PI On A Hot Tin Roof

week. I’m mos’ the sole support of the family right now.” Talba could hear the anguish in her voice. She was pretty sure Alberta was crying.
    And she was also on a roll. “Bad enough I got to clean that great big house without any help. Least one day a week he send me out to that filthy old marina he own—smell like a sewer. Ain’t even safe there; kid was killed there a while back. Sometimes I think that man the devil hisself.”
    Hello,
Talba thought.
A kid was killed there. Angie didn’t mention that.
“It’s none of my business, but why don’t you just quit and get a different job?”
    “When I’m gon’ look?”
    Okay, this was it. Talba prayed she wouldn’t blow it. “You know what? This could be your lucky day. What about if I said I’d do your job for you for two weeks while you look? I’ll pay what your present employer pays, plus a big bonus. Let’s say five hundred dollars?”
    “Why you doin’ this?” Alberta’s voice was charged with suspicion. “Who are you?”
    “Take it easy, now, Alberta. You just take it real easy. My name’s Sandra and I’m somebody who doesn’t like Judge Champagne any better than you do.”
    “Oooooh, I’m in a heap of shit! Whatchoo tryin’ to do to me?”
    “I’m trying to help you. You said—”
    “Call me up, tell me ya somebody ya not. Get me to say things…”
    “I
know
my mama could get you a better job. People are always asking her to work when she can’t. She’s got a great reputation, but only so much time.”
    “I got
a family
to support!” The other woman rang off.
    And Talba felt like an idiot. What to do now? She drove home slowly, moodily, trying to think her way out of it. There
was
a way—and she knew exactly what it was. But it involved manipulating someone a lot more savvy than Alberta Williams—at least where Talba was concerned.
    She found Miz Clara with her wig off and her slippers on, rocking and watching the news. “They want to build a new City Hall, baby. Whatchoo think o’ that?”
    “About time. That horrible building’s probably why all the bureaucrats have such bad attitudes.”
    “Mmm mmm. Tha’s a three-dollar word if I ever heard one, but I take ya point.” She pronounced it “pernt,” the same as Eddie did. He even said “New Erlins” when he wasn’t being extra careful; Miz Clara never did that.
    “Mama, I got a problem.”
    Miz Clara was instantly suspicious, whereas it had taken Alberta ten minutes to get to the same place. “Since when ya bring ya problems to ya ol’ mama?” But she was pleased to be consulted. Talba could tell by the “ol’ mama” part.
    “I was trying to get an undercover job and I scared the lady away. See, I need to get into somebody’s house for a couple of weeks. This lady works there, but she hates her job, so I offered her money to give it to me while she looks for a new one. I don’t know why, but she went all hinky on me.”
    “What’s ‘hinky’?”
    “That’s what the cops say when their snitches get nervous.”
    “Hinky! Lord, Lord, I’m gon’ remember that one. ’Most as good as ‘break a leg.’” Talba had taught her to say this before her performances; it never failed to crack her mother up. “What this lady do?”
    “What you do. Cleans his house.”
    Her mother let out a whoop. “Whoooeee! Sandra Wallis, you gon’ go cleanin’ some cracker’s house? Miz Clara’s little buppie girl?” Talba had taught her “buppie” also. “Oh, lordy, this I gotta see.” She cackled like a witch. “Oh, yeah, I gotta see this with my own old eyes. Now
that
one’s worth the price of admission.”
    “Does that mean you’ll help me?”
    “Well, I don’t know. Depends if any harm’s gon’ come to that poor woman.”
    “No, ma’am, it’s not. The worst that can happen is she doesn’t find a job in two weeks.”
    “Oh, I can find her a job. Ain’ no problem there. Whatchoo gon’ do in that house? Anything to make ya mama ’shamed o’ ya?”
    “Mama! Eddie’s sending me. Would Eddie do something unethical?” Miz Clara had a lot more faith in Eddie than in Talba, and her daughter knew in her heart that if either of them knew about some of her methods, she’d get fired by one and disowned by the other, not necessarily in that order.
    “Guess not,” Miz Clara said. “This a Christian lady we talkin’ about?”
    Talba nodded. “First Evangelical Baptist.”
    Miz Clara thought about it. “Antoinette Boiseau go to First