“Barner? Barner?” She wadded her napkin and threw it on the table. “Why are you talking crazy to me?” She brought her hands to her face.
“I’m just telling you what Loraine told me.”
“Then she lied to you, none of it’s true. What do you have to do with it anyway? Get this, I didn’t send you any text, nobody raped me, I have nothing to do with Loraine, and she has nothing to do with me. She’s definitely not a friend. We like it that way. Furthermore, I think you’re sick. Go. Leave. Now.”
This can’t be true. Loraine told him she saw Tammy suffering and said Norma Martin was there too. Someone’s lying. He had to press it. “Take off your sunglasses.”
“You’re weird and I’m out of here.” She shoved her teacup aside and stood.
He also stood. “Not yet, please humor me. Just take off your sunglasses and then I’ll go.”
She shrugged and propped her sunglasses up on her hair, put her hands on her hips and leaned forward challenging him with mock wide eyes. What he saw was an unblemished face with perfect skin and warm blue eyes, which at that moment were dilated with anger.
All at once, the situation became clear to him. He nearly collapsed into his chair. Loraine had lied. That whole routine in the motel room meant—what? There was no rape. She must have had some other reason for shooting Barner. “Oh, God I’m so sorry. Please sit back down. What have I done?”
He was there embarrassing this poor woman for no reason at all. He had no defense, no excuse. In a low voice, “I believe you and I apologize. Will you help me? Do you even know this Barner? Have you ever dated him?”
She sat down still agitated. “Do you know what fat chance means? He’s the town bug man, not that there’s anything wrong with that. The man might be okay, but definitely not socializing material. How did he get into this anyway? You say he’s dead? Anything else? How about those space ships you’ve seen? And those CIA agents who are gathered in town ready to launch their sinister plot? Can I leave and go back to the real world now?”
“I deserved that, I truly don’t know what’s going on.” Either she was lying or Loraine had lied to him. Neither possibility made any sense.
“You know you can check your phone to see where that text came from. Are you the one lying?”
“I did check, but the origin didn’t mean anything to me.”
“You have colossal nerve to come here without even knowing me and laying all this on me. What sort of man are you?”
“I’m an idiot, but I didn’t come here intending any harm. I should have checked it out somehow and never approached you. Believe me Tammy.” There was no sign she was softening. “I know you can’t wait to get out of here. One more question before you leave, are you friends with Norma Martin?”
“What’s she got to do with this?”
“Loraine said the three of you are friends.”
“Really getting strange now. She owns the Jardin Café west of town. She’s Cuban-American from up north somewhere. I had the real estate listing for the restaurant for a full year yet I couldn’t move it. In the end, she bought it through another agent. I didn’t make a dime. I’ve never even met her.”
“Another of Loraine’s lies. I wish I’d never gone to that party.”
“It was kind of cool of you to be so unconcerned about a woman’s age and leave with her. No one can accuse you of robbing the cradle.”
“I figured she was a little older. At first, I thought she might be as old as fifty. Then I got up close and started thinking sixty. Then Towson said she’s seventy something. Aren’t seventy-year-olds supposed to just read books and play bridge?”
“Towson ought to know, he was married to her.”
“What?”
“Sure. Back awhile, before he was mayor. Her maiden name was Dellin. They met at a Mensa meeting. How’s that for classy dating?”
“Married huh? How’d she ever get in Mensa?”
“You keep implying she’s dumb. She must be playing with you. Loraine is smart and sophisticated. You’re really out of it, you know. For a minute there I started to think somehow you might be a nice, harmless guy.”
“Help me, Tammy. Why is she doing this to me?”
“When did she tell you all this?”
“This morning.”
“You were with her this morning—where?”
He hesitated and dropped his eyes. “Well, actually we were at a motel.”
She raised her eyebrows at that. “This just keeps getting better and better. And you want my help.”
“We just talked. I was enjoying an innocent Saturday morning at home when she phoned asking for help. I went over. I had nothing to do with any of this until she phoned.” He leaned closer. “Is it possible Loraine is the one who was raped? That could be it. She didn’t want me to know, but she’s calling out for help. She was hiding her bruises with her sunglasses. That’s why she didn’t want the lights on in her motel room.”
“Or to hide her wrinkles. So you two were just talking in the dark, both fully dressed at all times, of course. You’re one sad case. Does what you just said make any sense to you? Let me tell you, Sonny Barner is no match for her. If he ever accosted her, she'd aim that death ray look of hers at him until he started shaking, then with a snap of her fingers he’d dissolve down into a slippery, greasy spot.”
“She seemed so defenseless, like she needed help.”
“Loraine hasn’t been helpless since she started changing her own diapers. Then again, maybe she had some other reason for shooting Barner—if in fact she did. Anyway, it’s not your concern. Get out of it.”
“I thought I could straighten it out. I’m going back and confront her now. She has to explain all this. I gave her a deadline of three o’clock to get a lawyer, but I won’t wait that long if she’s been lying to me.” He glanced at his watch again.
“What do you mean deadline? What are you talking about?”
“I told her I’d hold off going to the police about the shooting until three. It’s after one now.”
“Wait, wait, wait, you’re not going to the police. You are not going to the police.” She put the palms of her hands on the table and leaned toward him. “Haven’t you ruined my life enough for one day? Have you told anyone about my supposed rape?”
“No!”
She raised her voice, “Are you certain? I don’t want to be the victim in any gossip. Any such rumors could ruin my reputation and my business. Were you so crude as to discuss it with Towson?”
“No, swear to God. I was careful not to mention it to him.”
“You absolutely are not going to the police.” Now she was furious, her voice was firm and sharp, “Get this straight, if you mention one word of this malicious story to anyone, including the police—especially the police. I’ll sue you for defamation, or whatever I can come up with. Do you have any idea what’s at stake here? I get into big money real estate deals, people have to trust me. I live on my spotless reputation. It took me years to get where I am. Any little hint of impropriety could ruin me in a minute. You can’t go to the police. Loraine probably made all this up anyway.”
“But possibly she did murder him, and if I don’t go to the police then I’m on the spot as a criminal accessory.” But he knew Tammy was correct. The police would interview her whether it’s true or not. She’d be embarrassed and that would be the least of her worries. The story was too good not to leak out.
“Thanks a lot, buddy.” She was silent for some time. She took a sip of her tea. She folded her arms and stared out the window for a full minute then back at Ray, studying his face carefully. Then another sip of tea. He wondered if she wanted him to just get up and leave.