Death of a Suitor #18

Chapter Five

"Temper, temper," she said, making a tsking sound.

"Mama. What took you so long? I was starting to think I was going to have to break in. You might have been lying on the floor with a broken hip or something."

"What a ridiculous idea! I'm very sure-footed, Red. You know that. Besides, Miles is here."

Miles raised a hand in greeting and swallowed.

Red nodded his head. "Hi there, Miles. Sorry you're having to put up with Mama's nonsense so early in the day. I was hoping I'd see you here. I ran by your house and didn't get any answer."

Miles gave a hoarse chuckle. "Yes, well, your mom made a nice breakfast for me."

Red looked at the remains of the breakfast skeptically. "If you say so. I'm glad I found you. I thought you might have skipped out of town." He grinned at Miles.

Miles shifted in his chair. "Did you need to ask me some questions?"

"I'm afraid I do. It's just the nature of the job, you know." He turned to Myrtle. "Do you have any coffee left, Mama?"

Myrtle put her hands on her hips. "I'm not sure if I want to offer you any hospitality if you're going to be mean to Miles."

Red's eyebrows flew up. "Mean to Miles? Mama, I'm just asking him a few basic questions."

"Maybe we want Lieutenant Perkins to ask them." Myrtle put her chin in the air.

Miles apparently didn't want to be involved in this contretemps. "Myrtle, it's fine if Red wants to ask me questions. I don't have a problem with that."

"Thank you, Miles." Red went in search of his own coffee, which he poured black. He sat down across from Miles. "Now I hear that you were involved in some sort of love triangle."

Miles's face went pale and then bright-red. "Oh no. Is that what people are saying around town?"

"I don't think that's what people are saying, necessarily. It's just what I've picked up from other people involved in this investigation."

Miles said miserably, "Well, it sure won't take long for it to spread around town, that's for sure. I had no idea that I was involved in a love triangle, actually, until right before Jax's death."

Myrtle exclaimed, "Miles! You shouldn't say things like that."

"It's the truth, though."

"Maybe you should have a lawyer present," said Myrtle, glaring at Red.

Red raised his hands in surrender. "If Miles wants a lawyer here, then by all means."

Miles said coldly, "I don't need a lawyer. I had nothing to do with Jax's death. As a matter of fact, I was trying to extricate myself from my relationship with Eloise. Finding out that Jax had been seeing Eloise provided an excellent excuse."

Myrtle interjected, "He was delighted that Jax was dating Eloise. He was practically walking on air."

Red looked doubtfully at Miles, unable to picture that sort of effervescence in conjunction with the somber man in front of him. "Okay. So you and Eloise were dating. But you weren't completely happy in the relationship."

"Who would be?" muttered Myrtle.

Red continued, ignoring his mother. "You were looking for a way out. And you learned that Jax and Eloise were seeing each other."

"Elaine told me about it," said Myrtle. "Although you probably know that."

Red looked sorry that his wife's name was being dragged into a murder investigation, even tangentially. "And you told Miles."