Part 28 (1/2)

'Right. Good. I'm glad you found me.'

Cab stared past Gary Jensen at the gloomy interior of his house. 'Do you mind if I come in?'

'Oh, yes, yes, I'm sorry. Please. Come in.'

'I apologize if this is a bad time. I should have called you first. It's a bad detective's habit, I'm afraid. We show up unannounced.'

'No, come in. This is fine.'

Jensen swung open the door and gestured with his hand. Cab stepped over the threshold into the foyer, which was dimly lit. Ahead of him, twisting stairs with an ornate iron banister wound to the second level. He saw a living room furnished with dark wood and heavy furniture immediately on his left, but Jensen pointed the opposite way down the hallway. The walls were lined with framed photographs of college teams in action.

'I could use a c.o.ke while we talk,' Jensen said. 'I'm pretty dry. Do you mind?'

'Not at all.'

Jensen led him through swinging doors into a compact kitchen with dated yellow appliances. He checked his watch and switched on a radio as he pa.s.sed the counter, and Cab heard the dialogue of a sports talk program. The volume was oddly loud. Jensen opened the refrigerator and popped a can of c.o.ke and gestured at Cab.

'You want one?'

'No, thanks. Do you mind turning down the radio?'

Jensen made the volume marginally lower. 'Sorry, the spring training report is coming up next. The Brewers are in Maryvale.'

Cab shrugged but didn't protest further. He took a seat at the kitchen table and pointed the chair outward where he could extend his legs. Jensen took a seat opposite him and drank his c.o.ke straight from the can. The man acted uncomfortable, but Cab wasn't surprised. Most people lost their bearings when a police officer showed up on their doorstep. He liked the element of surprise, before witnesses had a chance to practice their story.

Other than his demeanor, there was nothing unusual about Gary Jensen. He was middle-aged but athletic, with a narrow face and pointed chin. There was no pouch of fat on his neck. He wore a navy blue fleece hoodie and mesh sweatpants and brightly colored Nikes. It was easy to imagine him as a college coach, intense and compet.i.tive, hollering on the sidelines at students who were substantially taller and larger than he was. The longer Jensen sat with Cab, the more the man made a show of relaxing. He eased back into the chair. A smile came back to his mouth, but it looked artificial and forced.

'Am I keeping you from something, Mr Jensen?' Cab asked.

The coach shook his head. 'Not at all.'

'I appreciate your calling us about what you saw.'

'Of course. I would have called sooner, but our bus left early in the morning on Sunday, so I had no idea that something had happened at the hotel. I saw news reports during the week, and I realized I should get in touch with your department.'

'I'm glad you did. I'd like to go over some of the details again, if you don't mind.'

'Yes, sure.'

'Are you a full-time employee at the university?' Cab asked.

'That's right.'

'Do you do anything other than coach?'

'I also teach physical education.'

'Did any other university employees partic.i.p.ate in this trip to Florida?'

Jensen shook his head. 'No, it was just me and the students. We contracted with a local bus service for a vehicle and driver.'

'Did anyone else share your hotel room with you in Florida?'

'No, it was just me.'

Cab's eyes flitted to the ring on Jensen's left hand. 'Your wife didn't come with you?

'Sorry, I'm no longer married,' Jensen explained, twisting the ring. 'My wife pa.s.sed away last year.'

'I'm very sorry.'

'Thank you.'

'So on Sat.u.r.day night, you were alone in your room?' Cab asked.

'That's right.'

'Tell me what happened.'

Jensen took another swig from his can of c.o.ke. 'I couldn't sleep. You know what hotel beds are like. Around two thirty or so, I took a cigar out on the balcony and figured I'd relax with a smoke. My room faced the Gulf. Great view. Big moon. I think I was on the tenth floor. Anyway, I sat outside for about half an hour or so. I don't know what time it was, but at some point, I saw a man walking from the hotel down to the beach right below me.'

'Can you describe him?' Cab asked.

'I wish I could. It was pretty dark. He looked like a fairly big guy, but from that height, it's hard to tell. All I saw was his yellow tank top. It was bright, so it was easy to spot. I'm not sure I would have remembered him, but I saw him again a while later, down close to the water. It looked like he was making out with a girl.' 'Where did this girl come from?' Cab asked.

Jensen shook his head. 'I don't know.'

'Did you see her leave the hotel?'

'No, I only saw the guy. I noticed her for the first time when the man approached her on the beach. He came from the north, and she was already there when I spotted them. I couldn't see anything about her, other than it was a girl in a bright bikini.'

'Are you sure it was the same man you saw leaving the hotel?'

'Well, it was the same s.h.i.+rt,' Jensen said.

Cab stopped and looked up at the water-stained ceiling as he heard a heavy thud on the floor overhead. Jensen's face seized with dismay.

'I'm sorry, did you say you live alone now?' Cab asked.

The coach looked embarra.s.sed. He spread his hands as if to say: You caught me. You caught me. 'I live alone, but I'm finally at a point where I don't always sleep alone, Detective.' 'Ah.' 'I live alone, but I'm finally at a point where I don't always sleep alone, Detective.' 'Ah.'

'You can see why I was a little surprised when you showed up. I was sort of occupied, if you know what I mean.'

'I understand,' Cab told him. 'Just to confirm, you didn't have anyone in the hotel with you in Florida. Right?'

Jensen nodded. 'That's right.'

'What happened when this man in the yellow s.h.i.+rt approached the girl on the beach?' Cab asked.

'They talked for a while,' Jensen said. 'Then it was more than talking.'