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killed."
    "Where was this?"
    "There's a block of old retail stores that went out of business ten years ago when the mall came in. That's where she was killed. Behind there. And that's where the woods are."
    "Anybody figure out what she was doing there?"
    "No. But I think she was probably meeting somebody."
    "Any idea who?"
    "Not yet."
    "Could it have been David?" I said.
    "Could have been, I suppose."
    "How about David? What's he say about all this?"
    "Says he didn't kill her," she said. "And that's all he'll say. Even when I scream at him, try to make him see that he's just making everything worse by not cooperating — all he'll say over and over is that he didn't kill her."
    "Does he have an alibi for the approximate time of her death?"
    Officer Rhodes shook her head. "No. He told the casino boss that he wasn't feeling well and took off early that night." She paused and then said, "I can't afford you."
    "I know."
    "But if I paid you two hundred dollars, would you look over the reports and give me your assessment?"
    "You know how to cook?"
    "Not very well. Except for red snapper, I guess. Red snapper I'm pretty good at."
    "How about a red-snapper dinner instead of the two hundred dollars?"
    "God, I couldn't do that, Mr. Payne."
    "Robert."
    "I really couldn't, Robert."
    "Sure you could."
    "I could buy a cake or a pie for dessert, I guess."
    "That sounds great."
    "You like spinach?"
    "Very much."
    "The woman upstairs has a nice little garden in the back. She's always after me to take some spinach."
    "How about tomorrow night?"
    "I still want to pay you something."
    "A home-cooked meal and the company of a pretty woman is a very handsome reward, believe me."
    Rain affected me the way it did her. I felt lonely now, bereft of my wife, and I wanted to sit in a lamp-lit living room in the comforting presence of a graceful and gracious woman, both of which Cindy Rhodes a.k.a. Morning Tree offered in abundance.
    "Here's my address."
    I picked up the report she'd given me then stood and walked over to the window.
    You could hear the night animals settling in for the summer rain that was just now getting underway, hiding under porches or in the car-smelling darkness of garages, or on back porches if they were cats or dogs and lucky enough to have masters who treated them like human children.
    When I turned back to her, she had tears in her eyes. She said quietly, "He didn't kill her, Robert. He really didn't."
    On the way out, Clarence looked away from his radio console and gave me a frown. Both of his donuts were gone.

Chapter 6
     
    I drove back to the casino in the rain. All the neons looked like watercolors through the steam on my windshield. Parking spaces were still tough to find. I had to settle for a very tight slot next to a Dumpster. Before going in, I checked on the black Jag. Still there. In the dampness, you could smell all the trees. I wanted to stay outside, even if it meant getting wet.
    They were all in there, waiting for me. All the tourists who wanted me to join them in losing some more at the slot-machines, all the waitresses who wanted me to ruin my stomach-lining with tacos and hot dogs, and all the dealers who wanted to take my money.
    But there was only one dealer I was willing to drop a few bucks with.
    David Rhodes didn't seem to recognize me as the man who'd broken up his beating. For just a moment there was a tiny spark of something in the dark eyes but then it vanished.
    He took my bet and started dealing the cards. We were alone at the table.
    I said, "Why'd those guys want to pound on you tonight, David?"
    Except for a slightly puffy left eye, he looked pretty good. New white shirt. New dark slacks. Hair slicked back. An air of anger and hot quick intelligence about him.
    "Who are you supposed to be, man?"
    "Payne — if it matters. I'm helping Cindy a little."
    "Cindy don't run my life."
    "She's worried about you."
    He grinned and it was an arrogant grin and I realized that I didn't like him at all.