She goes far
3. Secret lives
"I'm sorry for interrupting, Jack, but I couldn't help
it."
The impression on the woman's face had changed, she was smiling.
Jack, on the other hand, looked even more puzzled he had been
before. Martin answered to that look:
"So it seems I'm her alibi. And I'm sure anything Nat says
is true", he gave an encouraging look to the woman,
"But why are the other's talking about a waitress?"
"What do you mean?" Jack asked, still puzzled with the
new turn.
"He means, I'm no waitress. Here you see, the one and only,
Natasha Earn, P.I."
"What!" Jack had a hard time trying to keep his voice
down,
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"You didn't ask", Nat said calmnly. Before Jack could
say anything back, Martin leaned towards him:
"Let me handle this".
"I don't think you should, if you know her too well".
"Trust me", Martin said.
"But can we trust her and what she says?" Jack asked.
Martin blinked his eyes in disbelief.
"I count my head she's honest. If you don't believe, send
Samantha here."
Martin and Nat was left alone.
"I didn't know that woman was missing until I heard it from
your colleagues", Nat started. Martin looked her berately.
"Why did you mislead Jack?"
"I didn't... I don't like the way he accused me..."
"He didn't accuse you. We're just trying to find a missing
woman."
Samantha has stepped in, Jack was by the doorway.
"Okay, I'll tell uou all I know about her. But I don't know
if it's any good to you. I've spent couple of weeks spying Lisa
Linney. Her husband hired me to do that. I found out she used
'Rosebud' as a rendez-vpus to meet her lover, mr. Miller."
This new information puzzled the agents.
"You're saying her husband hired a private detective?"
"Yes. He wanted to know if mrs. Linney was seeing someone.
He wanted to make sure she didn't, despiting his jealous
suspicions."
"And now he knows he's right?"
"No, he doesn't have any proves yet. I am going to give the
photos I've taken to him tomorrow."
"Did you say she was seeing mr. Miller?"
"Yes. She usually went to 'Rosebud' and met him there
before... going anywhere."
"And yesterday?"
"She came, but he didn't. She left alone, I didn't really
watch her doings that evening, I... had an engagement of my
own."
Everyone cast a quick glance at Martin, who moved his eyes from
Nat to the ceiling.
The mood next morning wasn't very good. The white board had a
couple of new marks.
"She's been missing nearly 40 hours," Vivian reminded
as the agents were gathered by the table.
"She was clearly waiting for someone in 'Rosebud'",
Samantha said.
"My bet goes to that mr. Miller", Danny added.
"Senior or junior?" Jack asked.
"Senior's on a trip, maybe she has ran away with him?"
"Senior's on a trip with his wife. And it was that big
teethed John Miller, who was her lover", Danny cleared.
Samantha pointed out that John Miller didn't have big teeth.
"She's had a call just after she left work", Martin
announced, "from a phone booth, just got it's address."
"Okay, I'm not sure if it's any good, but we're better check
it out. And visit mr. John Miller again."
"He does have quite big teeth", Martin whispered to
Samantha as they walked towards John Miller.
"Yes, I remember you", mr. Miller smiled at Samantha,
"How can I help you?"
We have a reason to assume you called mrs. Linney the day she
went missing", Martin said. John Miller's smile freezed.
"We knowabout your... relations to mrs. Linney."
"I've never tried to hide it from you, you know..."
The agents' expressions show they didnt quite take it.
"But I didn't call her."
"The call was made from a phone booth at 4.45pm."
"No, I never use those. And I was in my office till 5pm, ask
anyone."
Martin's phone rang. He answered it, said couple of time
"okay" before saying "bye".
"Samantha", he said, "we're better get
going."
A bunch of kids were sitting on a stairs nearby the phone booth,
playing with an electronic game. Danny went to ask them, if
they've noticed anything strange lately.
"No-one uses that booth", said one.
"Yes they do!" said the other, "I saw it. You must
remember that big, dusty car."
"A big car?", Danny repeated.
"Yes, a big city Jeep".
"No, it wasn't!" said the one with the game, "I
think it was Range Rover".
"You remember wrong!", said third kid.
"Mr. Linney has a four-wheeler!", Vivian remembered.