Chapter 4

Ed pulled into a cocktail lounge parking lot and parked behind a delivery truck that was apparently parked for the night. He didn't want the van to be seen if somehow the police connected him with Bynum. Ed took Betty by the arm and led her into the cocktail lounge. It was a Tuesday night and only six others were in the place. There were 3 guys shooting pool in the back, one playing the pinball machine and 2 at the bar. The 2 at the bar were so drunk that, tomorrow morning they wouldn't even remember being out drinking.

Ed went to the bar and ordered a double rum and Coke for Betty and a Budweiser for himself. He didn't want the bartender coming over to the table and remembering Betty tomorrow if her face was on the news. Ed set the rum and Coke in front of Betty and she grabbed it and drank over half of it before she set it back down. Ed saw that her hands were shaking and she had a terrified look in her eyes. Betty drank the last of her rum and Coke. Ed went to the bar and got her another drink. He came back and set it in front of her and she drank half of the second rum and Coke.

"OK, now what is going on between you and Bynum?" ED asked, "Why would he hire me to follow you? He said that you were running around on him. I can't picture you with Bynum."

"I don't even date since..." she stopped and Ed saw that she had tears in her eyes and she started shaking her head slowly.

"Since what?" Ed asked.

Betty just kept shaking her head. She dropped her chin down to her chest.

"Look Betty, I can't help you if you won't open up," Ed said as he took her hand.

She didn't pull her hand away. She took the rum and Coke with her other hand and finished it. Ed got up and ordered another for her and a beer for him. When he set the drink in front of her she just looked at it.

"Look, if you don't open up I'm going to call the detective working on this case," he said, "I used to be a detective and I'm going to be in deep trouble for what I've done this far."

Betty just sat with her head down and said nothing.

"Look, lady," Ed snapped, "either open up or I'm walking and you can sort out your differences with the police on your own."

Betty took a sip of her drink. Ed was hoping that the rum would loosen her tongue a little.

"I work at another company in the building that George worked in and he would talk to me and sometimes sit down with me in the cafeteria at lunch. I work for Spartan, a manufacturer's rep selling industrial machinery. One day George asked me to come to an office party to get to know the people at Horizon. I was a little late getting there and the party was in full swing. George gave me a drink and put his arm over my shoulder and that's the last I remember until the next morning when I woke up naked in bed next to George in a motel. I got out while he was sleeping and avoided him for a couple of weeks after that.