They were enjoying their time together so much so that the stress of Milton was beginning to feel like a planet away when it was only an hour’s drive away.
But they compartmentalized. It was all about Ricki’s happiness for Vince and what he could do to make her comfortable in his world. And Ricki thought she was excelling in his world. She was more than comfortable. Until one morning, when George phoned, did she realize that she hadn’t truly touched foot into Vince’s world. Connecticut was his vacation world. DC was his real world.
When the call came in, Vince was attempting to teach her how to play tennis on the courts in his backyard.
At first Vince didn’t want to answer the phone. He was just that serious about his lesson plan. But when Ricki reminded him that it could be news from Milton, he walked over to the refreshment table and looked at the Caller ID. “It’s George,” he said and answered the call.
Ricki hurried over to see if he had found out anything.
“We’re in the middle of something, buddy. This had better be good.”
But George didn’t realize he was on Speaker. “Don’t wear the girl out, Vince, the way you do every lady you ever had. She’ll be too sore to perform when you most need her to.”
Vince almost turned red as he looked at Ricki. “You’re on Speaker you moron,” he said.
George quickly cleared his throat. But when Ricki smiled, Vince relaxed too. That was what he loved about her: She never seemed to have time for jealousy.
“Is that why you phoned me?” Vince asked George. “To embarrass me in front of Rasheda?”
“Of course it is! I was worried about her.”
“Like hell.”
“I’m kidding, Vince, damn. Can’t take a joke anymore? Wait. You could never take a joke.”
“George!”
“Okay, okay. I didn’t call to embarrass you, that’s for sure. I got some info.”
This interested Ricki too. “Go on,” Vince said to George.
“It’s been three weeks of pulling teeth in this little hellhole of a town, so we decided to get creative.”
“Meaning?”
“Milo spread some big money around and was able to get one of the jailers to tell him that the head guard, his boss, was in Erica’s cell for quite some time just before she was found hung.”
Vince and Ricki glanced at each other. “What’s quite some time?” Vince asked George.
“Ten minutes. Maybe a little more. But certainly enough time to string her up: excuse my choice of words. But our informant said it was more than enough time. He also said his boss ordered no floor walk during that ten-minute stretch.”
“What’s a floor walk?” Ricki asked.
“When the guards check on the prisoners,” said George. “They walk the floor. But they were ordered not to walk the floor during that stretch of time.”
“Is that an unusual order?”
“Very unusual according to our informant,” said George. “Not just the fact that he ordered no floor walk, but the mere fact of the head guard spending any time in somebody’s cell. That is even more unusual, according to our guy.”
“Has Milo spoken to this lead guard?” Vince asked.
“We haven’t been able to find him yet. He supposedly went home sick a couple hours after they found Erica dead. But he’s not home. And we’ve since found out that he resigned by email.”
“Damn,” said Vince as he and Ricki looked at each other.
“He could be anywhere by now,” said Ricki.
“You didn’t hear this from me because, contrary to what Vince believes, I am an officer of the court,” George said.
