Annie's Rainbow - Fern Michaels [20]
“Annie, this is Peter Newman. He’s investigating the bank robbery in Boston.”
“Really. How can we help you, Mr: Newman?” Annie said, sitting down across the table from him. “You came all the way to South Carolina to talk to us. No wonder insurance rates are so high. Do we have wine, Jane? Maybe Mr. Newman would like some.” I can pull this off. I know I can do this. Stay calm and cool. There’s no evidence. Take it slow and easy. The ten thousand dollars is safe in your dehumidifier. He’d never look there. Besides, he needs a warrant before he can search the house. Cool and calm. I can do this.
“Mr. Newman said he ran our license plates,” Jane said coolly.
“Why?” Annie asked as she sipped the wine Jane handed her. He looks like a skinny bulldog, she thought.
“It wasn’t just your cars. We ran the plates from all the cars parked in the campus parking lot. Those that we could make out. The rest we got from the campus parking authority. We’re talking to everyone.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Where were you when the robbery occurred?”
“I was in the drugstore buying aspirin. I walked because it was such a beautiful day. I was talking to Mr. Richardson, or maybe I was paying him. I’m not sure. We both heard the shot at the same time. When I was walking home, I crossed the lot and saw what happened. That’s all I know.”
“I was in our apartment,” Jane said. “Actually, I was getting ready to go to the post office to drop off our change of address when Annie came in. In the excitement of worrying about my money in the bank, I forgot to go. I never did leave an address.”
“Did either one of you see or hear anything else?”
Both women shook their heads.
“Do you always leave your car windows open?”
“The backseat windows of my car really stick. If it’s nice out, I let them down. If it’s raining, I struggle with them. But, to answer your question, most of the time in nice weather they’re down,” Annie said
“Mine too. I’m just too lazy to roll them up,” Jane said. “Why?”
“We think there’s a possibility the robber tossed the money bag into one of the cars on the campus lot.”
“But I thought the robber gave the money to a third person,” Annie said, her eyes wide and innocent.
“We haven’t ruled out that possibility.”
“Almost all the cars on campus have their windows open in the spring,” Jane said. “There was a picture in the morning paper on graduation day. I saw the picture on the front page and almost all of them had the windows open. Are you saying you suspect us?”
“I’m not saying that at all.”
“Then what are you saying?” Annie asked bluntly.
“I’m saying we’re at the asking-questions stage.”
“Maybe you should post a reward,” Jane said. “They do that on television shows all the time.”
Annie held her glass out for a refill. Jane poured for Annie and herself, a worried look on her face. “Is there anything else you want to ask us?”
“Not at this time. I might have questions later on.”
“Then it might be a good idea to call ahead,” Annie said.
“Why is that?”
“Because you’re eating into our dinner hour. As you can see it’s almost eight o’clock. We get up at five. It’s been a long, hard day, and I want to relax before I go to bed and have to get up and do it all over again. In short, Mr. Newman, I’m dog-ass tired. If there’s nothing else, I’d like to eat my dinner.”
“Then I’ll be on my way. I’m sorry for the inconvenience. I’m just doing my job. If you give me your phone number, I will call ahead.”
It’s just a formality. It doesn’t mean anything. Be cool. Look him in the eye. Annie got up from the table and reached into the cabinet for the dinner plates as Jane handed over a slip of paper with their phone number on it.
“The number on the bottom is the Daisy Shop. We’re there all day long and don’t have an answering