoon,” Fletch said. “I ordered a pair of jodhpurs for my wife, this morning. A color you don’t have in stock?”
“There’s a color we don’t have in stock?”
“Special order. Green, white, and black stripes, vertical at the thighs and calves, horizontal at the knees.”
“We certainly don’t have that in stock.”
“It’s all right. I understand. You’re a small shop. Can’t have all the jodhpurs in the world in stock.”
“I thought we did,” Cecilia said beguilingly.
“I told the salesgirl, who said her name was Barbara, that I’d call her this afternoon with my wife’s exact size.”
“That would be Barbara Ralton.”
“May I speak with her, please?”
“Of course.”
After a pause, Barbara said, “Hello?”
“Hiya, sweetie.”
“Fletch? How did you get through to me?”
“I lied. But it’s all right. I can forgive myself. When people are corrupt enough to oblige lies, I oblige them.”
“Where are you?”
“In the only bar in Tomasito.”
“Tomasito? What are you doing there?”
“Having a lukewarm beer.”
“You went a long way for a beer.”
“Listen, Barbara, I won’t be able to have dinner with you and your mother tonight. There are things I still have to do.”
“You promised.”
“I promise for tomorrow night.”
“That will leave only two days till the wedding.”
“Absolute promise.”
“Fletch, did you hear on the radio that the police released the man who confessed to Habeck’s murder?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, no. That’s why you’re in Tomasito! That’s why you’re going to be late tonight! The week we get married, you are determined to get yourself fired over that Habeck story!”
“Barbara? I had another assignment from the
“The travel story. What has Cindy got to do with a travel story?”
“You can go a long way with Cindy. How did she like the ski outfit?”
“She liked it. I bought it. Cindy has excellent taste in sportswear.”
“I’ll say. Er, Barbara, do you have any idea what Cindy does for a living?”
“Yeah. She works for one of those diet-health spas. Which is why I was so surprised to see she had a banana split for lunch. I guess she can take such a thing, but she sets people like me a real bad example.”
“She works it off, I guess. One way or another.”
“I forget which spa she works for. One of the fancy ones, downtown, I think.”
“Do you think she might be gay?”
“Cindy? Lesbian? No way. I’ve seen her out with lots of men.”
“I’m sure you have.”
“Cindy’s real nice.”
“Yes, she is. See you tonight.”
“You are coming to the beach house?”
“Absolutely. I’ll just be late. You might put some curtains up in the bedroom.”
“Don’t you like getting it up early?”
“Not that early.”
“Hey! Damn it all! Open up!” Again Fletch pounded on the door. Again he looked to the street corner. Again he tried the doorknob. Again he read the sign: EMERGENCY EGRESS ONLY. MAIN ENTRANCE AROUND CORNER. AGNES WHITAKER HOME. He was about to sprint again. He banged the door one more time with his fist. “Hey!”
It opened.
Inside, on the cement floor, were green sneakers.
“I saw you through the window,” Mrs. Habeck said. “You’d better come in.”
Fletch entered quickly and closed the door behind him.
“Why was that policeman chasing you?” Mrs. Habeck asked.
