Chapter 5

They lazy feel of Saturday evening glazed sarra's neighborhood.long shadows stretching across manicured lawns the smell of charcoal in the air a group of kids putting a game of four square in the street, the kids darted to the curb when they saw Phil's car they poured back into the street with there ball and a bucket of chalk after he rolled past, Half of the block up, a lady getting her mail waved at them like they me old friends simply because they were on her street and at the driveway on the right ,a man waited for his beagle to finish peeing on someones tulips. He nodded and returned Phil's salute from the steering wheel.

"Mayberry". Brian muttered and downed a handful of aspirin with a swig of coffee. "Wonder what Mrs Jane's neighbors would think if they knew about her buddy out west."

"Yeah well keep in mind she might not know whoever's calling her.no need to go in there all scary and mean."

"You made me shave and put on a suite."Brian said." How can I be scary and mean with my good looks hanging out?"

Phil snorted

"Its the scar isn't it"Brian ran a finger along the pale jagged ridge that ran from his left earlobe to his chin. mad him look like his cheek had once been tron off the bone.

"Its not the scar asshole. Phil said "Its the way you come off all the time. Intense, dangerous, Screwing the world.

"woman go for all the dark leashed power"

"Your not trying to get this woman in bed, your trying to get her to talk,and in case your thinking about waving pictures of Jessica Davis in sarra's face forget it. we are keeping the murder under wraps until we are sure she is connected.

"You are kidding."

"Hey Jessica's cell phone could of been picked up and dialed by anyone.

Pansy. Brian said but Phil didn't bite,He parked along the curb and unwrapped a new roll of tums and popped one in his mouth. For the first time Brian noticed how the years had piled up. lines were etched into Phil's brow deep groves digging around his mouth. At forty two he looked Fifty and downed antacids like a food group.

He also came to think hadn't ,mentioned Nancy on the trip back.Bragged about the three boys and waved around pictures of his new baby daughter but he hadn't spoken of Nancy not once.

Huh.

Brian cocked his head waiting for him to finish the tums. "You OK man.?"

"Look Phil said turning to him "The departments got some legal stuff going on account of us jumping the gun last year screwing up a mans life like the first suspect in the Olympics bombing in Atlanta remember? Well this guy committed suicide after we started hounding him.He paused frowning at something only he could see,"He was innocent.

"Ah man"

"Were not in court over it right now. So no matter how much you want this Sarra woman to know something or the murderer I cant accuse her of being involved in anything until I'm sure besides. he said glancing down the street "look around ten bucks says a woman living here in beaver cleaver-ville don't know shit about know murder

"Your on Brian said following Phil's gaze to Sarra's house it had a homey feel to it with roses blooming in the yard lawn well maintained ferns hanging from the porch. a good match for a pretty petite woman in her drivers license picture,

But all that was bring rule 3 to mind Things are never as pretty as it seems