by Fray, Al
"Baby," I said smiling, "we've got a lot of catching up to do. We could start with lunch someplace, if you can get away, and—"
"You can buy me a sandwich at the drugstore," she laughed. "I'm a busy woman and you're saving for that pool, remember?" She took her hand out of mine and went back to her desk long enough to put away a few papers, then turned to look at me again. "Marty, you didn't really think I might have done it, did you? Kill anyone, I mean?"
I looked away and fumbled for cigarettes. "No, not really, I guess, but there were those shoes."
"Shoes, Marty?"
"Not important now," I said carelessly, "but that night I stayed—well, there were your pumps under the bed, Kate, and they were wet—had been out just before I came in to see you. And you said you'd been in the room all evening. You told the sheriff the same thing, and I knew it couldn't be true, so—" I let it trail off, watched her open a closet, choose a hat from the half dozen arrayed there, and adjust it in the mirror on the wall. When she turned around again I caught a light pink creeping into her face.
"I had a late date with a guy," she said, and looked away. "The darn lummox didn't show up and I—well, I went outside a few times to sort of look around and see if he'd come back and—but I couldn't tell you that. A girl can't appear too eager, after all, and then when I didn't tell you, I had to stick to my story, so I gave it to Toland the same way." She didn't say any more because I put my arms around her again and pressed her to me and held her close. Words weren't necessary for the next
little while and when I kissed her again and let her go the hat needed straightening once more.
Out on the street, I swung open the door of my coupe and Kate made some laughing crack about the pillow on my side of the seat and I laughed too, then fired up all six cylinders and pulled out into the traffic. It was the same car I'd driven up in but there was a difference in it somehow. Like someone had changed the windshield and all of the windows, because no matter which way I looked the world had a very rosy glow indeed.
The End