• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 817 0

happy to do so. I just happen to think it will sit better coming from you. What I’m about to tell you in regard to the case can be verified by the bank and by Boston Insurance. I believe you have the phone number. The bank and Boston Insurance have signed off on the case. The feds never sign off. It will just remain an open file and get shoved somewhere in some deep, dark file room. What you need to be aware of is Andrew Pearson and his hatred. He just left here. I believe the man is teetering on the edge. He’s full of hatred and vengeance, and he plans to go after the three of you. He wants to get even for being sent to prison. He still maintains his innocence. It seems his father has given him a great deal of money to go out and try to find the real truth. Whatever that may be. He says he knows what the three of you are doing every minute of the day or night. I want you to know I did my best to discourage him. I also want you to know that the man frightened me. I don’t frighten easily, Mr. Richardson.”

“Why are you telling me all this, Mr. Newman? You’ve hounded the three of us for years. Why should I believe anything you say now? What brought on this particular attack of conscience?”

“I was doing my job, Mr. Richardson. I did what I was told to do. Do you think I liked hounding you? I didn’t. It was my job. I’m good at my job, and that’s why I’m able to take early retirement. I plan to spend the rest of my days fishing and hunting. I throw the fish back, and if I see an animal, I shoot in the air so it runs away. I’m not a violent person. Andrew Pearson is a violent person. I know obsession when I see it. He’s very clever. Those types of people usually are. I just wanted to warn you. I can’t stress how important it is to go to the police. I probably don’t have any right to ask this, but has anything happened? Have there been threats or unexplained things that are making you nervous?”

Elmo explained about Tom’s ex-wife, the letters, and fear for Annie, who was on the road. “He’s using your name, Mr. Newman. Tom’s wife said the man who came to see her said his name was Peter Newman.”

“It wasn’t me. I told you, Boston closed the case. If I were you, I’d urge Miss Clark to return home as soon as possible. There’s nothing else I can do, Mr. Richardson.”

“You still think one of us did it, don’t you, Mr. Newman?”

“Yes, Mr. Richardson, that’s what I think. It’s a moot point now. The case is closed. Like I said, I was just doing my job.”

“I guess I appreciate the warning on behalf of the girls. Speaking for myself, go to hell, Newman.”

Elmo could hear the insurance investigator chuckle as he hung up the phone. He thought the sound ominous.

Annie looked around the hotel room and realized she was sick to death of traveling, eating in restaurants, sleeping in strange beds. Right now she was so tired she knew if she leaned up against the wall she’d fall asleep. Obviously, it was time to go home. If she had one wish, it would be to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep that would last for twenty-four hours. She tossed her bag onto the bed. Why was it motels always had orange-flowered bedspreads and matching drapes?

As Annie uncapped a bottle of ice tea she noticed the red light blinking on the phone next to the bed. Answer it now or later? She looked at the watch Tom had given her. A super-duper job, he said, that gave the date, the time, doubled as a compass, which continent she was on, time in different countries, and if she could figure out how to adjust it, tell her if she was at sea level or not. August 26. Time was 4:45. The only people who knew she was here were Elmo, Tom, and Jane. God, had she really been traveling for eight weeks? Unless the super-duper Swiss watch was wrong, that’s exactly how long she’d been on the road. She really had to be home by the weekend because it was Daisy’s birthday, and her special present was due to arrive at ten in the morning the day after tomorrow. She wanted to be in attendance to see the little girl’s face.

The phone rang just as she took the last swig from the ice tea bottle.