Unexpectedly, Milo - Matthew Dicks [97]
How to extract the necessary information from Macy would be the challenge.
A moment later, she returned with water and asked if she could take Milo’s order. Though Milo had yet to look at the menu, he wanted Macy to like him and believe him to be competent, so he ordered a cheeseburger and fries, assuming both were on the menu in some form.
“Will that be all?”
“Actually, I was wondering if you could suggest a hotel close by. I’m from Connecticut and need a place to stay the night.”
“Connecticut, huh? What brings you here?”
“I’m hoping to look up an old friend who moved down here years ago.” Milo couldn’t be more pleased with Macy’s question. It provided the opening that he would need.
“Well,” she said, gnawing on the eraser of her pencil as she considered the question. “The nearest hotel that I can think of is in Taylorsville, but that’s about twenty minutes south of here. There are a couple motels in town, though. The closest, probably the best, is about a mile down Lincoln Road, which is right off Main. Pineview or Pinehurst. Pine something-or-other. It’ll be on the right, just past the church.”
“That’s great. Thanks.”
Milo decided not to push his inquiries too hard at first. Better to space out his questions throughout the meal so as to not seem desperate. As he was plotting his next move, his cell phone rang. Not recognizing the number, he answered on the second ring.
“Milo Slade?” the voice asked, one with which Milo was familiar but could not place.
“Yes?”
“Hello, Mr. Slade. It’s Officer Eblen of the Newington Police.”
Unsure of what to say, Milo said nothing, suddenly feeling both angry and frightened.
“Mr. Slade, can I ask where you are at this moment?”
“Why do you want to know?” Milo asked, regretting the words as soon as he had said them.
“You won’t answer the question?” Officer Eblen asked.
“No, I just want to know why you’re asking.”
“Mr. Slade, your wife thinks that she saw your car sitting outside the house about fifteen minutes ago. Is that true?”
“No. It’s not. In fact, it’s impossible. I’m in North Carolina right now. And I brought my car with me. I mean, I drove here. With my car. In my car, I mean. It couldn’t be in Newington.” Milo could never understand how he could be so composed around his clients and so useless around everyone else in life, and especially men like Officer Eblen.
“So you haven’t seen your wife all day?”
“No,” Milo said, fearing that he sounded like a petulant child.
“Have you seen your wife since we last spoke?”
“Yes,” Milo said. “Once in the therapist’s office, but that was it.”
“No more late-night stakeouts outside the house?”
“I told you. That was the only time. I’m not a stalker.”
“Listen, Mr. Slade. Separation and divorce can be tough on folks. I’ve seen too many people do too many stupid things because someone stopping loving them. I just don’t want you to do anything stupid.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t.”
“Most people don’t think they will,” Officer Eblen said, his voice softening a bit. “They think they’re handling things just fine, and then boom. They realize that their marriage might be ending and they lose their head. Men more often than women. Remember that, Mr. Slade. You never know how you might react. So don’t be stupid.”
“That won’t happen to me.”
“I’ve heard that before,” Officer Eblen said. “What makes you so sure?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think I care anymore, to be honest. I don’t think I love her anymore.” Milo paused a moment, checking to see how this last statement felt. Checking to see if there was truth in these words. “You know what? I don’t think I do. Wow. Can you believe it?