Part Four

He Said

The following Monday afternoon, Dan rode past Ten Acres at about four o’clock, in the opposite direction to which he had seen the man arrive. As Trixie’s information had led nowhere, all hope was now resting on him. He hoped that, if his guess was correct, he would pass the man along the way somewhere and recognise his car. If he was extremely lucky, he might even identify the man’s workplace, but he thought that was wishful thinking and refused to entertain the idea.

He entered Sleepyside without any sign of the man and had to take a guess as to which direction to take. He turned down a street at random and rode around for a few minutes, just looking for the car. When enough time had elapsed that he was sure the opportunity had passed, he circled around and headed back to Ten Acres.

As he neared, he saw the car a good way ahead. This confirmed his impression that his first guess had been wrong. He slowed down so that the man might not see him if he got out, but the blue car kept moving. Dan let him go, instead stopping at Ten Acres in the hope of finding Jim. He did not have to search far.

“Any luck?”

Dan waved a hand back and forth. “I’ve narrowed my search area a little.” He thought for a moment. “Actually, I think I’ve narrowed my search area a lot. He drove by here just now, but didn’t stop. I think that means that it’s on the way from where he’s from to where he’s going, and not a detour.”

Jim nodded. “Okay. I guess that’s something.”

“What’s wrong?” Dan asked, picking up some other note in Jim’s voice.

The other man shrugged. “Nothing, really. Just more of the same.”

For reasons he could not explain, Dan did not believe him. He let the matter go and changed the subject.

“So, how are things around here?”

Jim looked surprised. “Fine. Better than fine. Work’s progressing well – much faster than expected, really. I’ve been lucky.”

Dan thought he sounded more sad than grateful, but did not press the point. They talked for a short time longer, then he made his excuses and left. He glanced back as he did so and saw Jim watching the activity at the site with slumped shoulders. Something was definitely wrong.

She Said

Frustration was building in Di with every passing day. She knew that things back home were not going well, but she could do very little about it. As much as she thought that the choices she had made were best for her, they seemed to have been the worst ones for her friends. She wanted to make things better for someone, but the distance was limiting her options. She cast her mind across the range of problems being faced, chose one and decided to think of a plan to help. In her last conversation with Dan, he had mentioned a particular situation and its likely result and she had agreed that he was right. They had bounced a few ideas around, but nothing had been decided. After a short amount of time, she came to the conclusion that she might be able to help but she needed an ally.

Getting out her address book, she searched for an entry which had been crossed out. She dialled the number and waited for it to be answered. As soon as she heard the voice on the other end of the line, she knew that she had reached the right person.

“Is that Indira?” she enquired. “My name is Diana and I’m a friend of Brian’s. I was wondering if you’d be able to help me with something.”

“Sure,” the other woman answered easily. “What do you have in mind?”

Di paused a moment to gather her thoughts. “Well, Dan and I – you’ve spoken to Dan before, haven’t you?” Receiving an answer in the affirmative, she continued, “We think that Brian’s mother is going to drive him insane if we don’t get him out of her house soon, but he hasn’t got a job at the moment, or anywhere else to live and – well, I don’t know how much he told you, but he’s kind of at a loss at the moment as to what to do with his life. So, what we’re looking for is some ideas on physically undemanding jobs that he could do while he decides on a way forward.”

“Hmm… I have kind of an idea,” Indira mused, “but I’ll need to check it out. Can I get back to you, or should I talk to him directly?”

Di gave her both phone numbers. “Maybe you shouldn’t tell him that I gave you the one for Crabapple Farm,” she decided. “If he asks, I guess you could say that you got it through Dan – since I heard about you through Dan and you got that number from me.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Indira replied. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Di thanked her and they ended the conversation. She looked down at the phone for a few moments, wishing that there was something she could do about some of the other problems. Nothing was coming to mind, however, so she turned away. It felt better to do something, but still, the worry and frustration remained. She was afraid that this tension would never end and that she might come to regret her move. With a heavy heart, Di turned her attention to matters closer to hand.

