Part 20 (1/2)
I told him about the Reno end of the case, which Arnie and Phyllis Walters were handling, and about the Bridgeton situation which I wanted to explore. I also advised him to talk to Jerry Marks first thing in the morning.
”Will Mr. Marks be available on a Sunday?”
”Yes. I've already set him up for you. Of course you're going to have to give him a retainer.”
”I have some savings bonds,” he said thoughtfully, ”and I can borrow on my insurance policy. Meantime I can sell the car. It's paid for, and I've been offered two five for it. I was getting pretty tired of sports car rallies and all that jazz. It's kid stuff.”
chapter 18.
The front doorbell rang. Someone trotted past the office door to answer it. It was getting late for visitors, and I went out and followed the aide along the hallway. The four patients were still watching the television screen as if it was a window on the outside world.
Whoever had rung the bell was knocking now, rather violently.
”Just a minute,” the aide said through the door. She got her key into the lock and opened it partly. ”Who is it? Who do you want to see?”
It was Alice Jenks. She tried to push her way in, but the aide had her white shoe against the door.
”I wish to see my niece, Dolly McGee.”
”We have no such patient.”
”She calls herself Dolly Kincaid now.”
”I can't let you in to see anyone without doctor's permission.
”Is G.o.dwin here?”
”I think so.”
”Get him,” Miss Jenks said peremptorily.
The girl's Latin temper flared. ”I don't take orders from you,” she said in a hissing whisper. ”And keep your voice down. We have people frying to rest.”
”Get Dr. G.o.dwin.”
”Don't worry, I intend to. But you'll have to wait outside.”
”It will be a pleasure.”
I stepped between them before the nurse closed the door and said to Miss Jenks: ”May I speak to you for a minute?”
She peered at me through fogged gla.s.ses. ”So you're here, too.”
”I'm here, too.”
I stepped out under the outside light and heard the door shut behind me. The air was chilly after the hot-house atmosphere of the nursing home. Miss Jenks had on a thick furcollared coat which made her figure ma.s.sive in the gloom. Droplets of water glistened in the fur, and in her graying hair.
”What do you want with Dolly?”
”It's none of your business. She's my flesh and blood, not yours.”
”Dolly has a husband. I represent him.”
”You can go and represent him in some other const.i.tuency. I'm not interested in you or her husband.”
”But suddenly you're interested in Dolly. Does it have anything to do with the story in the paper?”
”Maybe it has and maybe it hasn't.” In her language, that meant yes. She added defensively: ”I've been interested in Dolly since she was born. I know better than a lot of strangers what's good for her.”
”Dr. G.o.dwin isn't a stranger.”
”No. I wish he was.”
”I hope you're not thinking of taking her out of here.”
”Maybe I am and maybe I'm not.” She dug some Kleenex out of her purse and used it to clean her gla.s.ses. I could see a newspaper folded small in the purse.
”Miss Jenks, did you read the description of the revolver that was found in Dolly's bed?”
She replaced her gla.s.ses quickly, as though to cover the startled look in her eyes. ”Naturally I read it.”
”Did it ring any bell with you?”
”Yes. It sounded like the revolver I used to have, so I came into town to the courthouse to have a look at it. It looks like mine all right.”
”You admit that?”
”Why shouldn't I? I haven't seen it for over ten years.”
”Can you prove it?”
”Of course I can prove it. It was stolen from my house before Constance was shot. Sheriff Crane theorized at the time that it might have been the gun McGee used on her. He still thinks so. McGee could easily have taken it. He knew where it was, in my bedroom.”
You didn't tell me all this this morning.”
”I didn't think of it. It was only theory, anyway. You were interested in facts.”
”I'm interested in both, Miss Jenks. What's the police theory now? That McGee killed Miss Haggerty and tried to frame his daughter?”
”I wouldn't put it past him. A man who would do what he did to his wife--” Her voice sank out of hearing in her throat.
”And they want to use his daugher to nail McGee again?”
She didn't answer me. Lights went on inside, and there were sounds of movement culminating in G.o.dwin's opening the door. He shook his keys at us, grinning fiercely.
”Come inside, Miss Jenks.”