Chapter Eleven

"I know you seen me, Fay."

His words banged into me from behind and I shot to attention. Then I slowly tilted my head so I was facing him.

"Could be I was trying to sneak off like a snake. Like you did this morning."

"You ever give it a thought I might a left like that for your benefit. Maybe I don't want a see you get hurt. Maybe even..."

"We don't know what we're dealin' with, Fay. You get what I'm sayin' here?"

If I hadn't been so furious with him, I might have thanked him on the spot for being so concerned with my safety. But I was mad. And this old gal didn't need a man to protect her from the evils of the world.

"Get this, Mitchell Malone, I'll be the one to look out for Fay Cunningham. And I'd appreciate it if you'd keep that in the front of that narrow mind of yours from here on."

I hoped he understood when I slid in behind the wheel and slammed the door, it was meant to mean, take that.

As I backed the car around and headed for the street, I remembered something important I had forgotten to do. I not only went to the police station to see what I could find out about Ethel s murder, but fully intended to see what steps could be taken in the disappearance of my friend, Joe Wise. Even I was smart enough to know a missing person bulletin wouldn't be sent across the wire. I mean, first it would have to be proven Joe was actually missing. Which in the end, probably wasn't a job for the police. It was my job to prove he had mysteriously vanished. The police certainly weren't going to investigate my theory that something didn't feel right. And that Joe's new housekeeper was lying. She did tell the truth about Joe not being home last night. His car was gone. And I did check the house. So she hadn't lied about that. Yesterday when she said Joe was napping, and later when she said he was having his bath, she had lied. The only problem was, I couldn't prove it.

So it wouldn't have done me any good to talk to an officer about Joe anyway. At least not yet. But I would. Just as soon as I had proof. Something concrete that would give the police reason for action.

As I drove back to Joe's place, something else occurred to me. Mitch said Angel told him Joe left on a trip. So just when did he leave? If it was yesterday, I'd have proof she lied to me. So what, we all tell a few from time to time, that pesky inner voice pointed out. I had to agree. We all bend the truth on occasion. But why had Angel Adams? Just what was she hiding?