He Said

Brian walked away from the house at a slow and steady pace, being careful of where he was going and not taking much notice of anything else. He knew that he needed to be more active, but the effort often left him sore and irritable, so he would put it off. He was in the midst of some very negative thoughts along this line when he became aware that he was not alone.

“I was wondering when we might meet,” the man mentioned, in a light tone. “I thought you and I might have some things to discuss.”

Brian looked him up and down and came to a conclusion. “You’re the man who tried to blackmail Jim, aren’t you?”

The man looked offended. “No. Blackmail is a crime. I wouldn’t do something like that. He and I were… discussing some items of mutual interest.”

“I don’t have any money.” Brian’s tone was blunt and he looked the man in the eye. “You won’t have any luck with me.”

“Who says I was looking for money?” he answered, looking rather shaken. “I just thought we could discuss a few things.”

“Well, you’re out of luck,” Brian informed him. “It won’t do you any good to know my secrets because they’re already out. I’ve told my family and friends already. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I would like to continue my walk.”

He left the man standing there, a look of discontent on his face. At the edge of his hearing, Brian thought he heard a whispered curse. A faint smile crossed his face. One good thing, at least, had come from his decision to unburden himself a little: he had removed himself from that man’s power. He only wished he could do the same for his friends.

She Said

“Finally!” Honey breathed, when her call was answered by a real, live person. “I thought I’d never find anyone to talk to.”

Diana giggled. “I thought you would be with Joshie. Don’t you talk to him?”

“Of course,” Honey answered, “but he’s not much of a conversationalist and, anyway, he’s sleeping. I wanted some girl-talk and Trixie’s still at work and you haven’t been answering. I thought, maybe, you might be out with Eric.”

“No, I’m not.” There was a resigned note in Di’s voice. “It’s kind of difficult at the moment.”

“You’re not having problems, are you? Oh, Di! I’m sorry.”

“It’s not like that. I was just feeling a bit sorry for myself. We were supposed to be going out tonight, but then I had to stay late at work and, by the time I was finished, something had gone wrong on his big project that he’s working on, and he had to go back in, and so now I’m waiting for him to get finished.” She sighed. “I don’t think we’ll end up going out at this rate.”

“Well, I’ll keep you company while you wait,” Honey offered, “and you can help me remember what it’s like to talk to adults, okay?”

“Deal. So, what’s happening with you?”

Honey sighed. “I take care of the baby. I kiss Mart goodbye in the morning. In the afternoon, I kiss him hello. We eat. We fall into bed and sleep. Every so often, Dan drops by or phones. And, more often, one or other set of grandparents descends and showers Joshie with attention; sometimes, they remember to speak to me, too. This is the full extent of my life!”

A short pause ensued. “Aren’t you happy?

Once more, Honey sighed. “Yes and no. I never realised how lonely it would be to stay home with a baby. And everyone else seems to be having adventures, while I’m kind of left out.”

“I’m feeling left out of the adventure, too,” Di admitted. “It seems so far away and I can’t take time off work, so I’m stuck here, when I really want to be helping with this. I’m sure that you’re getting close to the answer, but I don’t get to be a part of it.”

“You have your own adventure,” Honey pointed out.

“And so do you,” Di replied. “Yours just doesn’t happen to be a mystery, and neither does mine.”

Honey thought about this for a moment and decided that it was true. “I’d better stop feeling sorry for myself. So, take my mind off my pity party. What news do you have?”

They went on to discuss Di’s workplace, her last date with Eric and the friendships she was trying to establish.

“Oh, wait. Eric’s here,” she told Honey some time later. Honey heard her kiss him hello and tell him how tired he looked and how good the food he had brought smelled. “I’ve got to go, Hon. I’ll talk to you again soon.”

