Neither of us spoke as we ate, the meal so good, it reminded me of home. I ended up ordering a second sandwich as well as a chocolate milk shake. It was like I hadn’t eaten in a week.
“Aren’t you eating at Tami’s tonight?” Steph asked as I finished the last bite of the sandwich.
“Yes, but by then I will be ready for the second course, trust me. I’ve always been able to put away stupendous amounts of food.”
“Were you serious about talking to Clancy again?” she asked as she sipped a glass of water. I nodded.
“Definitely. I think there is a little more to it than what Clancy was letting on. And if there isn’t, then I’m sure he’ll know something about our friend Julius.”
“You don’t believe him?”
“Oh, I believe what he told us was somewhat truthful, but I have no doubt that he was holding back.”
“Somewhat?” she asked as she lit a cigarette.
“Aha, somewhat.”
“Is there something you’re not telling me, Doctor Lawson?”
“I think he’s hiding something.” I lowered my voice. Knowing that the good doctor was a customer from this establishment, I wasn’t sure just how good a customer he was.
“What do you think he’s hiding?”
“That I don’t know yet, but I do know that there is more to his story than he’s letting on.”
“How do you know? Did I miss something?” She lent in a little closer, noticing my lowered voice.
“Because unless they were trying to cover something up, why would they call the chief on us? We weren’t doing anything outside of our normal enquiries, yet the way Thomas came running up that hallway, was as if he really wanted us out of there.” Realization dawned on Steph’s face as she became aware of the sequence of events at the prison.
“I see where you’re headed. That’s so true, he really did want us out of there.” I nodded. I was thinking back to when I had looked through the window in the door. Trying to place what had caught my attention. “Jim? You OK?”
“Yeah, just trying to remember something, but it’s gone.” She nodded, but I could tell she doubted me.
“Probably too late now, but did you want to see Clancy tomorrow morning?”
“Does he work on a Saturday morning?” I asked.
“He mows one section of the school lawn every Saturday morning. If nothing else, he is punctual to his own schedule according to my friend June Trapnell.”
“Sure. Any plans for tonight?”
“Nah. Think once the little munchkin is asleep, will soak in a nice hot tub then get an early night if I can. I’ll have plenty of reading material whilst soaking,” she said with a smile. The boxes we had been given at the prison still needed well over half its contents to be perused, although now, knowing the prison hierarchy were against us, doubted whether the material would reveal anything useful. Our work would certainly be cut out for us when it came to that place.
3.
Once we had our late lunch finished, Steph dropped me back to the hotel and I watched her drive off. As I was standing there, a man walked past, looked at me, then turned back.
“You’re James Lawson, aren’t you?” he said. I looked at him and nodded.
“Yes, I am,” I replied, holding my hand out. “And you are?”
“Richard Lovett. I’ve read your books.”
“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Lovett. Have I heard your name before?” I didn’t place it at first.
“I’m representing Harry Lightman.” He spoke it almost nonchalant, as if he already had his client’s innocence proven.
“And how is your client doing?”
“Should be out any day now, I think.” He shuffled his fingers around in his pocket then pulled a bit of paper out of it. “Could I get an autograph? For my-” but I was already walking past him.
“Not today, sorry,” I muttered at him. When I looked behind me as I entered the door, he had already crossed the street, heading towards the shops.
As I walked through the hotel’s foyer, I saw Tami cleaning a table in the bistro. She flashed me a wink as I walked by, heading for the stairs. I smiled, a shot of warmth running up my spine. As I climbed the stairs, a man in a business suit was descending the steps. He threw me a glance as I passed him, grinned, then continued walking. As I rounded the corner, I saw a tall woman standing just inside a door, wearing nothing but a bra, French knickers and suspender belt. She smiled at me as I walked past, then closed the door. I had a feeling that the woman was not the man’s wife.
When I got to my room, I threw my jacket on the bed and headed for the bathroom. Lunch was certainly making itself known, demanding I make some room for it. As any man does, I grabbed the newspaper I had bought with my lunch and happily obliged.
4.
Not realizing I had even fallen asleep, the knock on the door woke me with such a jolt that I nearly rolled right off the bed. I was still reading the paper by the time nature had finished its call and had lain face down on the bed, the paper resting beneath me. I must have dozed off during the interesting article I was reading about the nuclear threat that had been steadily increasing between the United States and the USSR. It was scary reading, the reporter making some damning revelations such as just how powerful nuclear weapons were compared to the atomic bombs dropped on Japan a few years ago. The dangers the fallout of these weapons posed seemed to indicate that should the two superpowers actually engage in a conflict, all life in this world would almost surely perish. It was not a happy bedtime story and had somehow, despite the horrors it
