asked.
Joe Conrad shrugged. “No solid reason. It’s just a hunch. When I heard about a dead man with a bullet wound that nobody knew, my ears went up. Just thought I’d check it out as much as I could. And even if by some long shot the dead man is the same guy, I don’t know what good that would do. Oh, one thing I forgot to mention—there was a witness to what happened, although she was pretty shook up. Shewas going through an intersection on a green light when the armored truck barreled through. Almost wiped her out. She hit the brakes and managed to avoid the accident. She was in a bit of shock, but she did get a close look as the guy pulled off his ski mask. Eventually she was able to give the police artist enough for a sketch. Here, I’ll show you.”
Joe pulled a well-worn piece of paper outof his inside jacket pocket. A wanted poster showing a black-and-white sketch of a man with a long face, high cheekbones and receding hairline. “How accurate this is, I can’t say, but it was the best we could do at the time. I’ve shown this to Nate.” Joe passed the poster across the table to Jack.
Nate spoke. “It’s real hard to be certain. His face was pretty messed up, and I wasn’t aboutto move the body till the techs could get there. Besides,” Nate shrugged, “I don’t know what good it’ll do anybody if this guy turns out to be involved. He’s dead, the other guy’s disappeared, and I’m sure the money’s long gone.”
“How much did they get away with?” Jack asked.
“Pretty good sum as these things go. Eight hundred and some odd thousand.”
“That’s huge,” Lucky remarked.
“You can say that again.”
“I’m gonna take Joe over to Lincoln Falls to have a better look at this guy,” Nate said. “If his driver’s license and van registration don’t check out, he could very well be a traveler—we get ’em through every so often. Some of ’em come down from Canada. As long as they don’t cause any trouble, I have no objection. Wouldn’t be my choice of a lifestyle, but I guessit suits them.”
“What was this guy driving?” Jack asked.
“An old customized van, pretty beat up though. It’s at the impound lot in Lincoln Falls for now.” Lucky heard the bell over the door ring. She twisted in her chair and saw Miriam standing on the threshold. Miriam stepped into the restaurant and headed to the counter where Janie was working. She leaned across and spoke softly to Janie.Janie’s cheeks suddenly flushed. She flung a dish towel down on the counter and ran through the door to the corridor. Miriam followed.
Lucky excused herself from the group at the table. So far, the small drama hadn’t caught anyone’s attention. She hurried down the hallway and found Miriam at the rear door, crying. Janie’s car tires squealed as she pulled out of the lot behind the restaurant.
Chapter 13
J ANIE SAT HUDDLED at one end of the sofa. Lucky placed a mug of tea on the table in front of her and curled up at the other end of the sofa. Janie finally mumbled her thanks and picked upthe tea.
“Look, Janie, I don’t want to pry into your business, but from where I’m sitting, your mother hardly seems like a monster.”
“You think I’m crazy, don’t you.” It was a statement not a question.
“I don’t think any such thing. I just don’t know what’s going on. You and your mother . . . well, you two have always been so close. I don’t understand.”
Janie looked on the vergeof tears. She clamped her jaw shut in an effort to control her feelings. “You’d never understand. You’d never get it.”
“Try me.” Lucky’s heart was torn just looking at Janie’s face. It was obvious she was suffering terribly. Earlier that day, Meg had done her best to offer comfort to Janie and had been rebuffed.
“You remember a couple of days ago when you saw me looking out the windowat the Spoonful?”
Lucky nodded but didn’t say a word. She was afraid to interrupt Janie’s
Joe Conrad shrugged. “No solid reason. It’s just a hunch. When I heard about a dead man with a bullet wound that nobody knew, my ears went up. Just thought I’d check it out as much as I could. And even if by some long shot the dead man is the same guy, I don’t know what good that would do. Oh, one thing I forgot to mention—there was a witness to what happened, although she was pretty shook up. Shewas going through an intersection on a green light when the armored truck barreled through. Almost wiped her out. She hit the brakes and managed to avoid the accident. She was in a bit of shock, but she did get a close look as the guy pulled off his ski mask. Eventually she was able to give the police artist enough for a sketch. Here, I’ll show you.”
Joe pulled a well-worn piece of paper outof his inside jacket pocket. A wanted poster showing a black-and-white sketch of a man with a long face, high cheekbones and receding hairline. “How accurate this is, I can’t say, but it was the best we could do at the time. I’ve shown this to Nate.” Joe passed the poster across the table to Jack.
Nate spoke. “It’s real hard to be certain. His face was pretty messed up, and I wasn’t aboutto move the body till the techs could get there. Besides,” Nate shrugged, “I don’t know what good it’ll do anybody if this guy turns out to be involved. He’s dead, the other guy’s disappeared, and I’m sure the money’s long gone.”
“How much did they get away with?” Jack asked.
“Pretty good sum as these things go. Eight hundred and some odd thousand.”
“That’s huge,” Lucky remarked.
“You can say that again.”
“I’m gonna take Joe over to Lincoln Falls to have a better look at this guy,” Nate said. “If his driver’s license and van registration don’t check out, he could very well be a traveler—we get ’em through every so often. Some of ’em come down from Canada. As long as they don’t cause any trouble, I have no objection. Wouldn’t be my choice of a lifestyle, but I guessit suits them.”
“What was this guy driving?” Jack asked.
“An old customized van, pretty beat up though. It’s at the impound lot in Lincoln Falls for now.” Lucky heard the bell over the door ring. She twisted in her chair and saw Miriam standing on the threshold. Miriam stepped into the restaurant and headed to the counter where Janie was working. She leaned across and spoke softly to Janie.Janie’s cheeks suddenly flushed. She flung a dish towel down on the counter and ran through the door to the corridor. Miriam followed.
Lucky excused herself from the group at the table. So far, the small drama hadn’t caught anyone’s attention. She hurried down the hallway and found Miriam at the rear door, crying. Janie’s car tires squealed as she pulled out of the lot behind the restaurant.
Chapter 13
J ANIE SAT HUDDLED at one end of the sofa. Lucky placed a mug of tea on the table in front of her and curled up at the other end of the sofa. Janie finally mumbled her thanks and picked upthe tea.
“Look, Janie, I don’t want to pry into your business, but from where I’m sitting, your mother hardly seems like a monster.”
“You think I’m crazy, don’t you.” It was a statement not a question.
“I don’t think any such thing. I just don’t know what’s going on. You and your mother . . . well, you two have always been so close. I don’t understand.”
Janie looked on the vergeof tears. She clamped her jaw shut in an effort to control her feelings. “You’d never understand. You’d never get it.”
“Try me.” Lucky’s heart was torn just looking at Janie’s face. It was obvious she was suffering terribly. Earlier that day, Meg had done her best to offer comfort to Janie and had been rebuffed.
“You remember a couple of days ago when you saw me looking out the windowat the Spoonful?”
Lucky nodded but didn’t say a word. She was afraid to interrupt Janie’s
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