They said their goodbyes and Honey put the phone down. She felt better for the conversation, but still could not help feeling a little wistful. An investigation was underway and she had very little part in it. She thought that she had better get used to it, as the situation was not likely to change.

He Said

On Wednesday afternoon, Dan set out earlier on his search. He had a little extra time and was determined to finish this business if at all possible. He had also searched the day before, without success. Beginning at three-fifteen, he rode a circuit around his target area and had soon located the blue Ford. It was parked in a lot that serviced the employees of a number of businesses. The customer parking was around the corner and rather better maintained.

Taking a chance that the man was too busy to be keeping watch over his car, Dan parked his bike and sauntered past the vehicle in question. He peeked in through the windows, noting that the interior was messy, with papers and fast food wrappers strewn everywhere. On the back seat lay a blue button-down shirt similar to one that Dan had seen the man wear in the past.

He kept walking, looking for somewhere from which he could keep watch without being obvious. He found a place next to a low wall where piles of discarded cartons were stacked and sat down to wait. Time passed. A few employees drove away and some others arrived. At just after four o’clock, the back door of one business opened and a number of employees exited, all wearing camel-brown shirts with a logo embroidered on them. One of them walked over to the blue car and stripped off his shirt. He opened the rear door and took out the blue shirt, then put it on. When the buttons were done up, he got into the driver’s seat and drove away.

Dan glanced down at the digital camera he held and flicked through the photos he had taken. A slow smile crossed his face. He now knew quite a bit more than he knew before.

His next stop was Honey and Mart’s place, where he knew that he could find a decent printer. Honey would most probably be home, but he stopped on his way to call ahead and check. She was eager to see what he had come up with and urged him to hurry over.

“You’re finally here,” she greeted when he arrived on her doorstep. He had not even reached the door, let alone knocked on it. “Come in, come in.”

He followed her inside, tickling her son a little as he did so. Josh was perched on Honey’s hip and his baby-blue eyes were following Dan’s every move.

“So, what did you get?” Honey asked, as she closed the front door. “You saw something we can use?”

“I think so,” Dan answered. “I know where he’s working. I got a few shots of him leaving.”

Honey held out a hand to take the camera, but Josh held out a hand, too. “Swap?” she suggested.

Dan took the baby and at the same time handed over the camera. Honey soon had it hooked up to the computer and was reviewing the photographs. She gasped aloud when she came to the one Dan had taken when the man had his shirt off. His back was directly to the camera.

“That tattoo!” Honey cried. “Oh! Can I zoom it in?”

She enlarged the picture as far as she could, without it becoming grainy. For several long moments, she stared at it, transfixed. An elaborate snake wound its way around his back. Several bulges indicated that it had eaten. On his left shoulder was the snake’s head, its mouth wide open and ready to devour a disproportionately small, ground-dwelling bird. At last, she turned to Dan.

“I guess that’s supposed to be a Bob-White, isn’t it? What do you think it means?”

Dan looked into her eyes and saw worry there, which he was sure was reflected in his own. “Nothing good, I’m sure.”

She nodded. “Well, there’s one good thing about this. I think I know how to get his name. Leave it with me and I’ll make a couple of calls.”

She copied all of the photographs onto the hard drive, then disconnected the camera.

“Can I get a couple of them printed out, while I’m here?” Dan asked.

“Of course,” she answered. “As many as you like.”

He selected the images to print and in a few minutes picked up the small stack.

“Thanks, Honey. I’ll be in touch.”

“Be careful,” she urged him.

He nodded. “You, too.”

She Said

Later that evening, after arriving home from work, Trixie was surprised to receive a visit from Dan.

“I’m glad, at least, that someone wants to talk to me,” she told him, while pulling him inside her apartment. “I think this job is going to drive me insane! I hardly ever get to talk to anyone.”

“I have some things I wanted you to take a look at,” he explained, “and I thought you’d like to hear the latest news.”

Trixie nodded at the papers he held. “So long as you don’t want me to file them, that’s great. What do you have?”

