Split Second

"Give me a sec." He jumped out of the truck and walked up and down the street, and then he went around the block and disappeared from Michelle's view. A few minutes later he came from around the rear of Baldwin's house and rejoined Michelle.

"What was that all about?" she asked.

"Nothing. Except Loretta Baldwin has a nice place."

As they drove to the downtown area, they passed several police cars parked at various intersections, the officers intently checking the occupants of each car. Overhead they saw a helicopter cutting back and forth.

"I wonder what's up?" Michelle said.

King turned on the radio and got a local news station. They found out that two men had escaped from a state penitentiary nearby and a massive police search was under way.

When they got to the coffee shop, Michelle was about to park and get out but then stopped.

"What is it?" asked King.

She pointed to a road off the main strip where two county cop cars were parked. "I don't think they're looking for the escaped cons. We're being set up."

"Okay, call the son again. Tell him you had nothing to do with his mother's murder, but if he wants to talk, he can do it over the phone."

Michelle sighed, put the truck in gear and drove off. When they reached a secluded enough spot she pulled off the road. She called Loretta's son and told him what King had asked her to say. "All I want to know is, how was she killed?"

"Why should I tell you?" replied the son. "You visit my mama, and the next thing I know she's dead."

"If I planned on killing her, I wouldn't have left my name and phone number behind, would I?"

"I don't know, maybe you're into some freaky thrills."

"I came to talk to your mother about what she knew about the Ritter killing eight years ago. She told me she knew very little."

"Why you want to know about that?"

"I'm into American history. Are the cops with you right now?"

"What cops?"

"Don't bullshit me. Are they, yes or no?"

"No."

"Okay, I'll just assume you're lying about that. Here's what I think. I think my talking to your mother about the Ritter assassination might have led to someone killing her."

"Ritter? That's crazy. They killed the man who did that."

"Can you be sure he was acting alone?"

"How the hell can I be sure?"

"Exactly. So, again, how was your mother killed?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

Michelle decided to try a different angle. "I only met with yourmother for a little while, but I definitely liked what I saw. She was a real pistol who said what was on her mind. You have to respect that. She was a lifetime of wisdom rolled up into one very tough shell."

"Yes, she was," said the son. "And go to hell." He hung up.

"Damn," said Michelle. "I thought I had him."

"You do. He'll call back. Give him time, he has to ditch the cops."

"Sean, he just told me to go to hell."

"So he's not the most subtle person in the world. He's a guy. Just be patient. We're not multitaskers like you women; we can only do one thing at a time."

About thirty minutes later the phone rang.

Michelle looked at him. "How'd you know?"

"Guys are suckers for a good phone voice. And you said all the right things about his mother. We're suckers for our mothers too."

"Okay," said the son over the phone, "they found her in the bathtub, drowned."

"Drowned? So how do they know it wasn't an accident? Maybe she had a heart attack."

"There was money stuffed in her mouth, and the house had been ransacked. I don't call that a damn accident."

"House ransacked and money stuffed in her mouth?" repeated Michelle, and King raised his eyebrows.

"Yep, a hundred bucks. Five twenties. I found her. I had called that night but she didn't answer. I live about forty miles away. I drove over. Damn! Seeing her like that." His voice broke off.

"I'm sorry. And I'm also sorry that I never even asked your name."

"Tony. Tony Baldwin."

"Tony, I'm sorry. I visited your mother to talk about the Ritter assassination. I was interested in how it happened. I found out she was there that day and still lived in Bowlington, and I went to visit her. I talked to two other former maids too. I can give you their names. That's all I did, I swear."

"Okay, I guess I believe you. So you got any idea who did this?"

"Not yet, but starting right now, finding out is my number one priority."

She thanked him, hung up and turned to King.

"Money stuffed in her mouth," he said thoughtfully.

"My money," said Michelle miserably. "I gave her that hundred dollars, five twenties, for answering my questions."

King rubbed his chin. "Okay, robbery wasn't a motive. They wouldn't have left the cash. But they searched the house. The person was looking for something."

"But the cash in her mouth. My God, that's gruesome."

"Maybe not so much gruesome as making a statement."

She looked at him curiously. "What sort of statement?"

"Maybe a fatal one, for both of them. Who would have thought it?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because I haven't finished thinking about it, that's why. It's just the way I do things."