lazy hello came over the wires.
“Good morning, Jack. It’s Christy.”
“I know my favorite girl’s voice.”
“I think I’ve been replaced as your favorite girl.”
A husky laugh followed her comment. “That aunt of yours is really something.”
“Yeah,” Christy replied, suddenly feeling irritated and not sure why. “Jack, did you happen to run into Eddie Bodine on your way home last night?”
“If I’d run into him, as you put it, you’d have heard about it already.”
Christy winced. “Well, I’ve heard that he’s missing. His girlfriend just called and said he left the motel last night and never returned or called.”
Jack was silent a moment. “Aw, he’s off in some bar in a card game, probably. Bobbie told me how he gambles.”
“No, Jack, I don’t think so. He hasn’t even called her.”
“Maybe he left town without the girlfriend.”
Christy considered that. “Maybe he did. But why would he?
She appeared attentive and tolerant of him, although I can’t imagine why. I don’t think he’d take off without her.”
“Who knows what he would do? From what I saw of him last night, I wouldn’t put anything past him.”
Christy wanted to say that she wished Jack hadn’t threatened him, but she held her tongue. Instead, she said, “Well, I’ll let you go. Incidentally, Bobbie is staying with me. She’s out back working on a project she’ll be presenting at the Red Hat meeting on Thursday.”
“Tell her I said hello,” he replied, his voice mellowing.
“I will.” She said good-bye and hung up, thinking that Jack Watson sounded ten years younger. Maybe his burgeoning relationship with Bobbie would prove to be a good thing. And he hadn’t encountered Eddie on his way home. Another good thing.
Through the kitchen window, Christy watched Bobbie sand the post. She had to believe her aunt was innocent in taking money from her ex-husband, even though she may have deserved it. Maybe Eddie, with empty pockets and a hangover, would return to the motel and to Roseann today.
In the meantime, Christy had other things to worry about. With a houseguest, she needed to restock the refrigerator. She picked up her purse and keys and stuck her head out the back door to tell Bobbie where she was going.
On her way to the market, she spotted Roseann Cole wandering down the sidewalk. She looked lost and confused.
Christy pulled to the curb beside her. “Hi, Roseann. Have you heard from Eddie?”
Roseann shook her head, and the mass of dark curls drooped. “No, I been asking up and down through here”—she gestured at the shops—“but no one has seen him.”
Looking at Roseann’s forlorn face, Christy felt the call to be a good Samaritan. Her fathers words were rooted deep in her soul:
“Always help someone in distress.”
This woman was obviously in distress.
“Why don’t you get in the car?” she said. “I’ll drive you around town, and we’ll make a few more inquiries. Then I can drive you back to the motel.”
Roseann seemed surprised by her offer, but she quickly opened the door and got in. Very quickly, in fact. She all but jumped in and slammed the door. “This is awfully nice of you,” she said.
It was a hot September day, and Christy could see the perspiration on Roseann’s face and arms. “How long have you been walking?” she asked.
“For an hour or so. First, I went to the service station back there to see if Eddie had stopped for gas. The man said he hadn’t. Since then, I’ve just been walking around, looking and asking.”
Christy nodded. “No one has seen his white truck parked anywhere?”
“No. But I guess white is a pretty common color for a truck.”
Christy pulled away from the curb. Traffic was light and slow since it was a weekday, and the tourist season had slacked off after Labor Day. “Are you from Memphis?” Christy asked, trying to divert Roseann’s worried thoughts.
“From Forest, Mississippi, which isn’t far from Memphis. I
“Good morning, Jack. It’s Christy.”
“I know my favorite girl’s voice.”
“I think I’ve been replaced as your favorite girl.”
A husky laugh followed her comment. “That aunt of yours is really something.”
“Yeah,” Christy replied, suddenly feeling irritated and not sure why. “Jack, did you happen to run into Eddie Bodine on your way home last night?”
“If I’d run into him, as you put it, you’d have heard about it already.”
Christy winced. “Well, I’ve heard that he’s missing. His girlfriend just called and said he left the motel last night and never returned or called.”
Jack was silent a moment. “Aw, he’s off in some bar in a card game, probably. Bobbie told me how he gambles.”
“No, Jack, I don’t think so. He hasn’t even called her.”
“Maybe he left town without the girlfriend.”
Christy considered that. “Maybe he did. But why would he?
She appeared attentive and tolerant of him, although I can’t imagine why. I don’t think he’d take off without her.”
“Who knows what he would do? From what I saw of him last night, I wouldn’t put anything past him.”
Christy wanted to say that she wished Jack hadn’t threatened him, but she held her tongue. Instead, she said, “Well, I’ll let you go. Incidentally, Bobbie is staying with me. She’s out back working on a project she’ll be presenting at the Red Hat meeting on Thursday.”
“Tell her I said hello,” he replied, his voice mellowing.
“I will.” She said good-bye and hung up, thinking that Jack Watson sounded ten years younger. Maybe his burgeoning relationship with Bobbie would prove to be a good thing. And he hadn’t encountered Eddie on his way home. Another good thing.
Through the kitchen window, Christy watched Bobbie sand the post. She had to believe her aunt was innocent in taking money from her ex-husband, even though she may have deserved it. Maybe Eddie, with empty pockets and a hangover, would return to the motel and to Roseann today.
In the meantime, Christy had other things to worry about. With a houseguest, she needed to restock the refrigerator. She picked up her purse and keys and stuck her head out the back door to tell Bobbie where she was going.
On her way to the market, she spotted Roseann Cole wandering down the sidewalk. She looked lost and confused.
Christy pulled to the curb beside her. “Hi, Roseann. Have you heard from Eddie?”
Roseann shook her head, and the mass of dark curls drooped. “No, I been asking up and down through here”—she gestured at the shops—“but no one has seen him.”
Looking at Roseann’s forlorn face, Christy felt the call to be a good Samaritan. Her fathers words were rooted deep in her soul:
“Always help someone in distress.”
This woman was obviously in distress.
“Why don’t you get in the car?” she said. “I’ll drive you around town, and we’ll make a few more inquiries. Then I can drive you back to the motel.”
Roseann seemed surprised by her offer, but she quickly opened the door and got in. Very quickly, in fact. She all but jumped in and slammed the door. “This is awfully nice of you,” she said.
It was a hot September day, and Christy could see the perspiration on Roseann’s face and arms. “How long have you been walking?” she asked.
“For an hour or so. First, I went to the service station back there to see if Eddie had stopped for gas. The man said he hadn’t. Since then, I’ve just been walking around, looking and asking.”
Christy nodded. “No one has seen his white truck parked anywhere?”
“No. But I guess white is a pretty common color for a truck.”
Christy pulled away from the curb. Traffic was light and slow since it was a weekday, and the tourist season had slacked off after Labor Day. “Are you from Memphis?” Christy asked, trying to divert Roseann’s worried thoughts.
“From Forest, Mississippi, which isn’t far from Memphis. I
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