“First, let me tell you how I got them,” he replied, then proceeded to describe the events since the last time they talked.

“So, you got some good shots?” she asked, when he finished his narrative.

“Take a look,” he offered, handing over the prints he had made at Honey’s place. “What do you think of these?”

Trixie took them and began to study them, one at a time. She paused when she came to the one showing the man’s bare back, her eyes narrowing.

“It gives me the creeps, to be honest,” Dan admitted. “I keep wondering what he means by it and I can’t think of any way to interpret it other than the obvious.”

She nodded. “Who else has seen these?”

“Just Honey, so far.” He let out a breath. “She was real interested in that shot, too.”

A wry smile curved Trixie’s lips. “You can bet she wasn’t just interested in ogling his body, either.”

Dan frowned. “Considering the trouble this guy has caused…”

“I’m not ogling him, either,” she interrupted, “but I’d say he’s been working out, wouldn’t you?”

He took the photo from her and considered it for a moment. “Yeah, a bit. He’s not carrying any extra weight, but that might just be a high metabolism.”

She shivered. “I wonder how long he’s had that tattoo. It kind of makes you wonder what he was thinking, all that time that Mr. Englefield had him spying on us.”

Dan’s expression hardened. “He was thinking about how to get money out of us – not that it would help to try getting money out of me.”

“Me and my brothers either,” she answered, with a faint smile. “The others, though… He must have thought he could make it big on them.”

“So, why hasn’t he made more of an attempt on Di?” Dan wondered. “Or Honey, for that matter. So far as I know, he’s tried nothing on her.”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course not! Honey is squeaky clean. She hasn’t ever done anything in her life to be ashamed of and he knows it. There’s nothing to attempt with Honey, other than kidnap her outright, and I don’t think he’d go that far.”

Dan nodded. “I guess so. I have to wonder about Di, though.”

“Well, it’s good that she’s so far away. I doubt he’ll be able to try anything – he’s stuck here, isn’t he?”

“Yeah. For the moment. When his parole ends… well, we’re back to square one, then.” He grimaced. “I’d bet he’s making plans for that time right now.”

“And they won’t be pretty, either,” she added. “We’ve got to do something about this, Dan. I just don’t know how to stop him.”

“Neither do I,” Dan answered. “Without evidence…”

“I think I liked it better when we were teenagers,” Trixie grumbled. “It was a whole lot easier back then.”

Dan only nodded.

He Said

“Brian! There’s a telephone call for you!” his mother called through the house.

“I’ve got it,” he answered, after picking up the extension.

He heard the click, then greeted the caller.

“It’s Indira,” she informed him. “I heard of something that might interest you and thought I’d call and let you know about it.”

He frowned in confusion. “How did you know I was here?”

“Through Dan. So, are you interested in hearing about it, or not?” She did not pause long enough for him to answer. “A friend of mine knows someone who’s looking for an assistant and, from what she tells me, I think you’d be a good choice.”

“What sort of assistant?” he wondered. “I do have some limitations, you understand.”

“Yes, and you have even more scruples,” she answered. “It’s a perfectly legitimate business, that I don’t think even you can find anything to object to. It’s someone who does remedial massage and that sort of thing.”

“I’m not sure–”

“Just write the details down, will you?” she interrupted. “There’s nothing fishy about it. I’m not about to send you somewhere that practices alternate medicine, or that rejects conventional medicine. I know that you’re still committed to that kind of thing.”

“Okay,” he conceded and picked up a pencil. “I’m ready when you are.”

She dictated a name and number to him, along with the name of the business. “Now, off you go and check it out on the internet, or call whatever contacts you have, or whatever it is that you think that you need to do before you apply for a job.”

He grunted in annoyance. “I didn’t say I was going to apply.”

“I’ll know if you don’t,” she warned. “Don’t let yourself be eaten up with self-pity, Brian. You’ve still got a lot of things that other people would love to have. Your life isn’t over.”

