That same quality of innocence took the edge off her conceit, too. She was pleased with her good looks, but not obnoxious about it.
Anyway, after lunch we went back to bed, and then after while I did something that was very, very stupid.
I fell asleep.
Chapter 31
Voices woke me.
I sat up, startled. Startled to hear voices. Startled to find I’d fallen asleep.
It was dark in the room. That startled me, too. Where was the sunlight? This morning and afternoon, sunlight had filtered in through the semi-sheer curtains. Where was it now? I got out of bed, went to the window, parted the curtains. Darkness.
Also known as night.
Meanwhile, the voices were continuing. A male voice. And Sue Ann’s voice. Seemed to be coming from the living room, which was down the hall, down a brief flight of steps to the lower part of the split level. I could make out no words. Just Sue Ann’s voice and a male voice.
A low, rumbling, mature-sounding male voice. An older man’s voice.
Damn!
Her father?
That couldn’t be her father, could it?
I decided to put on my clothes.
I decided also to make the bed.
Then I went to the dresser and pulled the chair out and sat down and tried to think.
I had fallen asleep. Okay. An idiotic thing to do, but understandable. I’d had little or no sleep the night before. I’d spent the morning getting caught up in a situation that became ever more taxing with each turn of the screw.
So I had dozed off. But for how long?
A clock on Sue Ann’s dresser answered my question: it was a quarter after eight.
Which meant I’d slept for around seven hours.
Seven hours! I felt numb at the thought. I felt like passing out, but I couldn’t allow myself the luxury: it might be another seven hours before I came out of it!
I wondered what had happened while I was asleep.
I wondered what Wheat was up to. I wondered how Elam had made out as a fill-in cook. I wondered how well Hopp had managed to disappear into a bingo game that I assumed must’ve otherwise consisted of little old ladies.
I wondered if anyone had discovered the people tied up in the bank.
I wondered if one of those people belonged to the deep male voice talking to Sue Ann down in the bowels of the house.
I wondered if they let you play cards in prison.
Footsteps.
The door opened.
Sue Ann.
She was wearing a scoop-neck calico blue tee-shirt top, and snug-fitting blue jeans. She looked cute and sexy and a little tired.
She smiled and came over and gave me a kiss. Not a hot one this time. Just a hello kiss.
She said, “I see you’re up and dressed. And you made the bed, too. I bet you heard me talking to Uncle Phil and got scared, didn’t you! Don’t be such a silly. Come on down and say hi.”
“Do you, uh, think that’s wise?”
“My uncle doesn’t care what I do with my boy friends, silly. He’s very hip. But, heck, you know that. I mean, you’ve met him before.”
“I have?”
“He told me so, when I mentioned you were here. He seemed delighted. He’s waiting downstairs to see you.”
“Sue Ann, I have never met your uncle.”
“Look, I’ve already figured out how you found out about me, if you’re still trying to keep that a secret.”
“I’m really not following this at all, Sue Ann.”
“Hey, now, don’t be mad at Uncle Phil for telling on you. He didn’t say a word. I figured it out myself.”
“You did?”
“Sure! When I found out you’d been to his house, I knew why you’d gone over there. I knew you looked Uncle Phil up so you could find out about me. So now I know, and you’re afraid some of the romance has gone out of it, right? Don’t be silly. And don’t pout! I’d have made you tell me yourself, sooner or later.”
“Really, Sue Ann, I...”
“Come on,” she said, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the chair. “He’s waiting to say hi. Come on!”
I gave up. I offered absolutely no resistance, and let her lead me down the hall, down the steps, into the living room. Where a heavy-set man was rising off the sofa and extending a hand. He was not a good-looking man. He had a little head on his big body, a receding hairline, bulging eyes, wide mouth. He was wearing the same yellow shirt and tan shorts he’d been wearing the day I met him at his home.
“Well, well!” DeKalb’s Chief of Police said, cheerfully. “If it isn’t my little girl’s favorite reception guest!”
Chapter 32
There was no time to be surprised or shocked or anything. Besides, by this point I was pretty well used to having the worst happen. And I guessed this must be the worst yet.
“So you’ve taken a shine to my little niece, huh?” the Chief (or Uncle Phil, as Sue Ann thought of him) said. “Can’t say as I blame you. Tell me, if you marry her, are you going to have the reception at the Holiday Inn?” And he laughed boisterously.
I laughed too, but I’m afraid mine was more along the lines of hysterical.
Neither Sue Ann nor her uncle caught that, however, and the Chief put a hand on my shoulder and said, “You look a little worried, son. I hope it’s not because of me.”
I said, “Well, uh...”
Sue Ann said, “Why should he be worried because of you, Uncle Phil?”
The Chief said, “I’m an officer of the law, honey, and he’s afraid I might interfere with what he’s doing here.” My knees began to knock. Knees really can do that, you know.
Sue Ann said, “I don’t get you, Uncle Phil.”
“Kitchen here does,” the Chief said, and winked at me, and punched my arm playfully. “But don’t you worry, son. I don’t have any jurisdiction here. I’m just another Wynning boy come home to roost for the big celebration. Sue Ann’s dad and me are great-great nephews of the man who founded this little town. We never actually lived here, of course, but like a lot of people named Wynning scattered here and there around the countryside, we make a thing of getting here for the annual Founder’s Day blow-out. Sue Ann’s dad always wanted to retire to here, and I guess he has at that. Anyway, frankly, I think what you’re here for’ll be great for the town. Terrific publicity, what with all the reporters around.” And he narrowed his eyes conspiratorially and said, “Just don’t get caught.”
“Uh... uh, I’ll do my best, sir,” I said. I wasn’t sure I was hearing this. Why on earth would the DeKalb Police Chief want to help me get away with robbing a bank? Was he crazy, or was it me? Or both of us? Or was I still sleeping up in Sue Ann’s canopy bed?
He punched me on the arm again. I wasn’t asleep. He grinned and said, “Well, I hate to run, but it’s well after eight, and the big watermelon-eating contest is at eight-thirty, and I don’t want to miss that. See you kids later. And Sue Ann?”
“Yes, Uncle Phil?”
“You give your daddy hell when he gets home tonight, for skipping out today. Isn’t like him to miss Founder’s Day. And I thought he was supposed to be taking it easy these days. What’s he running around the countryside on business for, anyhow? The mercenary so-and-so.”