Finally, she spoke, “Well, perhaps I’ve been too quick to judge. I was certain you were off the wall at first, but you might actually have a slight streak of sanity. I don’t care for Loraine but it’s horrible if she was raped. I can picture her going after Barner with a gun. That might have happened. You’re on the right track after all. Give her extra time today. Wait the three hours. Give her time to find a good lawyer. Then you come forward without being asked, and you’re out of it.”
“But you said….”
“I’ll be okay. I can handle the police. I know the chief and most of those guys anyway. I’ll just laugh it off with them. Yes, this will work. I’m not getting involved, but you can call me at my office if I can help. I’ll be there until late.”
“Whatever you say Tammy, I just want to get out of this. I know I’ve upset you, and I’m sorry, but I’m glad you’re okay after all. Can we meet again, perhaps have dinner sometime?”
She rolled her eyes. “Get a grip.”
***
Toward evening that day, Tammy Jerrold was back at her desk, alone in her real estate office. Talking to Ray Reid had started her thinking. She had exaggerated the glamour of being associated with Towson. In truth, he had called on her less and less and then lately not at all. The business referrals had dried up.
She had gone on and on to Reid about how great things used to be when she worked for Towson when he was mayor. Looking back, had it been all that great? It sounded as if he really appreciated her. Well, he did and he didn’t. She had given him good years of her life. Hearing herself talk about the old routine, about following him around, now sounded foolish.
She had accomplished a lot, but it was through her own efforts. Sure, he had given her leads from time to time, nevertheless she was the one that made the phone calls, made the deals, and made all those closings. She did it with hard work, nobody handed it to her.
Maybe it’s time to move on. Market’s slow here. Nothing is holding her to Park Beach. She had thought about a change. She was tired of this routine, tired of pushing real estate, and tired of keeping the perfect saleswoman smile pasted on her face.
Although Saturdays were usually good days for business, she wasn’t in the mood to concentrate on business, not in the mood for people. She sat there ignoring the office answering machine blinking with unanswered messages.
A different ring continued for almost a minute before she realized it was her cell.
“Ms. Jerrold, please hold for Chief Oehlert.”
“Tammy, this is Bill. Bad news. There’s been a homicide.”
“Oh, oh,” she said. “I was afraid of that, Sonny Barner.”
“Sonny Barner? No. Tammy sit down. The Senator—Senator Towson has been shot. Call just came in. I’m on my way over there now. I’ll call you back when I know more. I’m sorry, Tammy. I know you were just like family to him. I didn’t want you to hear from anyone else. National news has already picked up on it. Don’t know how they found out so fast.”
She hadn’t heard any word after “shot” because she started shaking. The phone slipped from her hand. She sprawled forward across the desk, motionless except for the sobbing and the uncontrollable flinching.
Abruptly, the desk phone jangled unbelievably loud, and she jolted upright. It might be more news. She must answer.
“Tammy, it’s Ray. Can’t find Loraine. I talked with Norma Martin, however. You were right she doesn’t know either you or Loraine. I don’t know what to do now.”
She tried her best to keep her voice steady. “Where are you?”
“In my car.”
“Come over here to my office as fast as you can.”
“Why? What’s wrong? You sound funny, you okay?”
“Come straight here. Don’t stop anywhere. Don’t talk to anyone. Get here fast.”
She hung up and buried her face in her arms for a moment. Then she picked up the phone again, inhaled deeply, and punched 911.
Chapter 6
Ray drove straight to Tammy’s office as she instructed, but when he stepped from his car outside her office, bursts of lights struck like lightning around him. Police appeared from nowhere and rushed about yelling, pointing guns, and shining lights in his face. More blue and white cars screeched up. Slamming doors, flashing lights and crackling police radios jammed his head.
The confusion in his mind matched the chaos in the street. He had expected a police officer would come around, ask about how he knew Loraine, and jot down a couple of things in a little notebook, but not an armada like this. Did they believe he shot Barner? His head felt full and warm and a knot was forming in his stomach.
The uniforms parted for a man in plain clothes. He displayed no gun but flipped his badge and stated he was Detective Goddard.
“Is this about the shooting?” Ray could think of nothing else to say.
“Sir, I’m going to ask you to lean over, place your hands palms down on your vehicle, and spread your legs. Do you have any weapons on your person or in your vehicle?”
Ray answered of course not. The detective frisked him and turned him around face to face. The detective was tall, in good shape and stood board-straight. He didn’t appear too mean, yet was absolutely intimidating. Ray’s hands shook and he fumbled handing over the requested driver’s license.
“New in town, how long have you been working down here?”
“Almost a month now, I guess.”
“You had ten days after obtaining Florida employment to get those Pennsy tags off your vehicle,” the detective recited calmly. “That’s a violation, Mr. Reid. As of right now, consider your vehicle impounded. Please give me the keys. Do you mind if we talk down at the police station?” It didn’t sound like a question.
Ray began to sweat and could feel his heart pounding. The multiple colored lights from police vehicles continued to spin in his eyes. He leaned over against the car door and tried to get enough breath to speak. “You’re taking me to the police station to talk about my license plates?”
The detective didn’t answer. He opened the rear door of a nearby vehicle and motioned for Ray to get in the back behind the webbed steel dividing screen.
Saturday evening in the Park Beach police squad room was busy and noisy when they entered through a side door, however the room became stony silent, and all heads turned as the detective led Ray to a chair beside his desk. A uniformed officer walked by and patted the detective on the back.
“There must be some misunderstanding.” Ray wondered if they had already picked up Loraine.
“How did you know there was a shooting, Mr. Reid?” Detective Goddard started typing on the keyboard and didn’t look directly at him.
The detective tossed off the question so casually Ray wasn’t certain if a response was expected. What was going on? They must have found Barner’s body. That led to Loraine. She gave the police his name or someone saw him at the motel. How did they put all this together so fast? Or, more likely Tammy Jerrold is the one. She must have called the police; can’t blame her for being suspicious. Yet he must be careful about what he says. He decided to just not answer for now.
The detective studied the driver’s license and continued punching in data, “Previous address?” Ray told him. “Philadelphia, huh, what did you do up there?” He went on with the background questions: ever use an alias, any priors, ever do any time, present employment.
“I work at E.J. Bradford.”
“You’re a stockbroker?”
“No, I’m Back Office.”
“What do I put down—back office?”