This time, he sighed. “Sometimes it feels like it is.”

“Well, it’s not.” Her tone was final. “Now, get on with it, will you?

For a moment, he hesitated, but then came to the conclusion that he had nothing to lose. “Fine. I’ll check it out.”

“And you’ll apply for the job?”

“I might,” he answered, “provided the results of my investigations are satisfactory.”

“They will be,” she promised. “I’m sure this would be a good job for you.”

“Thanks,” he replied, in a soft voice. “I didn’t expect you to be looking out for me… but, it’s a welcome surprise.”

“No trouble at all,” she told him, in her usual cheerful tones. “Talk to you soon!”

She Said

Until she had seen the photograph, Trixie had given up on the idea of a quick trip to Kentucky. Having seen the evidence of the man’s hatred of their group, she jumped at the chance of going when the call came through from Mr. Wheeler’s personal assistant to say that there was a seat free for her on his plane. She did not have a clear plan, but hoped that something would present itself when she got there. She spent the flight trying to think of a strategy, since none of the plane’s other occupants were known to her and none of them seemed inclined to talk.

On arrival, she picked up a rental car and started driving. Her first stop was at Lucius Englefield’s old house, which she now owned. She intended to stay there to save on costs, but first needed to make sure that there was somewhere to stay. The house was sometimes used for storage by the foundation which she had started with the bequest. She used her key to let herself in and was relieved to find the place habitable. She dropped her bag in the room she intended to use, stuck a sign on the door to say that she was using it and headed back to the car.

After a few minutes thought, she turned in the direction of one of the few people she knew in town, Lucius Englefield’s trustee, Steve Hosking. He had given her his home address and phone number when he retired. As she arrived on his doorstep, she considered that it would have been polite to call ahead, but decided to follow through on the impulse anyway.

“Trixie!” he greeted, on opening the door. “It’s lovely to see you. Come in.”

She began an apology for the lack of notice, but he waved it away, saying, “Not at all.”

“I don’t know if you know the answer to my questions,” she began, “but I thought I would start with you and see if you could help me. You see, there is a man that we think was once employed by Mr. Englefield… to follow me.”

“I think I know who you mean.” Steve sighed. “I don’t think I can tell you anything about him. I’m not certain of his name and I never knew his exact role. Lucius would have told me if I’d wanted to know, you understand, but he and I had an agreement that he would never tell me about his less-than-respectable dealings. It would have put me in an awkward position.”

Trixie nodded. “I had a feeling it might be like that. Can you direct me to anyone who might have more information? It’s important – he’s really causing us some trouble.”

Steve thought for some time. “No one is coming to mind. I tried not to associate with the shadier characters. I just don’t know who to suggest – unless it’s Lucius’ executor. How about if I give him a call and see if he has anything? There might have been something in the paperwork.”

“That would be great. Thank you!”

They chatted for a short time longer and she gave him details of how to contact her and when she would be leaving. Soon, she was on her way again. After a tour of the places she knew around town that had some connection with the man, she began running out of ideas. Nothing was coming to light and she decided to go back to the house.

The main reason she had wanted to do this investigation in person and not over the phone was that while she was here she could search Lucius Englefield’s house more fully. She had a feeling that the crazy, old man might have hidden something for her, if only she could find it. With that aim in mind, she set to work.

He Said

Dan was just getting out of the shower when the telephone rang. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist, ignoring the puddles he was making as he dashed to answer it.

“Hello?”

“I’ve got a name,” Honey’s voice announced, without so much as a greeting.

“Yes,” he answered, in his driest tones. “It’s Madeleine Belden.”

She giggled, sounding quite giddy. “No! Well, actually, yes, that’s my name, but since we knew that already, that’s not exactly news, but the news that I have is that I have a name that doesn’t belong to me, but to a man whose name we’ve been trying to get.”

He held his breath, waiting for her to share this news, but without result. “Well? What is it?”

