Read Online Peggy Holloway - Judith McCain 02 - Portrait on Wicker by Peggy Holloway - Free Book Online Page B

looked at each other and I said, “He’s the judge who placed me in foster care with the Lessiters.”
    Bill smoothed his few hairs over his balding head. “I tried to keep track of you for awhile after I arrested you at Dave’s. I thought you had potential. If I remember correctly, you were placed with the Lessiter’s and disappeared from there. Mr. Lessiter came down to the station and filed a missing person report but never followed up on that.”
    I really felt I could trust these two and told Mark so. He agreed and we decided to tell them everything. I told them all about Mr. Lessiter coming into my room and trying to rape me, about me hitting him over the head, and about my escape.
    I told them about working as a dancer in a nightclub, about finding my grandmother, about finding Julia , and meeting Tracy in the home of the Reynolds’. I told them about finding Julia and rescuing her and then Mark took over.
    “They murdered my wife. She was trying to investigate and she was staying at Julia’s beach house in St. Augustine. They set fire the house and killed her.”
    He had tears in his eyes. I felt so bad for him. I felt the tears gather in my eyes also.
    “I’m so sorry,” said Sand y as she put her arms around him. Her bottom lip was trembling as if she too was going to cry. I looked at Bill and he looked teary eyed too.
    After Mark finished telling his part of the story, Sandy asked where we were planning to stay since we obviously couldn’t stay at Julia’ s condo. It was now a crime scene.
    Mark and I looked at each other and Sandy said, “I would offer to let you come to my house but I have a house full of relatives staying with me right now. And Bill only has a bachelor pad.” She poked him in the ribs.
    We left shortly after that and agreed to meet them for breakfast the next morning.
     
     
     
    CHAPTER 20
     
    Mark and I took a suite at the Hyatt Regency, on the twentieth floor, overlooking the Mississippi River. After checking in, we decided to eat downstairs at Georgie Porgies. Julia had introduced me to this restaurant on one of my visits. They have delicious seafood omelets.
    We ordered the omelet and coffee. Neither of us had an appetite but we ate anyway. I enjoyed the chicory coffee with the boiled milk poured into it. We were lost I our own thoughts. I think we were in shock. Then we both started talking at once. Mark motioned for me to go ahead.
    “I was just thinking that we have some people we can trust now, Judge Gadsby , and now Bill and Sandy.”
    “Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. I think we ought to talk to Bill and Sandy about getting a search warrant to search the Lessiter’s house. Maybe they could find some clue to help them find him.”
    I looked at my watch, “We’d better get some sleep if we’re going to meet them bright and early in the morning.”
     
     
     
    CHAPTER 21
     
    Sandy called my room the next morning just as I was finishing my hair. I had gotten it cut into a short bob recently. All I had to do was wash and blow dry.
    Sandy said she, Mark and Bill were downstairs at Georgie Porgies. When I got down there they were all seated at a table with coffee.
    Mark grinned at me. “I thought I would let you sleep as long as possible. I know you’re not a morning person. Sit here by me.”
    “Mar k was just telling us about your idea about getting a search warrant from Judge Gadsby. The problem is that Judges Gadsby and Renfroe go back a long way. They’ve been friends since college. They play golf together…”
    “And neither one has ever had any kids,” Bill interrupted.
    “But Judge Gadsby started this wonderful program to give hookers a fresh start!” I said.
    Bill act ually laughed at this statement. “Some people do good works to make themselves look good, right?”
    I had to admit he was right.
    “H ow are we going to know who to trust?” I asked. “I know you can’t answer that, but Mark and I felt right away we could trust you two. I