Father Regan joined them.
As the waitress poured coffee, Peck looked at her. “Is Deb around?”
“Not yet. Paco swung by her place on the way in earlier. She said she would drive herself now that the ice has stopped.”
Peck nodded and the waitress took their orders.
“I can’t say I like the idea of her driving herself,” Regan said.
“She has that big, ole truck,” Bender said, looking at Peck. “A brand new Ford with snow tires and chains.”
Peck ignored Bender’s comment and looked at McCoy. “Anybody get wind of Doris White?”
“Not that I could determine. If they have, nobody said anything to me.”
“Somebody must know her. You’re sure nobody’s asked or missed her?” Peck said.
McCoy shook his head. “Not to me.”
Regan said, “By my count, we have two hundred town residents staying at the church and hospital. That leaves a hundred or so still in their homes. People must figure she is one of those hundred, if they figure anything at all.”
“What about Sunday mass?” Peck said.
“What about it?” Regan sipped coffee, looking at Peck over the rim of the cup.
“You said she was a regular at Sunday mass,” Peck said. “Sunday is two days from now. Somebody might notice she isn’t there and ask around. Maybe take a ride out to her place to check on her. They come back and ask questions, then what?”
Regan’s surprise registered in his eyes. “I…….. hadn’t thought of that.”
Bender said, “We might have the state police here by then. I wouldn’t worry too much about it until we have to.”
Peck sipped coffee and looked at Bender. “Jay, rule number one in a homicide investigation is you never stop worrying until the jury says guilty.”
With a crackling fire for background noise, Bender twisted frequency knobs on the short wave radio. After several minutes of static, he shut it off and looked at Peck who was at his desk, making notes.
“Nothing,” Bender said. “You think somebody would be there. Anybody.”
Peck looked up from his notes. “A few hundred state cops scattered throughout a state the size of Maine, what makes you think they’re sitting around waiting for a distress call from us?”
Frustrated, Bender slapped the side of the short wave radio on his way to his desk. “And where the hell is Kranston?”
“Home and asleep in his own bed if he had any sense.”
Bender checked his watch and looked at Peck. “It’s after eleven. Maybe I think I’ll go home and try to get some sleep.”
Peck scribbled a note. “No reason for the both of us to lose a night’s sleep.” The truth was he could hardly wait to see Deb again and hoped Bender’s interest in the state police would wane and he would do what he said and go home.
Bender stood up and reached for his jacket on the coat hook when the door opened and one of Deb’s waitresses entered the office.
“Sheriff, Jay, can I see you for a minute.” she said.
Peck and Bender looked at her. She appeared nervous and her eyes darted back and forth between the two men.
“Yes?” Peck said. “Is there something we can help you with?”
“She didn’t come in. I thought I should tell you.”
“Who, you mean Deb?” Peck said.
The waitress nodded. “It’s probably nothing, but we asked Paco to take a run to her place on his way home and check on her. It’s silly, but……”
“No,” Peck said. “It isn’t.”
“So much for going home,” Bender said. He looked at Peck. “I’ll go warm up the car.”
Peck nodded to Bender, and then looked at the waitress. “Are you off work?”
“Yes.”
“Can you get home?”
“I have a ride.”
“Go home. Stay there. Everything will be fine,” Peck said. “And don’t worry. Deb probably couldn’t get her truck started and there’s no phones to call.”
The waitress smiled at Peck. “You’re probably right. I’m probably worrying for nothing.”
“You did the right thing,” Peck said. As he stood up, he could feel the
As the waitress poured coffee, Peck looked at her. “Is Deb around?”
“Not yet. Paco swung by her place on the way in earlier. She said she would drive herself now that the ice has stopped.”
Peck nodded and the waitress took their orders.
“I can’t say I like the idea of her driving herself,” Regan said.
“She has that big, ole truck,” Bender said, looking at Peck. “A brand new Ford with snow tires and chains.”
Peck ignored Bender’s comment and looked at McCoy. “Anybody get wind of Doris White?”
“Not that I could determine. If they have, nobody said anything to me.”
“Somebody must know her. You’re sure nobody’s asked or missed her?” Peck said.
McCoy shook his head. “Not to me.”
Regan said, “By my count, we have two hundred town residents staying at the church and hospital. That leaves a hundred or so still in their homes. People must figure she is one of those hundred, if they figure anything at all.”
“What about Sunday mass?” Peck said.
“What about it?” Regan sipped coffee, looking at Peck over the rim of the cup.
“You said she was a regular at Sunday mass,” Peck said. “Sunday is two days from now. Somebody might notice she isn’t there and ask around. Maybe take a ride out to her place to check on her. They come back and ask questions, then what?”
Regan’s surprise registered in his eyes. “I…….. hadn’t thought of that.”
Bender said, “We might have the state police here by then. I wouldn’t worry too much about it until we have to.”
Peck sipped coffee and looked at Bender. “Jay, rule number one in a homicide investigation is you never stop worrying until the jury says guilty.”
With a crackling fire for background noise, Bender twisted frequency knobs on the short wave radio. After several minutes of static, he shut it off and looked at Peck who was at his desk, making notes.
“Nothing,” Bender said. “You think somebody would be there. Anybody.”
Peck looked up from his notes. “A few hundred state cops scattered throughout a state the size of Maine, what makes you think they’re sitting around waiting for a distress call from us?”
Frustrated, Bender slapped the side of the short wave radio on his way to his desk. “And where the hell is Kranston?”
“Home and asleep in his own bed if he had any sense.”
Bender checked his watch and looked at Peck. “It’s after eleven. Maybe I think I’ll go home and try to get some sleep.”
Peck scribbled a note. “No reason for the both of us to lose a night’s sleep.” The truth was he could hardly wait to see Deb again and hoped Bender’s interest in the state police would wane and he would do what he said and go home.
Bender stood up and reached for his jacket on the coat hook when the door opened and one of Deb’s waitresses entered the office.
“Sheriff, Jay, can I see you for a minute.” she said.
Peck and Bender looked at her. She appeared nervous and her eyes darted back and forth between the two men.
“Yes?” Peck said. “Is there something we can help you with?”
“She didn’t come in. I thought I should tell you.”
“Who, you mean Deb?” Peck said.
The waitress nodded. “It’s probably nothing, but we asked Paco to take a run to her place on his way home and check on her. It’s silly, but……”
“No,” Peck said. “It isn’t.”
“So much for going home,” Bender said. He looked at Peck. “I’ll go warm up the car.”
Peck nodded to Bender, and then looked at the waitress. “Are you off work?”
“Yes.”
“Can you get home?”
“I have a ride.”
“Go home. Stay there. Everything will be fine,” Peck said. “And don’t worry. Deb probably couldn’t get her truck started and there’s no phones to call.”
The waitress smiled at Peck. “You’re probably right. I’m probably worrying for nothing.”
“You did the right thing,” Peck said. As he stood up, he could feel the
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