“Oh! Sorry.” She took a deep breath. “It’s kind of a tricky name and I’m not sure how to say it, but it looks like Logan Yates Dum-ass-ee, but I’m sure that’s not right.”

“You think?” he asked, laughing. “How do you spell it?”

“D-U-M-A-S-S-I.”

He jotted down the answer. “He’d probably say it was doo-MASS-ee, but I think I like the way you say it better.”

“I really hope that’s enough,” she continued, now sounding nervous, “because I couldn’t get any more than that, except that he finishes work at four on Mondays and Wednesdays, and later on all the other days – which explains why he was only bothering Jim on those days, because Jim would be gone later and not there to be bothered. What was I saying… Oh! I know: that it was kind of a convoluted process as it was, without adding anything more to it.”

“Should I ask?”

She laughed. “I’m not sure I could explain it. I keep getting confused. The basic outline is that I called my father and he made some calls, and some other people made some calls and eventually someone found someone who knew someone else and the information flowed back to me the same way it went out. Or something like that.”

Dan shook his head at the explanation and gave up on understanding it. “Well, thank you. I’ll let you know what I get out of it.”

When they had said their goodbyes, he went straight to the computer and began searching. His first search was of the state’s parolee list, which gave him the name and phone number of the man’s parole officer. It also gave the office where this officer worked, going some way towards confirming for Dan that he had the right name. He debated with himself for a few moments on whether to give the officer a call, but decided to bide his time.

His second search was more general, in the hope of getting some details of the crime. It took a little time to find anything, but Dan’s efforts were rewarded with a rather one-sided article complaining of that man’s escape of serious consequences for an arson attack in the same neighbouring town where Dan had followed him. It appeared that charges had been downgraded from arson in the fourth degree, which was a felony, to arson in the fifth degree, which was a misdemeanour. To his frustration, the article hinted at other charges that were given much more attention, but did not give any clues as to what they were. A small amount of further searching revealed that the arson attack yielded very minimal damage. The inference Dan drew from this was that the police had discovered something much more interesting in the course of their investigation.

What this might have been he could not determine, no matter what he entered into the search box. From the dates of the articles, Dan could tell that the trial had happened at around the same time that Dan had last spoken to the man, explaining his sudden and complete disappearance. The offences had occurred quite some time before that. The entire time he had been bothering them the summer before, he must have been on bail. The thought made Dan feel slightly sick.

He counted roughly ten or eleven months from the time Dumassi had been tried to the time he reappeared in Sleepyside. If ten months constituted two-thirds of the sentence, the entirety would be fifteen months – not a very long time.

Dan scowled at his computer screen and wondered about his next move. They had what they thought they had needed, but it had not progressed matters much at all.

She Said

When she got the call from Honey on Saturday night to say that the blackmailer’s name was now known, Trixie was torn between gladness and frustration. She shared her friend’s excitement at the news, but when the call was over, also bumped her head against the wall.

“I travel all the way to Kentucky and they find the answer in Sleepyside,” she grumbled to herself.

Her search was not going well. She had, of course, made a search in the past and nothing of any note had come to light. She was now running out of ideas of places she could look that had not been searched before. Furthermore, the time of the return flight had been altered and she now had extra hours to fill. A call earlier from Steve had told her that the executor had no further information, so all of her other avenues of investigation had come to nothing.

She abandoned the search, instead looking for a local telephone directory. There were a few entries for the surname Dumassi and she copied them out for investigation in the morning. For a moment, she considered going out right away, but she decided to wait until daylight. She was alone and in a relatively unfamiliar place; the potential benefits were not worth the risk.

Instead, she made one final search in the house, this time crawling into the roof cavity to poke around, as the house did not have an attic. It was stiflingly hot and the dust she disturbed made her cough. After ten fruitless minutes, she was almost ready to give it up. Nothing resembling a hiding-place had come to light. Nothing of any interest at all had come to her attention. The final straw came when she reached into a dark corner and put her hand on something only to find it was a dead rat.

