feeling about hotheaded Eddie. If the man had an ounce of sense, he would have stayed away from the Blues Club after being threatened. However, she wouldn’t put it past him to wait in the parking lot, hoping to get even with Bobbie or Jack.
With a start, she remembered Jack’s awful threat.
“If you come near her again, I’ll kill you.
”
Christy swallowed, trying to fight off the ugly fear slithering through her. She ran out the door to the backyard. “Bobbie, what time did Jack take you home?”
Bobbie stopped working on the post and glanced off in the distance. “Let’s see. We left the club right after my last number, a few minutes after eleven. We must have gotten to Beth’s in ten or fifteen minutes.”
“So he left you at eleven fifteen?”
Bobbie grinned. “No. We sat in the driveway and talked for a little while.”
Judging by the twinkle in Bobbies eye, Christy figured they’d made out right under her parents’ bedroom window. She had a better understanding of her parents’ feelings about having Bobbie in their house. What had her mother said during her argument with Bobbie?
“The second night in a row you’ve come home late…last night it was at least one o’clock…
”
“Now why are you looking at me like that?” Bobbie asked. “Jack kissed me good night. Is that a crime?”
Christy looked away, shaking her head. “I’m just working on the time frame here. If Jack left you at, say, eleven thirty and went home, he had to drive past the Starlight.” She looked at Bobbie.
“What are you thinking? That he might have run into Eddie along the way?” Bobbie fidgeted, obviously concerned.
“Bobbie, why was Eddie babbling about a vacuum cleaner?”
Bobbie sighed. “When we were married, he once hid money in a vacuum cleaner bag. That was a long time ago, and I’d forgotten it. On Saturday, I went back to the house to get some pots and pans,a box of pictures, and my vacuum cleaner. I heard from a friend that he and his girlfriend had left Friday to go to a UT football game in Knoxville. I waited until Saturday morning and then went in, got my things, and left. It never entered my mind to check the vacuum cleaner for money.”
Christy hadn’t forgotten the way her aunt kept pulling big bills out of her purse. “From his ranting at the club, I think he hid something in the vacuum cleaner, don’t you?”
“Well, that vacuum cleaner is in my storage unit in Memphis. If he hid something in it, he should be looking there, not here.”
“But why would he hide money in a vacuum cleaner if he knew at some point you would be coming to pick up your things?”
Bobbie reached for a fresh sheet of sandpaper. “He didn’t know I was coming Saturday. Or that I have a spare key. I’m no dummy. I wanted to be able to come and go when he wasn’t there. As for what he hid or why, it’s football season, and he calls the bookies and bets on games. He bets on everything. But I wouldn’t have figured him to put it in that old vacuum cleaner again.” She shook her head and began sanding the post.
Christy lowered her eyes to the post, pretending an interest in her aunt’s project. She didn’t want Bobbie to see the worry—and the suspicion—in her eyes. It sounded like Bobbie knew a lot about Eddie’s habits. And why drag along an old vacuum cleaner when she appeared to have plenty of money for a new one?
“I think I hear the phone,” Christy said, aware her aunt was watching her closely. She turned and hurried to the house.
Once inside, she paced the kitchen floor. She had to talk tosomeone about this. Her first inclination would have been to call her mother, but that was out of the question after the morning confrontation. Her dad? No, he would side with her mother. Dan? She frowned, thinking it over. Not yet.
Jack. She had another reason to talk to him. She needed to know if he had seen Eddie on his way home. She grabbed the phone and dialed his number. After several rings, a
With a start, she remembered Jack’s awful threat.
“If you come near her again, I’ll kill you.
”
Christy swallowed, trying to fight off the ugly fear slithering through her. She ran out the door to the backyard. “Bobbie, what time did Jack take you home?”
Bobbie stopped working on the post and glanced off in the distance. “Let’s see. We left the club right after my last number, a few minutes after eleven. We must have gotten to Beth’s in ten or fifteen minutes.”
“So he left you at eleven fifteen?”
Bobbie grinned. “No. We sat in the driveway and talked for a little while.”
Judging by the twinkle in Bobbies eye, Christy figured they’d made out right under her parents’ bedroom window. She had a better understanding of her parents’ feelings about having Bobbie in their house. What had her mother said during her argument with Bobbie?
“The second night in a row you’ve come home late…last night it was at least one o’clock…
”
“Now why are you looking at me like that?” Bobbie asked. “Jack kissed me good night. Is that a crime?”
Christy looked away, shaking her head. “I’m just working on the time frame here. If Jack left you at, say, eleven thirty and went home, he had to drive past the Starlight.” She looked at Bobbie.
“What are you thinking? That he might have run into Eddie along the way?” Bobbie fidgeted, obviously concerned.
“Bobbie, why was Eddie babbling about a vacuum cleaner?”
Bobbie sighed. “When we were married, he once hid money in a vacuum cleaner bag. That was a long time ago, and I’d forgotten it. On Saturday, I went back to the house to get some pots and pans,a box of pictures, and my vacuum cleaner. I heard from a friend that he and his girlfriend had left Friday to go to a UT football game in Knoxville. I waited until Saturday morning and then went in, got my things, and left. It never entered my mind to check the vacuum cleaner for money.”
Christy hadn’t forgotten the way her aunt kept pulling big bills out of her purse. “From his ranting at the club, I think he hid something in the vacuum cleaner, don’t you?”
“Well, that vacuum cleaner is in my storage unit in Memphis. If he hid something in it, he should be looking there, not here.”
“But why would he hide money in a vacuum cleaner if he knew at some point you would be coming to pick up your things?”
Bobbie reached for a fresh sheet of sandpaper. “He didn’t know I was coming Saturday. Or that I have a spare key. I’m no dummy. I wanted to be able to come and go when he wasn’t there. As for what he hid or why, it’s football season, and he calls the bookies and bets on games. He bets on everything. But I wouldn’t have figured him to put it in that old vacuum cleaner again.” She shook her head and began sanding the post.
Christy lowered her eyes to the post, pretending an interest in her aunt’s project. She didn’t want Bobbie to see the worry—and the suspicion—in her eyes. It sounded like Bobbie knew a lot about Eddie’s habits. And why drag along an old vacuum cleaner when she appeared to have plenty of money for a new one?
“I think I hear the phone,” Christy said, aware her aunt was watching her closely. She turned and hurried to the house.
Once inside, she paced the kitchen floor. She had to talk tosomeone about this. Her first inclination would have been to call her mother, but that was out of the question after the morning confrontation. Her dad? No, he would side with her mother. Dan? She frowned, thinking it over. Not yet.
Jack. She had another reason to talk to him. She needed to know if he had seen Eddie on his way home. She grabbed the phone and dialed his number. After several rings, a
Similar Books
