PI On A Hot Tin Roof

me.”
    “The night of Buddy’s murder he was with you?”
    “The day Suzanne was killed. He and I had lunch together.”
    “Oh. Well, tell the cops then. Meanwhile, I came to let you know I’ve gone about as far as I can go on this. I didn’t solve it, but I did make a breakthrough.”
    “What? Getting my father arrested? Thank you very much, that’s not what I had in mind.”
    “He’s arrested? They’ve arrested him?”
    “Well, if they don’t, it won’t be any thanks to you. What’s this great breakthrough?” She was sitting on the unappealing sofa with her legs folded, bare feet peeking daintily out from under her backside.
    “I’m pretty sure Buddy never called the marina that night, which means he wasn’t killed there.”
    “What?” She uncoiled her body. “I never knew about that call.”
    “It’s all in the client report. The night watchman says he called to say go home, but the words on the tape came from somewhere else.”
    “Where else? What are you talking about?” She grabbed Talba’s wrist.
    Talba hadn’t expected this reaction—Kristin seemed near hysteria—but it occurred to her that she should have. This was a woman whose fiancé had died, and whose father apparently had tried to frame her for it. She couldn’t tell her the evidence was a tape from her own engagement party. Let Langdon do it.
    “I’ve said too much already. I can’t really go into it now.”
    “Give me the client report.”
    “I’m sorry; I didn’t bring it.” It was safe in her bag. “I’ll have to mail it to you.”
    “Uh-uh. No, you don’t. You’ve got it in that tote, don’t you? Give it to me.” She looked ready to grab the bag, and Talba was in no mood to fight.
    “Look,” she said. “I took this case because I felt bad about deceiving the family. Now I’ve done more damage, and I feel horrible about it. I wouldn’t have upset you like this for the world. Can’t I do something for you? Let me get you a drink, or a cup of tea or something.”
    “How dare you! What right have you to the moral high ground, you little bitch? Who the hell do you think you are, with that black baroness routine? I’ve got something to tell you, our fucking grace—you’re just a two-bit little lowlife and you know damn well you took the case for the money. I’m not giving you a dime until I get that report.”
    If Talba had one hard and fast rule, it was this: Never work for people who insult you, no matter how upset they are at the time. Walk away the minute it happens.
    “I’m sorry you feel that way,” she said, and rose. “This one’s on the house.”
    “Give me that report!”
    “I’m sorry.” Talba turned to go, but she felt a hand grab her shoulder and start to wrench at the bag.
    She felt her heart speed up, her hands begin to shake. She was having an adrenaline rush. This wasn’t good. Talba knew herself too well not to be frightened. When the fight-or-flight response set in, it took flight mode with her. She withdrew mentally, like a turtle tucking its head in its shell. She even had a word for it: She called it “turtling out”—had called it that all her life. Knew exactly what it was. Knew she couldn’t think on her feet and she might as well not try. This was way, way out of hand.
    Her breath was so uneven she could barely speak. “Look, I’ll get it for you if you’ll let me go,” she rasped. “It’s in the car.”
    Kristin dropped her hand. Thank God, Talba thought, and turned to face the other woman. At least this way she couldn’t be stabbed in the back. “Okay?” she asked, breath still coming hard.
    But it wasn’t okay. Kristin’s fury contorted her tiny triangular face so badly she resembled a gargoyle with protruding ears. “Give me the bag.”
    It was a weird thing. Kristin couldn’t have stood more than five-three nor weighed more than a hundred pounds, but at the moment, she looked six feet tall. It was like she’d stuck a bicycle pump in her mouth and blown herself up.
    Talba eased the bag off her shoulder, and opened it to show nothing but her purse—a much smaller bag—and the bound client report. “Look, you’re right. It’s your property. I could see you were upset—but I didn’t realize how upset. I was just trying to save your feelings. Go ahead and take the report.”
    Kristin’s hand crept into the bag. As soon as her fingers had closed around it and begun to slide it out, Talba jerked the bag back, turned quickly, grabbed the