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on the ground floor, so Faye clattered heavily down the staircase instead of taking the elevator. From below, she probably looked like a zeppelin, descending out of the sky .
    How much longer would she be pregnant? Oh yeah…five whole weeks. And five days.
    The plainclothes officer looked up at her and said, “Ma’am, if you’ll just wait with the others, we’d like to talk with you eventually. But right now—”
    “I think you need to talk to me now.” She reached the bottom step and suddenly, he was no longer looking up at her. She saw now that he was almost as tall as Joe, although considerably wider.
    “Now why exactly do you think that?” Spoken by a different man, in a different tone of voice, his words could have been confrontational or dismissive. Not, however, when spoken by this man. He just wanted to know the answer to his question.
    “Is the gossip true? Is Glynis Smithson missing? And do you have reason to think she’s been hurt?”
    The big cop cocked his balding head down at her and said, “I see that there are no secrets in this house. You know something and you think it’s important. Tell me what it is.”
    “The last time I saw Glynis, she was standing in that room there,” Faye pointed at the dining room to the right of the staircase, “and she was arguing with her jerk of a boyfriend.”
    There it was. Faye had dragged herself down that staircase, burning to tell this to someone in a position to help.
    The detective gave her a long evaluating look before speaking.
    “When?”
    “Last night.”
    “Lex Tifton?”
    “She called him Lex, yes.”
    “Did he hurt her? Or threaten her?”
    “No, but he was overbearing and controlling. That’s why they were arguing. She had plans for the evening, and he wanted her to come home. I’m pretty sure he lost the argument. I am dead certain that Glynis did not go home and cook him the romantic meal he wanted. She said something about a board meeting, and he said something about preservationists. So I guess maybe it wouldn’t be too hard to find out where she went last night after she left here.”
    The uniformed officer looked very interested in what she had to say, but the big man in the golf shirt was the one doing all the talking. He must be in charge.
    “She looked okay physically when you saw her?”
    “Yes.”
    “And Tifton didn’t hurt her while you were watching?”
    “No. They were standing on opposite ends of that table.” She pointed through the open passageway into the dining room. “He didn’t even raise his voice, but he was angry.”
    “I’ve only talked to a few people so far, but, if Lex Tifton has a fan club, I’m not sure it has but one member. And even that presumes that his girlfriend likes him.”
    “After last night, I’m not so sure he still has a girlfriend.”
    Faye stopped short, horrified by what she’d just said. She hadn’t meant that Lex might not have a girlfriend because something terrible had happened to Glynis. She’d simply meant that Glynis had sounded like she was about ready to cut Lex loose.
    She tried again. “That came out wrong. I meant that Glynis sounded like she’d enjoyed just about as much of Lex’s company as she could stand.”
    The officer chuckled. “I knew what you meant.” He extended a hand. “You know, I think we’ve settled in to work here and I haven’t properly introduced myself. I’m Donald Overstreet, and I appreciate a witness who tells me the truth without pulling any punches.”
    Faye shook the hand. “I’m Faye Longchamp-Mantooth. I think my husband sometimes wishes I’d pull a few punches.”
    She didn’t have to look behind her to know that Joe was nodding.
    Overstreet laughed out loud. “Well, I’m not your husband.
    Joe stuck out a hand. “Joe Wolf Mantooth. I’m her husband.”
    Overstreet chuckled and said, “Lucky man.”
    Faye wasn’t sure how to take that comment.
    “Tell me what you overheard of Glynis’ and Lex’s conversation. No