Free What You See by Ann Mullen Page B

was finished, we returned to
the office. It was starting to rain again, and I kept picturing an ominous dark
cloud hanging over all of us. For some strange reason, I had a bad, nagging
feeling of doom. It was so depressing. Did I take my Zoloft this morning? I
couldn’t remember.
    Myra and Jack retreated to Billy’s office. I watched them sign the required
contract. Jack withdrew a bulky envelope from the breast pocket of his leisure
suit and handed it to Billy.
    “This is a copy of all the information we have on Helen’s
disappearance. Myra and I own a landscaping business in Newport News . You can reach us anytime, either
there, or at home. We don’t socialize a whole lot. We’re going to spend the
night at the Ramada Inn, so if you need to talk to us, we’ll be there until
checkout time tomorrow. It’s a long drive for us to make in one day at our age,
but if you need us to, we’ll come back anytime. That is, if you come up with
anything.”
    By the time the Carroltons left, it was pouring outside.
Billy explained to me that when it rains in the mountains, like it’s been
doing, it could stop at any minute, but when it drizzles all day, it’s usually
set in—steady and non-stop. That was something to keep in mind for future
reference.
    “I’m so glad you’re going to find Helen,” I said to Billy as
he settled into his chair and started going over the papers in the envelope
Jack Carrolton had given him. “This is so sad. Is this the type of case you
handle all the time? I’ve never worked for a private investigator before, so I
have no idea what’s involved. Can you really find her? How? Where do you start
looking?”
    “I never said I would find her. I told the Carroltons I’d
try, and that’s what I’m going to do. I’m pretty good at my job. If anybody can
find her, I can. The truth is, Jesse, when it’s been this long, they usually
turn up dead, if they turn up at all. Believe me, we’ll earn our money, but it
might not be so pleasant an outcome.”
    I was surprised. I thought it was in the bag. I guess I just
don’t know how these things go. I pictured a scene where Billy and I found the
girl and saved the day, but now, that didn’t seem likely. It was a no-win
situation. If we did find the girl, chances are, she wouldn’t be alive.
    “What do you mean? Are you telling me you think she’s dead
and you didn’t tell the Carroltons?”
    “I told them the outlook wasn’t promising. You heard me tell
them. Look, here’s a detail you need to know right from the start. When people
come to me, it’s usually their last resort. They’ve done everything else.
They’re been everywhere, and there’s nothing left. They come to me because I’m
their last hope of finding an answer to whatever it is they need to ask. I’m
their last chance. Sometimes I find that answer, and sometimes I don’t. I don’t
cheat them as far as money goes. I only charge for what I do, and I give them
the best service I can.”
    “I guess there are a lot of things I need to learn about
investigating,” I replied as I began collecting the cups and leftover dishes
from earlier.
    “Don’t worry about it. You’ll learn as you go along.” He
reached into his jacket and retrieved the check from the Carroltons. “Take this
check and log it in on the computer, and also write it in the black book you’ll
find in the top right-hand drawer of your desk. If you have any problems with
the computer just yell. When you’ve finished that, bring me the check. I have a
zip-bag in my desk drawer where I keep money and checks. Oh, and print out a
receipt for the check and mail it to the Carroltons. I forgot to give them one.
Here’s their address.” He wrote the information down on a notepad and handed it
to me. “By the way, you did pretty well today. I didn’t know what to expect,
considering this is all new to you.”
    “I didn’t know what to expect either,” I said.
    “You did fine. I saw something in you when we