Weller just rolled his eyes and smiled, but then turned serious. "You watch your ass," he told Dean, pointing his finger for emphasis. "And keep an eye out for Cynthia, too. Your wife's the only other suspect in the eyes of the State boys."
Dean nodded his head, shuffled his feet, but said nothing. A dog barked down the alley and Dean turned to see a man walking a collie as his wife looked on from a doorway. Just a quiet family scene-no murder, no accusations. He looked up to see the stars beginning to twinkle as the clouds moved out. He took a deep breath of the clear evening air. But Dean had no time to enjoy this tranquility. There was work to be done before the return of this sense of small town peace could to be fully embraced. "Thanks, Jake," he said. "We'll make it through this mess somehow."
"Keep poking and listening," Weller said as he turned toward the street. "You never can tell what might crop up."
Dean returned to his quarters without being seen and found Fred still at work on his notes. He filled in his stepfather on his conversation with Weller as the two shared a macaroni dinner Fred had heated up. When they finished eating, Dean sat back to think.
Fred lowered his voice. "I been peeking out the door when I hear someone coming down stairs. They've talked with Ryland, Gladys, Edith and even Janet. They're starting on the ice climbers but they're only taking about five minutes with each of 'em. I think Penny is in there now."
"She'll give them their money's worth," Dean commented.
There was a knock on the door and before Dean could respond, Corday entered.
"When's your wife due back?" he asked, absent any preamble.
Dean answered him with a cold stare. "Her mother had a heart attack. She'll come back when she's satisfied her mother's condition warrants it."
"We want to talk to her."
Dean gave him a that's-your-problem shrug, then added, "If she had any information she would have told me." I think, Dean thought to himself.
Corday wasn't a happy camper. "Look," he said. "I went along with your silly nonsense and kicked Fitzgerald out. Frankly, I agree he was being a pain in the ass, but you quit being a detective when you left the East-we're the guys still on the job. Why don't you just let us do our work and stick to answering our questions? Give me her phone number in Indiana." Dean hesitated. "Don't give me any shit that you don't have it," Corday added. Dean had no ready alternative. He considered switching a digit and feigning a mistake but he knew these guys would figure he was hiding something and be all the more aggressive when they questioned Cynthia. He tore a sheet of paper from Fred's pad and scribbled the number. Corday left without so much as a thank-you.