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Jeff just smiled.
* * *
His background check didn’t turn up anything out of the ordinary. Granger Downing, Julie’s stepfather, was a big noise among the country club set. He was loaded, although it seemed to be Julie’s late mother who’d had all the money and he’d just inherited it.
He’d checked out the victim as well. Most people spoke kindly of her. She hadn’t been a social person, but she had no real enemies that he could ascertain.Follow the moneywas a tenet that all law enforcement people tuned into. It was usually a good idea to do that. So Tom started checking into the victim’s stepfather’s bank account.
He was just coming back to the motel after a long and tiring morning when the smoke-pouring car-thing pulled into the driveway next to the motel. He got out of his vehicle and walked up to the young woman just getting out of hers.
“Rings and valves,” he said.
She gave him a blank look.
“Rings and valves. Your car’s pouring smoke.”
She cocked her head and stared at him. She looked young and worn-out. “It thinks it’s an old-time locomotive,” she replied. “Don’t pay attention to it, or you’ll encourage it.”
One eyebrow arched and his dark eyes twinkled.
“You’re out early,” she pointed out.
“So are you. Is pole dancing very lucrative?”
She glared at him. “I am not a pole dancer.”
He smiled at her. “You’re very young,” he said quietly.
“Thanks, gramps,” she tossed back.
He chuckled. She was a firecracker “What do you do, really?”
“I feed and water helpless things.”
“That’s a strange answer.”
“It’s the only kind you’re getting, too,” she said. “Why are you out so early?”
“Detecting.”
“Oh, Julie Crane’s murder,” she said, and nodded.
“Yes. You knew her.”
“She went to school with me.”
“Care to enlarge on that a bit?”
“I would, but I’m asleep on my feet.”
“How about coffee and breakfast?”
She hesitated.
“I have a testimonial from my district supervisor that I’m dependable and safe to be let loose around young women.”
She laughed.
“Have you had breakfast?” he asked.
