“Sure, Mr. Danner.”
Tucker released his grip on the object in his hand. It fell soundlessly to the floor of the porch. Not un or a knife, Luke thought.
He went forward swiftly. When he mounted the steps, Tucker stepped back nervously, hands hal aised in a pathetic gesture of anxiety and self-defense. “Please, Mr. Danner. I didn’t mean any harm. Honest.”
Feeling a lot like a thug, Luke glanced down at the object Tucker had dropped. It was a knit cap. He scooped it up and handed it back to Mills.
“What is this all about, Tucker?” he asked quietly.
“Tucker? Tucker Mills?” Irene had scrambled out of the SUV and was walking quickly back towar he cabin.
“Yes, Miss Stenson.”
“Good grief, you scared the daylights out of me.” She hurried up the steps and stopped beside Luke.
She peered intently at Tucker. “What on earth were you doing hiding in my bedroom?”
“I didn’t want anyone to see me here.” Tucker sounded miserable and very nervous.
“You were gone when I got here, so I jiffimied the back door. Reckoned it would be better if I waited in the cabin. Less chance of being spotted, that way.”
“It’s okay, Tucker,” Irene said gently. “I understand. Sorry for freaking out like that.
I didn’t realize i as you.”
“I shoulda stayed outside. I know that, Miss Stenson. But I was afraid someone might see me hanging around the back porch. Maybe call the police.”
“Let’s continue this conversation inside,” Luke said.
Irene smiled warmly at Tucker. “I’ll make tea.”
* * *
Ten minutes later Irene set three steaming cups of her specially blended tea on the small kitchen table. She figured it would take a few more hours for her thoroughly rattled nerves to settle down, but at least her pulse was no longer pounding.
p. Luke had made a circuit of the cabin a few minutes ago, pulling every curtain tightly shut. Now he sat across from Tucker looking grim but amazingly patient and calm.
He obviously knew Tucker Mills,
Irene thought. He understood that Tucker didn’t do well under pressure.
“Start at the beginning, Mills,” Luke said.
“Yes, sir.” Tucker’s expression tightened into a worried knot. It was clear that he was not entirel ertain where the beginning was.
“Start anywhere you want,” Irene suggested. “Take your time.”
“Okay.” Tucker shot her a grateful look. “This afternoon, then.”
“What about this afternoon?” she asked.
“That’s when I saw Mr. Danner, here, in Mr. Carpenter’s garage. I was cleaning up the place like lways do in the afternoons. Mr. Danner came in and talked to Mr. Carpenter. I heard him ask about Miss Webb, whether she had a new boyfriend or something like that.”
Luke watched Tucker very steadily. “Do you know something about her?”
Tucker gripped his mug in two bony hands. “I do some regular work out at the Webb place, leastway used to.” He paused. “Before the house burned down, I mean. Guess there won’t be any more work there now, though.”
“Go on,” Irene said, fighting to keep her voice even and soothing while everything inside wanted t hout at him to get on with his tale.
“Miss Webb hired me a few years ago to take care of the garden and mow the lawn and check the pipes in winter to make sure they don’t freeze up. Things like that.”
“Maintenance work,” Luke said.
Tucker nodded, pleased by the show of comprehension. “Right. Maintenance. I went there a couple of times a week. I was there the day before you found her. In the morning, I mean.”
Irene tensed. “Did you talk to her?”
“Sure. She was always nice to me. Even in the old days. Both of you were, in fact.
Neither one of you ever acted like you thought I was a no-account.”
Irene was appalled. “You were not a no-account. You always worked for a living.
Dad used to say that you were the hardest-working man in town.”
Faded sorrow shadowed Tucker’s gaunt face. “Chief Stenson treated me with respect. He trusted me.
Not a lot of folks do. Oh, sure, they’re quick enough to hire me to do odd jobs, but just let somethin o missing and who do you think gets blamed? Me. But your dad never took those people seriously. Anyhow, that’s one of the reasons I came here to see you tonight.
Figured I owed something to you because I owed your dad and I was never able to repay him, if you see what I mean.”
“Thank you, Tucker,” she said.
“What happened on the day before Pamela Webb died?” Luke asked.
Tucker collected himself with a visible effort. “Like I said, I was at the house, working in the garde s usual. Miss Webb was inside.”
“Do you know what she was doing?” Luke asked.
“Not for sure. But when she saw me park my truck around back by the dock, she came out to sa ello. Then she said something about having to finish some work on the computer and went bac nside. A while later a car pulled into the drive.”
“What kind of car?” Luke asked.
“It was a real nice car. One of those foreign jobs. Guy behind the wheel didn’t see me on account o was around the side of the house. And like I said, I’d parked the truck in back so I didn’t have to carry my tools and equipment too far. Anyhow, I heard the man knock on the front door.”
“Did Pamela let him in?” Irene asked.
Tucker bobbed his head. “I could tell she knew him. But she didn’t sound real happy to see him. She wanted to know why he was there. Sounded like she was mad at him.”
“Did you hear what he said in response?” Irene asked.
“No. But he seemed real angry. She let him in for a few minutes. Not long. Don’t know what the alked about, but I could a hear him arguing with Miss Webb. I hung around near the utility room door just in case she needed some help getting rid of him. But he finally took off. Drove away real fast. ould tell he was still mad at her.”
“Did you get a good look at him?” Luke asked.
“Pretty good.”
Irene realized she was holding her breath.
“Did you recognize him?” Luke asked in the same steady, nonthreatening voice.
“That day was the first time I saw him,” Tucker said.
Irene swallowed a sigh of disappointment and reminded herself that this was more information tha hey’d had twenty minutes ago.
“Can you describe him?” Luke asked.