scheduled for tomorrow. The second officer is a friend of your friend.â
âHow does it look for the second officer?â
âJust common knowledge and newspaper and television coverage is all I have. And the general consensus of that is that the second officer was part of a conspiracy and things went wrong and thatâs why he got caught. Heâs already been suspended and departmental charges have been filed. According to the press, heâs guilty as sin.â
âAnd what about my other friend?â Hughes asked.
âNothing on him yet. Dropped out of sight, but we may get a lead as soon as weâre able to contact his employer. Where can I reach you, Hughes?â
âChicago. Iâll call you from there. Thanks.â He hung up, raised the receiver again as he flipped through the Rolodex, then dialed his travel agent. He hated getting gouged on airline tickets. âHello. Is Millie in yet? ⦠Right. This is Darwin Hughes. Iâll hold.â Lewis Babcock had always struck him as a crusader, and there was nothing wrong with that. âMillie? Darwin Hughes here. I need the first available flight out to Chicago. Maybe out of Athens and transfer at Charlotte? ⦠Right. Iâll need a couple of hours to get ready and get myself to Athensâ¦. Well, do the best you can. And it will be round trip, but if itâs a matter of saving a few bucks and leaving later, Iâll spend the extraâ¦. Right. Iâll hold on.â He daubed at his perspiration with the towel again.
She got him a flight and a ticket price that sounded ridiculously high, but under the circumstances he couldnât hold out for anything better. He looked at his Rolex. âYes. I can make it. But I know Iâll be running behind. Can I prevail on you for a favor, Millie? ⦠Noâ¦. Could you meet me at the airport if itâs at all possible? Meet me with the tickets?â She said she could and not to tell anybody because it might set a dangerous precedent. He doubted he knew any of her other clients anyway, gave her a credit card number and told her âThanks,â then hung up.
It wasnât even half past eight in Chicago because of the time difference and he dialed the hotel number and asked for Mr. Lewis Babcockâs room. The Hilton operator tried the room and said there was no answer. He asked for the manager, got the assistant and told her that it was urgent he speak with Mr. Babcock. It concerned a death. He held the line while a bellboy was sent up to knock on Mr. Babcockâs room door and another sent to page him in the hotel restaurants in case Mr. Babcock was having breakfast. After seven minutes, the assistant manager came back on the line and told him there had been no luck finding Mr. Babcock. Could they take a message? Hughes told her that the death was rather close to Mr. Babcock and that heâHughesâwouldnât want Mr. Babcock to hear of it from anyone but him. Then he made a reservation, giving her a credit card number; she graciously handled it all personally. He said good-bye and hung up.
The next call was to the other number. A woman, young sounding with a pretty voice, answered. âYou donât know meââ
âI wonât talk to any reportersââ
âIâm not a reporter. Iâm a friend of Lewis. He may have mentioned me. Darwin Hughes is my name. I tried Lewis at the hotel and didnât have any luck. Is he at your place?â
âNo.â
âYouâre the wife of Lewisâs policeman friend?â
âYes.â
âIs it as bad as the news media says, Mrs.ââ
âMrs. Hayes. Thelma Hayes. Ernieâs in terrible trouble, Mr. Hughes. And he wouldnât do a thing like that. Heâs been a wonderful husband and father. Heâs been honest all his life and the man they say he shot was a good friend. They were on the same bowling team, and had been partners in the