Chapter 30

After a full day of investigative research, I did a walk at the county school. I was surprised that Joan was willing to drive me there, and to wait for me. She didn’t want to do three laps of their parking lot, so I did the walk alone, while she sat in the car glued to her smart ass phone.

I found out at the end of my walk, she had spoken to agent Gray Stone. Evidently she had traced him down and found his contact information through his social media account. When she texted him that she was the new Tonya, he had phoned her to wish her luck. They were still on the phone when I returned to the car. She hung up while I was working my sore leg into the tall SUV. Of course I notice her hang up when I got in the car.

“Who was that?” I asked.

“Lord Graystone of course,” Joan said.

“Good I’m glad you are getting to know him,” I said. I found that I actually meant it. I had no idea why I felt that way. I was pretty sure Joan would be leaving me first chance she got. More likely she would be kicking me to curb.

After the walk, when I returned to the motel, I was ready for the computer research. I worked a couple of hours on my buy and resale business, then I called Joan’s room.

“Hey tight ass nerdy chick, how about a pizza?” I asked.

“Well old ass Robin Hood, since you are buying how about you have him bring a coke as well.”

“You got it,” I said. “Did you know you talk like a grammar book.”

That’s how we ended up at midnight discussing the case, eating cold pizza, and finishing off the three liter coke.

She finally noticed the eight shot .22 mag revolver on the night stand. “So why do you have that gun?”

“I’m a creature of habit. If I didn’t have that within reach I’d probably die in my sleep.” I admitted.

“In that case, if I feel paranoid, can I come sleep in here? You have got an extra bed, and you don’t like me very much,” said.

“Sure, I’m not worried about anyone proving we had sex together, It would be the word of a tight ass nerd against a well known good guy,” I said.

“Good that you have rationalized it in advance. That mean you are thinking of me that way. So I’m making progress.” she said.

“This trip is not going to last that long,” I declared.

“I’ll just pick up next time, where I left off this time,” she said as she walked out the door. Then she added,”Good night Mr Hood.”

“Good night Miss TA,” I said just to stay in the game.

At 6:45 the next morning I knocked on her door. She wore her running suit with a lightweight jacket over the top. “Good morning TA,” I said as a greeting.

We were finished with one lap of the parking lot when the cold rain started. “Car?” I shouted to her.

“Wimp,” TA shouted.

“So I did the next to laps wet and cold. Her Jacket was obviously water proof. She turned on the morning weather before we left the motel I was sure. I hadn’t seen the clouds when we left the room.

When we finished I went into my room immediately and stripped off my clothes. I got into the hot shower to try to stop my teeth chattering.

I barely made it out and into a clean pair of cargo pants when Joan knocked on my door. “Come in,” I said very cognoscente of the fact that I was only half dressed.

She was carrying the rain coat, but she was dressed in cargo pants as well. Hers unlike mine didn’t bag, so she looked more put together.

“Hood, where do we go first,” she asked.

“You did make the appointment with the detectives?” I asked.

“Yes, it’s for noon at the coffee shop on the Highway access road,” she said.

“That has to be a five dollar a cup joint,” I said with a laugh. “Since we have time, let’s go to breakfast at the dollar a cup greasy Mac’s,” I suggested.

I used their WIFI connection to send the Geek my new information request. I expected it to be ready the next day at the latest.

While we waited for a break in the rain, I had a light breakfast. Joan actually ordered more food than me for a change. She saw me staring at her tray filled with paper wrapped biscuits and hash brown potatoes and coffee.

“What, I’m hungry after that quick step walk in the rain,” she admitted.

I looked at my yellow poncho hanging over the back of one of the builtin chairs, It was dripping all over the floor, It was going to create a slip hazard. Since I hung it against the wall chair, it could have been worse.

“So, we have a morning to waste, what shall we do?” Joan asked.

“Let’s start with Lizzie’s version of what happened. My guess is that what she saw as a beating with the pole was actually slashes. So now we have a useless witness to the murder. Since the Deputies are discounting her version, they could be planning a cover up,” I suggested.

“If they were planning to cover it up, someone higher up would have had to suggest it,” Joan said.

“Someone with the authority to do it,” I said. “We need to get a read on the whole department, Who better to fill us in than Lois. She has been covering this place longer than anyone else I can think of.”

“I’ll call her,” Joan said.

“Don’t tell her what we suspect,” I demanded.

“We can go by and have a talk with Lois before we meet with the detectives,” Joan suggested. “Do you want a coffee to go?”

“I’ve had enough coffee for the day,” I said. “It’s something about the rain I think.”

“The rain effects people different. Me, it makes hungry all day. Not sweet stuff, I want protein,” she told me.

I did not make the obvious comment.

We were in the car driving toward the newspaper office when out of nowhere Joan said, “I find older men very sexy.”

“Now you are just teasing me,” I said but I wasn’t laughing.

“God no, I don’t want to sleep with you that would be like incest. You are old enough to be my father. I was thinking more Lord Graystone.”