Chapter 23

Wednesday, June 30, 7:35 p.m.

Sam knew that the special detail to which Madeleine had been assigned offered her no personal rewards beyond the County's penurious per diem and a couple of days proximity to the coastal waters. He decided his bachelor's bank account would easily support a special dinner at Lindsay's, Twin Rivers' finest restaurant.

He worried that, not having warned Madeleine of his intention to spend freely, she might fail to dress for the occasion. But when he saw her emerge from the hotel elevator at 7 o'clock sharp, he knew at a glance that her clothes would not be a problem.

She was wearing a long white double-breasted jacket over matching pleated trousers. The jacket was open over a horizontally striped blue and white open-necked tee shirt. Her high heels declaimed that she didn't give a good damn how tall she was. Madeleine's long, dark-brown hair cascaded over the shoulders of the jacket. "My God," Sam thought. "This woman is gorgeous!"

"My God," Sam said, holding out both hands to grasp hers lightly. "You are gorgeous! Are you sure you want to be seen in public with a dumpy, middle-aged Sheriff's Deputy?"

"Well..." Madeleine replied in mock hesitancy, "I guess it will be all right... Nobody knows me here."

Lindsay's was uncrowded and the maitre d' escorted them to a pleasingly secluded second-floor table at a window overlooking the riverfront.

"Are you trying to impress me?" Madeleine said when they were alone.

"I bring all the visiting cops here," Sam replied.

"It's beautiful, Sam. I've heard of this place, all the way back to my end of the state. You're very considerate -- especially since I don't feel that my sketch is going to make your case for you."

"I don't think so, either, to be truthful, but I could see what you were up against, and it's a good sketch, under the circumstances. It's a great sketch, by local standards. Maybe it will help."

"You want to tell me some more about the case? What about the woman... Emma?"

"We don't have to talk shop, Madeleine. I'm conversant at several levels... Let's see, there's movies... baseball... Hum... Baseball movies."

"You can't run yourself down that way, Sam. I happen to be a lifelong baseball fan, thanks to my Dad, and I've seen all of the nominated films for this year's Academy Awards and Cannes. But I'd like to hear more about your case... really."

"Well, I've told you the basics -- where she was found, and how your witnesses figured in. The really odd quality about this case is the victim. A nice woman, by all accounts; good job, lots of friends, a straight lifestyle... but apparently she had a streak of exhibitionism -- a pronounced streak. Her friend, Susan Hatfield, believes she showed off for the wrong man. From what I've been told, I think Susan is right."