![]()
|
|||||||
Chapter 22‘What do you want? ’ ‘I’m sorry to bother you again, Mrs Barnes …’ ‘Then don’t. I’m quite busy. My daughter is having a party tonight, and I’ve got a jillion things to do. ’ ‘I won’t take up much of your time. ’ She looked past him as if she half expected neighbors to be gathering in the street. ‘You’d better come in, ’ she said. Sam followed her across the foyer. In the living room, Ticia stepped over a vacuum cleaner and sat on the couch. She folded her hands in the lap of her Sassoon jeans. ‘If it’s about last night, ’ she said, ‘I frankly don’t see why my private life is any of your business. ’ ‘It’s not about that. Where were you Wednesday night? ’ Her pale skin turned red. ‘What are you implying? ’ ‘You weren’t home Wednesday night. I’d like to know where you were. ’ ‘I fail to see what this has to do with anything. ’ ‘It has to do with Chief Boyanski’s murder. Now, please answer the question. ’ She stared at her folded hands, her eyes blinking rapidly. ‘All right, ’ she finally said. ‘I have nothing to be ashamed of. I went to the Sunset Lounge. ’ ‘Alone? ’ Her eyes narrowed. ‘You already know, don’t you? Otherwise, you wouldn’t be asking these questions. ’ ‘I don’t know as much as I’d like. ’ ‘I went with Thelma. I picked her up at her sister’s house. ’ ‘What time? ’ ‘Around nine. ’ ‘When did you leave the lounge? ’ ‘Midnight. ’ ‘Did Thelma leave with you? ’ She stared down at her hands. ‘I really fail to see…’ ‘She didn’t leave with you? ’ ‘We met some friends. After a few drinks, we went our separate ways. ’ ‘When did Thelma and her friend leave? ’ ‘They left a little earlier. Eleven-thirty, maybe. ’ ‘Who did she go with? ’ ‘You don’t know? ’ ‘I’m asking you. ’ Ticia smiled. ‘I do hate to disappoint you, but I don’t know the man’s name. ’ ‘You and Thelma sat and had drinks with him for – what, two hours? – and you didn’t catch his name? ’ ‘He was at the bar. Thelma went to join him, while I stayed at the table with Elmer. ’ ‘You were with Elmer Cantwell? ’ ‘He doesn’t know the man, either. We both thought it a trifle foolhardy of Thelma to go off with a stranger. Elmer was somewhat disappointed, too. I’m sure he’d joined us with the expectation of swooping away with Thelma. He hardly knew me, at that point. ’ Ticia smiled with satisfaction. ‘I must say, however, his disappointment was short-lived. ’ ‘You didn’t see Thelma, after she left with the stranger? ’ ‘Should we have? ’ ‘Did you? ’ ‘No, we saw neither hide nor hair of them, after that. ’ ‘Have you seen Thelma, since then? ’ ‘She phoned the next morning to say she’d had a wonderful time. ’
br /> ‘Did she mention what they did? ’ Ticia grinned. ‘Really, Mr Wyatt. I think we can make certain assumptions on that score – no pun intended. ’ Sam wasn’t amused. ‘Did she say where they went? ’ ‘Somewhere private, I should imagine. ’ ‘But she didn’t say? ’ ‘No, she didn’t say. I think you’ll have to ask Thelma about that. ’
|
|||||||
|