Q Is for Quarry

The place's all locked up."
    "I don't know. Someone else on the cleaning crew? A lawyer working late? A building that size can't be empty."
    "For starters, there's nobody else on the crew. I'm it. And second, even if there was someone in the building, how would I know? Six floors is tough. I got a lot of ground to cover. Some lawyer's workin' late, he's not going to stop and make small talk with the likes of me. So. Nobody saw me. You'll have to take my word that I was there all night."
    "You drove all the way down here to tell me this?"
    "Hey, I could've had her alibi me, which she'd've done in a heartbeat, but I wanted to play straight."
    "Good boy. Now what?"
    "Iona thought you might put in a good word for me."
    "Frankie, come on. You know better than that. No one gives a shit what I think. My opinion carries no weight at all. It's like Iona thinking I had the clout to offer Pudgie a deal. It's ridiculous."
    "Those cops like you."
    "Sure they do, but so what? Look, I'm perfectly willing to pass the story along, but trust me, without an alibi, my big, hot endorsement won't help."
    "But you believe me?"
    "Let's put it this way; nothing would make me happier than your telling the truth. I'm sure the cops will be crazy about the idea, too."
    He dropped his cigarette and stepped on the ember with the toe of his boot. "You try, okay?"
    "I'll call Lieutenant Dolan tomorrow. Meantime, if I were you I'd get back to town before your PO gets wind of what's going on."
    "I'll do that. And thanks."
    "You're welcome."
    I closed the window and had it latched again before Frankie reached the truck. I heard the door slam and she backed out, the headlights doing a reverse angle on the draperies as she pulled away. I shook my head. What a baby. Gone was the tough guy I'd met the first time around. As for his story, I wasn't sure whether to believe him or not. Sincerity aside, he was capable of manipulation if it suited his purposes.
    In the morning, I changed rooms. There were far too many people who knew where I was and I didn't feel safe. I chose an innocuous location on the second floor in the middle of a stretch of rooms. No ice machines. No vending machines. No reason to be up there unless you were a paid motel guest. At ground level, I figured I was a sitting duck for Peeping Toms or guys with a penchant for picking locks. Up here, even if the housekeeper propped my door open for hours on end, it would take nerve for someone to climb the stairs and pretend to be wandering around lost. From the second floor I had a nice view of the parking lot. I'd left Dolan's car in a row of cars to one side so there was no way to associate the vehicle with my whereabouts.
    At 9:15, I called Dolan's house. Stacey picked up. I told him my concern that someone had entered my room and had taken a long hard look at my notes. He told me to change rooms, which I told him I'd done. He told me Dolan had left for an appointment with the cardiologist. I told him about Medora's house, the note, and Frankie's late-night visit. He told me I better watch my step and I said I would. Then he said, "What have we picked up in the way of elimination prints?"
    "We're not doing so well. Last I heard Edna had gone in, but none of the other four."
    "What's up with that? I don't like them thinking they can bypass us. Go back and threaten. Tell them it looks bad, like maybe one of them has something to hide."
    "So how's Dolan doing?"
    "He's good. I'd say good. Doing better than I thought."
    "You think the living arrangements are going to work?"
    "Jury's still out on that. I could probably do worse-though, frankly, the guy's a colossal pain in the ass. Of course, he says the same thing about me."
    "Makes you the perfect pair," I said. "Better than some of the marriages I've seen."
    "Amen to that. What's the latest down there?"
    "I haven't heard anything since I was at the Tuley-Belle last night, but I can stop by the sheriffs office and talk to Lassiter."
    "Do that and call me back. I've been trying to get in touch with him, but so far no luck. Meantime, we'll see what we can find out about Frankie's whereabouts on Friday night."
    "Great. Tell Dolan I said hi. I really miss you guys." Stacey said.
    "Ditto. And you take care of yourself."
    I retrieved Dolan's car and drove the few short blocks to the Sheriffs Department. Todd Chilton and a civilian clerk seemed to be the only ones in. He was chatting with one of the church ladies I'd seen at Edna's. She was in her