'I mean, don't go writin' it like I have somethin' to do with it. You fellas have a way of slantin' the truth.'
'All the news that's fit to print,' Mark said.
Gildersleeve turned back to Hallock. 'This here is somebody's idea of a joke.'
Hallock looked at Gildersleeve as if he were smelling something bad, then pulled on the bridge of his long nose. 'You're serious, aren't you, Carl?'
'Well, what else is it? What's it look like to you, huh? Everybody knows I give this party every year. Everybody looks forward to it, waits all year for it. So some cocksucker I didn't invite goes and does a thing like this to get at me. It's clear as the nose on your face, Waldo.'
Hallock blinked, and Colin wondered whether the last remark was an intentional slur on the Chief's big nose or whether it was just one more example of Gildersleeve's foot-in-mouth disease.
'You got a list of all your guests, Carl?' Hallock asked.
'A list?'
'You know who your guests are?'
'That's my whole point. I don't let just anybody in here, Waldo. My guests are the cream of the crop.'
'What crop's that?' It had not escaped Hallock all these years that he'd never been invited to the Gildersleeve house, thereby making him less than cream.
'You know what I mean,' Gildersleeve said.
'So you got a list?'
He nodded, looking grim.
'Then tell them all to go. I want everybody out of here. Now.'
Gildersleeve told Doug Corwin to carry out the chief's order, and Corwin scudded across the patio and into the house. Then Gildersleeve raised his voice to the other men standing around in groups of twos and threes and told them what the chief had said. He also offered his apologies for the ruination of his party.
Mark told Sarah to take the car; he'd find a way home later.
Sarah saw the alarm in Colin's eyes. 'You can't go with Colin,' she whispered.
'Oh, yeah, right,' Mark said.
Colin heard them and felt even lousier than he had. He was looking bad today, as if all of his problems were flashing in neon.
'I'll wait outside,' Sarah said.
'It might be awhile.'
'That's okay.' She kissed him lightly, then kissed Colin. 'Want to eat with us tonight?'
He wanted to, but he'd had dinner with them twice already this week. 'No, that's okay, Sarah.'
'What's that mean?'
Colin glanced at Annie and wondered if she would be at the Griffings' for dinner.
Sarah picked up on his thought. She was good at that. 'Come on, why don't you and Annie both have dinner with us? We'll go out.'
Annie looked startled. 'Well, I don't know, I'm not ready for tomorrow.'
Sarah said, 'You never are and you always get it done.'
'I'm really way behind.'
'Well, both of you think about it. Come on, Annie, we're not wanted around here. See you soon.'
Colin watched the two women leave, noting Annie's long slim legs. Tomorrow was Sunday. What did she have to get ready for a Sunday?
'So what's them marks?' Wiggins asked.
Colin moved away from the woman's head and stood near her feet. He wanted to be away from those eyes.
'They're cuts.' Hallock squatted down and looked over the shoulders, his eyes tracing the jagged lines to her navel.
Colin stared. About two inches below her breasts he noticed a faint horizontal cut crossing the two vertical ones.
Hallock said, 'They aren't deep. She couldn't have bled much from them. Superficial wounds.'
'Before or after death?' Mark asked.
'M.E.ll have to tell us that, but I'd guess after. Why is what I want to know,' Hallock said thoughtfully.
'Never mind any damn cuts,' Gildersleeve snarled. 'Who put her in my pool and why?' He looked afraid. 'You think it's a warning, Waldo?'
Colin watched the chief take this in, conquer a smile, then press his advantage. 'Could be. Yeah, just might be that.'
Gildersleeve passed his twisted handkerchief across his face like a windshield wiper. 'Jesus God Almighty. What am I gonna do?'
The chief looked back at the body, ignoring Gildersleeve. 'Wonder if it's supposed to mean something… these cuts. Can't figure it.'
Colin looked again. It was suddenly as clear to him as if the last piece of a puzzle had fallen into place. 'I think I know,' he said.
'Yeah? What?'
'Come around here,' Colin suggested. 'I think maybe you're looking at it the wrong way.'
The chief and the others moved down to the feet. No one said anything for a moment; then Hallock made a sound like cheeez. 'I see it. It's an A. It's a goddamn A.'
'Like Hester Prynne?' Mark said.
'Who's she?' Gildersleeve asked.
'In the Scarlet Letter. A for Adulteress.'
Hallock said, 'Or A for number one.'
LOOKING BACK-75 YEARS AGO
Last Friday afternoon the Jolly Dozen was entertained by Miss Florence Syer. At the opportune moment the girls were invited to partake of a red and white luncheon, after which Miss Syer entertained with a treat of classical music. Then the married members realized that time was flying, and husbands would soon be clamoring for something more substantial than a red and white luncheon and classical music. So the meeting was adjourned.
THREE
Colin explained that he wanted to write the story while it was still fresh in his mind.
Mark said, 'You have to eat, and it's not like we put the paper to bed tonight. Join us after you write the story.'
The four of them were standing in front of Gildersleeve's house, and Colin knew he had to get out of it. This wasn't the night to make new friends. 'I'll see, Mark, okay?'
Sarah said, 'What'll you do, Colin, grab a slice of pizza or something?'
That was exactly what he'd do. Pizza Heaven was almost as good as their local place in Chicago. Shit. He had Chicago on the brain tonight. 'I have stuff at home,' he said.
'I think I'd better go,' Annie said.
The gate opened. Two men in white carried her out in a green body bag. Colin felt woozy again and reached out to touch the hood of the car for support. When he glanced at Annie he knew she'd seen. It pissed him off. Quickly, they each turned back to the body bag entering the ambulance. The door slapped shut.
Annie touched Colin's arm. 'I don't mean to be a pest, but if you're feeling shaky or anything, well, I could drive you home. You could get your car later or-'
