Sleep of the Innocent by Medora Sale Read Free Book Online

doing?”
    â€œTripping over each other’s feet. Whatever you do, duck when the phone rings. Ten to one it’ll be Baldwin screaming at you to do the exact opposite of what you were supposed to do five minutes ago. If you follow me. I’ve only been here an hour, and he’s phoned at least four times, screwing everything up. Eric’s not here—he’ll be in later. He went off to get some sleep. Been chasing around most of the night, I think, trying to avoid Baldy. He has this big list of people he’s not supposed to question, and he’s looking pretty grim.”
    â€œThat’s going to look great when it hits the papers, isn’t it?”
    â€œYeah,” said Kelleher, with a certain amount of relish. “Won’t it? Tempting thought. I want to be here when Sanders hears about it, too. Not that Baldwin’s his favourite person anyway.”
    â€œWhere in hell is Inspector Sanders?” asked Lucas forlornly. “If he doesn’t come back, I’ll never get away from Baldy.”
    â€œSomewhere in the States with his girlfriend,” said Kelleher. “Having a hell of a lot more fun than we are and screwing up everyone’s schedule. I wish to hell people didn’t just take off on holidays anytime they felt like it,” he added, in a low-voiced mutter. “Leaving other people stuck with assholes like Baldwin to deal with. Anyway, relax. It’s safe around here for a while. Baldy’s coming in late, thank God. Did you know him when he spent all his time bending paper clips and worrying about politics? I never realized what a pain in the ass he could be when he started taking his job seriously.” He paused to pick up his coffee. “So help me God, I’ll never complain about someone not working again. I swear. By the bones of my sainted Aunt Mary.”
    Lucas grunted and pulled the telephone closer to him.
    â€œRoom one-sixteen,” he said, when he reached the desk at the Blue Star Motel. During the ensuing pause, he started in on the Danish. It was cheese. He varied the kind from day to day, depending on his mood. Cheese meant exhausted. And grim.
    â€œWho do you want to talk to?” The voice on the other end was a suspicious voice. A cautious voice.
    â€œJennifer Wilson.”
    You could almost hear the head shake. “Miss Wilson left last night.”
    â€œLast night? She only checked in last night.” There was an icy pause. “Damn,” muttered Lucas. And then something else occurred to him. That little bitch had gone sneaking off with—“You didn’t find a blue sweater in the room, did you?” he asked. “Men’s, large, hand-knit?”
    â€œWho is this?” Now the voice was heavy with suspicion.
    â€œI’m a police officer,” he started in his usual bored sing-song, “and I’ve been—”
    â€œWe made a damage report on the room to the officer who came by this morning,” he said coldly. “There wasn’t any sweater.”
    â€œDamage? What damage?” The world had gone mad on him this morning.
    â€œThe damage caused by the people who broke into the room,” he said carefully, as if he suspected that Lucas was not very bright.
    â€œWhat in hell are you talking about? Someone broke into her room? Why didn’t you tell me that in the first place? Was she hurt?”
    â€œI don’t believe so. I think Miss, uh, Wilson—if that’s her name—had already left by the time they entered.”
    â€œLet me speak to the clerk on duty last night.”
    â€œHe’s asleep,” said the voice. It sounded shocked.
    â€œThen wake him up. No—I’ll be out there as soon as I can. I’ll see him then. Just leave everything as it was.”
    There was a significant pause. “I’m sorry, sir. But the constable said we could repair the damage. The workmen are already in the room.”
    â€œDamn,