Chapter 24

Unlocking the door to the apartment, he entered quickly, stretching while loosening his tie and nudging the door closed with his hip. During the challenge of the interview when his mind was clicking and the juices flowing, Bowman was supercharged. Now, he was mentally spent and suddenly exhausted. All he wanted was a hot bath and a soft pillow. Just as he finished his bath and slipped on his skivvies, the phone rang.

"Boss, who wuz dat bitch in my bed?"

"Hello to you too, Em." Bowman said somewhat crossly. He looked up at the ceiling, closed his eyes and softened his voice. "She's an aide from the police department. She'd been up all night working on a report for me. I suggested she use your room to take a nap. I didn't think you'd mind. Do you have somethin' for me?" he asked as he moved to the couch and melted into it, his head back.

"Naw, I just came by to get my clothes. I thank I'm gonna play a couple a tunes with dat band tonight. I'm a little scared, but Earline told me if I didn't, she wuz gonna run me off."

"Well, good for her. Where are you gonna play? Can I come?" He moved forward resting his elbows on his knees.

"Heck no. Wait'n see how I'm gonna do. I'll be scared enough roun' people I don' even know. You'd jes' make me mo' scared."

"Mo' scared, huh. Well, let yourself go and just enjoy yourself. It's what you always wanted to do. Just think about your music and what the rest of the band is doin'. You'll be okay." Bowman gleamed as he imagined Em's excitement. He leaned back and moved his bare heels to the coffee table. "How'd your day go?"

"Well, I went to the park this mawnin'. Then it started turnin' hot. Tha's when I came after the clothes. You wudn't there an' Earline wudn't here, so I jes' went back out there and practiced some more. You said if I saw anythin' strange to try to remember everthin' I saw. Man, you talkin' strange, this guy was somethin' else."

"What was he doin', Em?"

"He wuz jes' hidin' behin' some bushes, lookin'."

"Was he lookin' at you, Em?" Bowman's voice became higher pitched. He moved his feet to the floor and pressed the phone closer against his ear.

"Naw, I don' think he even knew I wuz dere. I wuz up in a tree."

"Were you playin' your songs when you spotted him?"

"I wuz fore I saw 'im, but I wudn't playin' none a my hot stuff. When I saw 'im, I din't do nothin', jes' watched 'im."

"What did he look like?"

"He wuz a big dude."

"Big or tall?"

"He wadn't fat at all. Fact is, he wuz kind'a skinny."

"Was he taller than me, Em?"

"Taller'n you 'n Flint, too. He wuz a big dude. Long arms. Great big ole hands. I ain't nev'a seen no hands 'at big."

"Was he a white guy or a black guy?"

"He wuz white."

"What color hair did he have?"

"Bout de same as yours but he din't have as much in front as you do."

Bowman slid forward to the edge of the couch. "Are you telling me, he was startin' to go bald or that his hair was just cut shorter than mine?"

"Well, he ain't bald. He had plenty a hair. Jes' back a bit."

"A receding forehead," Bowman suggested.

"I guess so."

"What about his clothes, Em? What was he wearing?"

"A long sleeve blue shirt dat wuz too little for 'im in de arms."

"Did he have big muscles or was it just short?"

"He din't have muscles zackly. De shirt jes' din't go all de way down he arms and dey wadn't buttoned."

"What about his pants?" Bowman asked.

"Blue jeans."

"Did they have any design on them or anythin' unusual about 'em?"

"Naw, jes' reg'lah blue jeans."

"What about his shoes? What kind of shoes was he wearin'?"

"I don' recollec' 'bout de shoes, but he walks funny."

Bowman rubbed the back of his neck. "What do you mean, he walks funny? Does he limp?"

"No, jes' walks funny. I don' know how to 'splain it to ya'."

"Did he have a stick or a gun or anything like that?"

"Boss, if he'd a had a gun, I wud'na been hangin' roun' lookin' at 'im. Din't have no stick either. He did have a big cotton sack like what dey have at the post office."

"A white canvas bag?"

"I don' know 'bout 'at. It wuz dirty. Might'a been white sometime. It was jes' like de post office bags, 'cept it wuz dirty," Em said somewhat impatiently.

Bowman held up the palm of his hand. "Okay Em, just a few more questions. What do you think he was lookin'at?"

"Them folks hittin' 'at li'l ball, I guess. He wadn't doin' nothin' wrong. Jes' he look so funny and he wuz kind'a hidin' like. He wadn't gone let 'em see 'im."

"Okay, one last question, how far away from you was he?"

"Close nuf' so's I could see 'im good. But far enuf' away he wudn't gone catch me."

"Was it as far away as the Clark's house from the paved road?"

"Bout half 'at far."

"Okay, one more thing. About what time was it when you spotted him; early in the afternoon, middle of the afternoon or late?"

"I saw 'im right after I got dere. I hadn't been dere fifteen minutes."

"Did you watch him leave?"

"I already tole you, I saw 'im walk," Em answered testily.

Bowman moved his right hand to the mouthpiece as he dropped his left hand and rose to pace. "Em, I know you're tired of answerin' questions, but these are things I need to know. I don't want to take any chances of your gettin' hurt."

"I ain't gone get hurt. I did jes' like you tole me. I got in 'at tree wid 'at open field 'tween me and da woods. If he'd a come afta me, I'da been long gone."

"Are you going back out there tomorrow?"

"Sho', but I may be up late tonight."

"Try to be there about the same time tomorrow afternoon, as today. Maybe go a little earlier. If you see him, just watch him like you did today. Look at his shoes and what he's wearin'. As soon as you're absolutely sure he's gone, come directly here or call me, okay? Em, you're doin' a good job. Do you need any money?"

"No, I might come and git some tomorrow. I think it's 'bout time for Earline to make some groceries."

"Make some groceries. Em, you're movin' right in, aren't you? Your mama doesn't say makin' groceries, does she?"

"Naw, but Earline do."