“Whatever time you can give me I’ll appreciate.” He knew she owed him nothing, yet here she was.
“I took a lot of crap to move ahead in my job. It’s perfect for a law student. I’m not going to screw it up.”
“I did screw mine up, it was easy.”
Meg said, “No, you didn’t screw up your job. You’re good at what you do and the company liked you.”
“Sandy, I’m going to make this up to you somehow.” He thought back to her as a teenager trapped in juvenile rehab, and he hadn’t lifted a finger to rescue her.
“Yeah, right, if I ever need a kidney I know who not to call.”
She was entitled to the sarcasm. He deserved it. Meg appeared confused at the remark.
“Raymond, I do need to move into your apartment while I’m here. I can’t afford the InnTowner any longer. You have Internet?"
“Sure, and Kagan should be able get my apartment keys back from the police now. If the police left it all messed up then hire someone to clean it up. Don’t you do it.”
“Not likely, I get confused operating cleaning apparatus like brooms. Now let me tell you, I asked questions at the InnTowner. Desk clerk on duty that Saturday morning doesn’t remember Loraine checking in or out. Guests don’t need to go back to the front desk to check out so there’s no record of when she left the room. Two maids remember you being there, ‘Oh, that’s man in paper who killed that man. Was with pretty woman in bathing suit muy poquito.’ They said the police had been around, but they don’t talk to police.”
“Did you meet Tammy?”
“Yes. Kagan gave me Tammy and Loraine’s addresses. I talked at length with Tammy in her office. She doesn’t care much for you but otherwise seems okay. If that girl is a pushover, as Loraine told you, then I’m Queen Elizabeth.”
Meg spoke up, “There are rumors of an affair with Towson, but I’ve never heard any talk about Tammy Jerold being easy. In fact on the contrary, she’s a bit reserved.”
“Loraine, on the other hand, tried to shove me off her front porch when I told her who I was,” Sandy continued. “I was lucky she didn’t eat me alive. Something’s wrong there, Raymond. I can’t believe you got cozy with that nut case.” She quickly put her hand to her mouth and glanced at Meg. “Whoops, sorry, she a friend of yours?”
“I know her from business, that’s all. She can be a pain. Says all brokers are trying to rip her off. Sorry I invited her. Is there any way I can help with all this?”
“That would be great, if you want to,” Sandy said. “So, you deal in securities and financial matters. I guess you have access to credit and financial reports on people?”
“All the time.”
“Then I’m going to get real pushy. Can you pull reports on Loraine, Tammy, Norma Martin, Sonny Barner, Towson, and the Postmaster General? I’m joking about that last one, but you get the idea—everyone connected with the case. Is that too much?”
“Oh, Sandy, I’d like to help, but I don’t dare to give you actual reports on anyone. My securities license mandates strict privacy. What are you after?”
“Financial problems, lawsuits, convictions, and such. I understand your delicate situation. I suppose social security numbers are out. What about birth dates? With a birth date I can go online.”
“Can’t do, but how’s this: I’ll quietly review a few things myself and let you know if anything suspicious pops up. I already have files on everyone you named except Norma and Barner. I’ll get back to you. Give me your cell. Must go now. You two have serious things to cover.” Meg said her goodbyes.
Sandy watched her leave. “Impressive woman. Okay, Raymond, where were we? Ah, yes, back to the seductive woman who drives her lovers to disaster. Loraine’s a femme fatale, and you’re a convenient doofus.”
“That’s not fair, Sandy, I didn’t want to discuss it while Meg was here, but the woman you’re describing isn’t the one I slept with after that party.”
“Bullshit, men will screw anything that moves and an astonishing variety of things that don’t.”
“Well, she wasn’t just anything. She was something, and a damn attractive something. Excuse me for being human.”
“And you were helplessly ensnared in her bonds of irresistible desire. Next, you’ll tell me she was also a virgin. Get off it. She lifted her skirt, and you charged off to tilt at windmills. Your bizarre sex drive got you in jail and got me down here ruining my life to help you.”
“If I was like that, we would have had sex again at that motel. There was no second time in spite of her naked body laid out before me like some sexual smorgasbord. Don’t you understand? The melodramatic story that got me charged up came from the sweet Loraine.”
“Have you ever in your life said no to a woman asking for anything?”
“Okay, I’ll admit she conned me, but not back into bed, although she sure tried. I didn’t know any of the people she named. It all sounded plausible at the time. But yes, I couldn’t wait to race off and make an ass out of myself.”
“Somehow, Raymond, you never quite know what’s going on with women. Women aren’t just tall Girl Scouts. You think you owe every woman something, don’t you. With your quiet childlike charm if you ever did figure them out you’d be gold. Women like quiet men like you, they think you’re listening.”
“I don’t care if I understand them. I just want to meet a woman who smiles at me because she means it.”
“Well, don’t get married again before I size up the prospect.”
“Do I detect a slight hint of caring, like you actually give a damn?”
“You’re right. I don’t. That was a joke.”
“Not difficult to screw up choosing a partner. How are you doing, for example?” He was upset and said it without thinking. He immediately wished he could take the words back. Her face flushed and he knew he had hit the target. “I’m sorry, Sandy, I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No, you’re right. I’m guilty of screwing up relationships. The difference is I work at them, at least the worthy ones. Most went bad but I was in there trying. But you, my apathetic sibling, just take up space waiting for someone to come to you. Someone who had better be prepared to call all the relationship shots because your mind has more important concerns.”
“Wow. This isn’t really about me, is it? It’s about us. You’re talking about you and me—and my failure to redeem myself with you.”
“I’ll leave sibling redemption to the psychologists.”
“I’m truly sorry, Sandy. I’ll try to change. I’ll try to work on our connection.”
“I don’t care what you do. My concern is getting back to my life in Philly. That means I first must clean up your mess. Where did we leave off?”
“I’m a doofus.”
“Oh yes, Loraine using you. I guess the Barner rape was the angle she thought would set you off. She wanted you to go to Towson’s, to see Norma, and to barge in on Tammy. She wanted you seen all over town.”
“She outsmarted me. If I’d called the police at three o’clock, as I originally intended, I’d have been talking to them at the time of murder and would never have been a suspect. I’d be home reading a book right now, just taking up space, and you’d be in Philly. I don’t think Tammy understands all that. Do you think she’d be willing to come here and talk with me?”
“No, I don’t. Tammy thinks you’re straight out lying. She doesn’t think Loraine has anything to do with this. She thinks you fought with Towson and shot him. That’s what she told Goddard. She doesn't think much of you. She said it's tragic an accomplished man with such a promising future should have his life cut short because some jerk drifts into town and wipes out years of accomplishments with two little bullets.”