Free Muller, Marcia - [McCone 04] Games to Keep the Dark Away (v.1,shtml) Page B

man."
    "But—"
    "I don't know him well, and I don't know anything more about
The Tidepools. And, besides, what has Keller got to do with Janie's
death?"
    "Nothing, as far as I know," I admitted. We finished our
breakfast in silence. When I left, Don accompanied me downstairs,
tossing off a few comments about some new stereo equipment he was
going to take a look at. I got into my car and he squatted down so he
could look through the window at me. "Listen, even under the
circumstances, I've enjoyed meeting you. Come back, okay?"
    "I'd like to."
    "I'll make you veal parmigiana."
    "Sounds great."
    "My lasagna's not bad either."
    "You've got a deal."
    "I don't usually talk too much."
    "I guessed that."
    He paused, then squeezed my arm and walked over to an antique
Jaguar parked at the curb. It was painted a gauche disc-jockey gold.
He got in, started it up, and roared past me, waving.
    I liked Don Del Boccio. He was bright and funny and had the kind
of good looks that had always attracted me. And right now I wished I
were next to him in the gaudy Jaguar, taking a long top-down ride up
the coast. Instead, I would have to go back to my motel and try once
again to contact Abe Snelling.

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9
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    Before
calling Snelling I checked with Lieutenant Barrow.
He told me they had located John Cala sleeping off a drunk in the
parking lot of a bar near the waterfront. The fisherman claimed he'd
found Jane's body and then panicked, but Barrow was skeptical of his
story.
    "What I wonder is why he went out there in the first place,"
he said. "He claims he was just taking a look around, but
there's nothing on that pier, nothing around it."
    "Have you established the approximate time of death?" I
asked.
    "Within an hour of when you found her."
    "Could it have been less than fifteen minutes?"
    "I doubt it."
    "Why?"
    "You said in your statement that the body was cool - when you
touched it. Even though she was lying half in the water, it's
unlikely she would have cooled that much in fifteen minutes. No, I'd
say the time of death was closer to an hour before you found her."
    "Then Cala probably didn't kill her. I forgot to tell you
this last night, but I saw him in Rose's Crab Shack about fifteen
minutes before I went out on the pier. He was there, at the counter,
and he left as soon as I came in. But he didn't look scared or
upset—not like he did when I saw him running away from the
pier."
    "How come you waited until now to tell me this?"
    "In all the excitement I just forgot. I'm sorry."
    "Hmmm." There was a pause. "Anybody else in the
Crab Shack then?"
    "Just the old man behind the counter. He'll verify what I've
told you; we even spoke briefly about Cala."
    "Thanks. I'll check it out." From what I'd observed of
Barrow, he'd be on it right away. He was a seasoned cop, professional
as any big-city investigator.
    "Is it okay for me to leave Port San Marco?" I asked.
    "You heading back to San Francisco?"
    "Yes. My job here seems to be done."
    "Well, go ahead. I know where to find you if I need you."
    I hung up and sat, once more contemplating the crack in the wall.
Cala was telling the truth about not killing Jane, but why
had
he gone out on the old pier? I'd have liked to know, but then, it
really wasn't any of my concern. The police would get it out of him.
I picked up the phone again, hoping Snelling would be at home.
    The photographer answered on the first ring. "It's about time
you called," he said.
    "I tried to, last night and then again this morning. You
didn't answer."
    "Oh. Of course."
    "Where were you?"
    "In the darkroom."
    "All night?"
    "No, of course not. But I like to work in there late at
night, and I unplug the phone so if it rings I won't hear it and be
tempted to interrupt my work and answer. And I leave it unplugged
until I get up, usually around eleven in the morning. What do you
have to report?"
    "I'm afraid I have bad news." Quickly I told him about
Jane's death.
    There was a long silence. It stretched