Split Second (Sean King & Michelle Maxwell 1)

“How many years? Think carefully, it’s important.”

“Maybe six or seven or so.”

“When did she stop working at the Fairmount?”

“It closed down pretty soon after Ritter got shot.”

“Had she worked since?”

“Nothing steady and the last few years not at all. She’d done crap work all her life. It was time to take it easy,” he said defensively.

“So your mother never said anything about where the money came from? Any friends or other family she might have spoken to about it?”

“I’m the closest family she has. Friends, I don’t know. She had a real good friend, Oliver Jones, but he’s dead now. She might have told him.”

“Any way we can talk to his family?”

“Didn’t have any. He outlived them all. Died about a year ago.”

“Nothing else you can think of?”

Tony considered this and his expression changed. “Well, last Christmas Mama said something a little strange.”

“What was it?”

“The last five or six years she’d always sent nice presents for the kids. Only last Christmas she didn’t. My little girl, Jewell, she asked her grammy how come she didn’t send any presents, didn’t she love them anymore? You know how kids are. Well, anyway, Mama said something like, ‘Honey, all good things must come to an end,’ something like that.”

Michelle and King shared a significant glance. King said, “I suppose the police have searched the house pretty thoroughly.”

“Top to bottom, didn’t find nothing.”

“No check stubs, deposit slips, old envelopes to show maybe where the money came from?”

“No, nothing like that. Mama didn’t like banks. She dealt in cash only.”

King had strolled to the window and was looking out at the backyard. “Looks like your mother was really into her garden.”

Tony smiled. “She loved flowers. Put a lot of work into it when she could. I’d come up every week and help out. She’d sit out there for hours and just look at her flowers.” Tony started to say something, then paused before asking, “You want to go look at ’em?” King started to shake his head, but Tony quickly added, “See, today’s the day I usually came up to weed. I mean I know she’s not around to see it anymore, but it was important to her.”

Michelle smiled and said in a sympathetic tone, “I love gardens, Tony.” She nudged King.

“Right. I’m into gardens too,” said King without much enthusiasm.

While Tony Baldwin pulled at some weeds in one of the beds, Michelle and King walked around the yard and admired the flowers.

King said, “Loretta’s secret cash flow started shortly after Ritter died.”

“Right. So you’re thinking blackmail?”

He nodded. “Although I’m wondering how Loretta was blackmailing someone simply because she might have seen him or her in the closet.”

“Meaning they might have just come in there for the same reason she did, because they were scared?”

“Only there has to be more to it. Remember when we were looking in the closet, and I said that she had probably squeezed in the back. I thought so because for all she knew some guy might come in with a gun—” He broke off and suddenly looked at her wide-eyed.

“What are you saying? That maybe she did see someone come in with a gun?”

“Or with something. Why else would she have gotten suspicious? I mean there were probably lots of people running around trying to hide.”