Free Safe at Home by Alison Gordon Page B

God, but this man is the son of Satan. This man is evil. I have to stop him.”
    He stopped talking, abruptly. Neither of us moved for a minute or so. Then we heard a strange, tootling noise. Andy laughed.
    “Sorry about that. I guess I’m being a little bit melodramatic. Let’s go find that blue jay.”
    “Is that what that sound is?”
    “Yeah, he’s courting. You’ve got to see this.”
    We went further down the path, towards the sound. Suddenly, he stopped and pointed.
    “There he is—nine o’clock in the tree right ahead.”
    I found the bird in my binoculars, and began to laugh. He was doing little pliés on the branch, bobbing up and down in time to the toodeloo sounds.
    “That’s supposed to turn some lady blue jay on?” I laughed. “They’ve got strange tastes.”
    “It’s irresistible,” Andy said.
    “Try me,” I said.
    He stuck his elbows out and bobbed up and down like the blue jay, his head to one side, quizzically.
    “Wanta screw? Wanta screw?”
    “Not with you. You’re out of your mind.”
    We spent an hour in the ravine. It was a nice escape. Peaceful, even. And we still made it home before the time I usually woke up.
    Andy got the first shower while I started breakfast. I put Elwy out into the garden so he wouldn’t steal bacon. By the time Andy had used up all the hot water, the table was set. We sat down to eggs, bacon, and fried tomatoes, each with a section of the paper, probably the only couple in the city in which the woman gets the sports section first. The phone rang as I started reading the box scores. That early, I didn’t think it was for me.
    I was right. When Andy got off the phone, he was all business.
    “There’s a letter for me that might be from the killer. I have to go.”
    While he was dressing, I stuck an egg and a couple of pieces of bacon between two slices of toast.
    “Don’t drip it on your tie,” I said. He gave me a quick kiss.
    “See you later. There’s a party I have to go to for one of the homicide secretaries. She’s going on maternity leave.”
    “That’s sweet.”
    “Want to come?”
    “Maybe. Call me later.”
    “Will do.”
    Elwy dashed in the open door when Andy left. We discussed the events of the day while I did the dishes.
    “I don’t know, Fatso, things are getting interesting here. First he wants me to meet his kids. Now he’s letting loose with his colleagues.”
    Andy and I had never gone out with his friends before. Partly for the same reason he’d kept me from his kids, I guess. But there was another reason, too. It went back to the Titan murders last fall. Since I had figured out the identity of the killer before Andy did, and because of what I do for a living, there had been a certain amount of ink about my detecting. This had caused Andy some grief around the shop. He had come to terms with being beaten by an amateur, but some of his colleagues still resented it, thinking it had reflected badly on the homicide squad. Threatened their manhood or something. And homicide cops are as macho as they come.
    I decided to get in to work early so I could be finished in time to mingle with the boys in blue. I also paid a little more attention than usual to my clothes. Usually on days when I’m not going to be out of the office I settle for jeans and a sweatshirt. This time I decided on one of my more elegant reporter disguises, a soft green jersey dress with quarterback shoulder pads that shows off my eyes and makes my waist look tiny.
    Why not? I might as well try to make an impression. Elwy told me I looked just fine. I gave him a handful of catnip.
    “Go crazy, chum,” I said.

Chapter 13
    “This is the sports department, boys and girls. Please be quiet so the reporters can do their work.”
    I turned in my chair and checked out the dozen or so kids standing three feet behind my desk. Most of them were managing to contain their excitement at being at the very epicentre of journalistic excellence. The guide, a woman from the