“Ugh!” she cried, brushing her fingertips against the only surface she could find that would not hurt them – which happened to be her own clothes.

She made her way out of the trap door and headed straight for the shower. “I just hope I have better luck tomorrow,” she muttered to herself. “Today has been a complete waste.”

In the morning, she started driving around town, looking at the addresses she had found in the phone book. The first she considered looked too nice to be connected to the man in question and she passed it by, with the intent of coming back to it if all other avenues failed. The second was rather more humble and she approached it at once.

As soon as the door was opened, she realised that she had prepared nothing to say. The man she faced was tall and broad; she tried not to notice the margin of an inch or two between his sleeveless shirt and his shorts, which showed the bottom of his beer-gut. Further, he wore a hostile expression.

“Oh! I’m sorry. I think I have the wrong house,” she stammered. “I thought this might be where… I mean, I thought someone I know might live here. Uh… his name is… Logan?”

“Get out,” the man answered. “We don’t have nothing to do with the likes of him.”

“Sorry,” Trixie tried to say, as the door slammed in her face.

Shaking her head, she went back to the car and went on to the next address. On finding it, her hopes raised to see that it was more respectable than the run-down house she had just left, but not so grand as the one she had seen first. She tried the doorbell.

“Oh, hello,” she greeted the stout older woman who answered. “I’m not sure if this is the right place. I’m trying to get in touch with someone I know. His name is Logan Dumassi.”

The woman’s eyebrow raised a fraction and she spoke in an accent that Trixie could not quite place. “You’re no friend of his when you can’t even say his name correctly. What are you really here for? Whatever it is, you won’t get it. I won’t help you, I tell you. I won’t tell you where he is, or anything about him. I know what you’re thinking. You’re saying to yourself, she’s not from around here and she won’t suspect a thing. But, no! I know you’re not so innocent as you look. You’re up to no good and I know it!”

“No!” Trixie interrupted. “I’m sorry I bothered you. I’ll go now.”

The woman drew herself up to a not-very-impressive height. “You will not! Just you wait, young lady. I know your type, coming around here and bothering my poor step-son with your lies and your accusations.”

“Wait! I didn’t accuse him of anything,” Trixie argued, beginning to back away. A thought occurred to her and she paused. “Your step-son?”

“I didn’t say that,” the woman back-tracked. “Go on, now. Off with you.”

The door closed and Trixie stood and stared at it for a few moments. She shook her head and returned to the car, reflecting that Dumassi’s dysfunctional family could well be the cause of a lot of the trouble.

The last house on her list yielded nothing new, as the occupant claimed never to have heard of him and to not be related to any others in town of that surname. She returned to the first house on the list and tried it just in case. The over-dressed woman who answered looked down her long nose at Trixie.

“No, I’ve never heard of him,” she replied in a cool voice to the stammered enquiry.

Frowning at the closed door, Trixie gave it up and decided to try something else. She stopped by somewhere to pick up something for lunch, thinking that she could form a plan as she ate. She had not gotten so far as to choose what to eat when an unwelcome voice hailed her.

“Hey, you!”

She turned to see the man who had opened the door to her earlier.

“Yes?” she asked, in a small voice.

His face creased into a scowl. “You’d better mind your own business, if you know what’s good for you.”

Trixie nodded. “Okay. I’ll do that.”

The man turned and left the establishment without buying anything. Trixie heaved a sigh of relief.

“You’d better do what he says.”

Trixie turned to the speaker, a puzzled expression on her face. “What was that?”

The woman nodded to the man who was lumbering away. “Keep away from him. He’s bad news.”

“Yeah, I’d kind of figured that out,” Trixie answered, ruefully.

She got her lunch to go and went back to the house. Even dead rats would be better than going up against the likes of that man. She spent the rest of her time in Kentucky on a fruitless search of the house. If Mr. Englefield had hidden something, he had hidden it too well. She could not find it.

Continue to part five.