Five-minute Mysteries 2. Ken Weber

Alice’s opening gambit with Torrey Mackilroy after showing her P.I. license. Torrey had been slow to answer, but that was natural enough. In Alice’s long experience, everybody was edgy in a circumstance like this. All Torrey did was nod and then look at the telephone on her desk as though it might rescue her. Alice had anticipated – correctly, as it turned out – that the phone wouldn’t interrupt them. She’d cased the place before and concluded that Torrey was a not-very-busy insurance agent in a not-very-busy insurance office.

      “Pauline Ortona hasn’t been seen in a very long while,” was Alice’s next move. “Her aunt, the one she went to live with in California when her mother died ... she’s convinced that Pauline’s gone missing, but can’t get the Santa Barbara police very interested, so that’s where I come in. One thing I’m doing is canvassing all her friends, past and present, to find out where she might be. Naturally, you’re high on my list.”

      Until then, Torrey Mackilroy hadn’t said anything more than “yes,” when asked her name. And all she had done in response to the “best friends in high school” question was nod. The nod gradually turned into a slow shaking back and forth when she was asked the whereabouts question.

      “No idea,” she said finally. “Sorry, none. The last time I saw or talked to Polly ... I guess it’s got to be ... I don’t know how many years now. Ever since we finished high school and she left Eugene to live in California. Her Mom died right after graduation, and ... yes, I guess there were a couple of phone calls the first year or two. One letter, maybe. But nothing since I got married and moved here to Jackson and that was fifteen years ago.”

      She raised her head, looked straight at Alice. “Sorry, I can’t help you,” she said. She offered a polite lips-but-not-the-eyes smile and shook her head again.

      Alice waited for more, but when the silence threatened to become awkward she put down her card with the usual “please call me if ...” request and left. It was almost lunchtime and, although the interview had got her adrenaline up, she decided to have a salad at a nice, quiet restaurant she’d seen a few streets over. It had big tables, so she could take the yearbook in with her.

      The yearbook: now there was a coup! Anybody could have done the interview she just did with Torrey, but getting the yearbook? Imagine some big, burly, male private eye doing what she did yesterday: going into James Polk High in Eugene, Oregon, breezing through the security, and talking that suspicious librarian into letting her take out their one and only copy of a yearbook! Grannies can do that, Alice knew. The sweet old lady shtick hadn’t failed her yet.

      She opened the yearbook to the page that had led her to Torrey Mackilroy. She was Torrey Gallant then: “Better Known As: Tall T; Activities: Fashion Club, Student Council, Math Team; Favorite Saying: “You guys seen Polly?”; Usually Seen: Corner booth at Lubo’s with Polly Ortona; Aim: Professional Designer; More Likely: Painting the booths at Lubo’s.”

      Pauline Ortona’s bio on the facing page showed a somewhat prettier girl. “Better Known As: Polly; Activities: Drama Club, Student Council, Cheerleader; Favorite Saying: “Hey, T, can I borrow your math notes?”; Usually Seen: Corner booth at Lubo’s with Torrey Gallant; Aim: Actress; More Likely: Lubo’s star waitress.”

      There were a number of notes and scratches and graffiti in the book that Alice had ignored at first, but a second run through turned up a pair of neatly drawn intertwined leaves, under which was written “TG–PO Buds Forever.”

      Looking over a too-large Greek salad at the photos of the two girls, Alice reflected on the phone call she’d made after the library visit. There were six Gallants in the Eugene book. Not only did she score on the second call, but Torrey’s mother had filled in the blanks without missing a beat: “Yes, Torrey’s my daughter. Name’s Mackilroy now. Lives over in Jackson with her husband. They’ve two lovely young girls.” And then, after some mutual exchange about the joys of grandchildren, Mrs. Gallant had freely supplied the necessary phone number and address.

      “Now there. Let a young male P.I. try doing that on the telephone!” Alice caught herself, realizing she’d spoken out loud. Tapping her fork, too. She’d done that kind of thing quite a bit lately. Her ruse with Mrs. Gallant – it had worked before – was to pose as a volunteer for the alumni committee. And why wouldn’t a sweet old lady be doing something like that? Quite simply, there were some things that seventy-two-year-old grannies could do far better than other investigators. The Ortona case was proving that fact yet again. No, Alice thought to herself, there were just too many good reasons to stay on the job.

      “Now,” she was speaking out loud again, loud enough to turn a few nearby heads in the restaurant, “now to get to work on Torrey and find out when she really last talked to Polly.”

      ?

      Why is Alice convinced that Torrey Mackilroy has talked to Pauline Ortona recently?

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      8

      Transcript: Crown vs. Jergens

      Bailiff: All rise! Superior Court in and for the County of Grey is now n session, Honorable Elmer Losch presiding.

      Losch: Be seated. Mr. Weinert, are you ready? Your next witness?

      Harry Weinert: Yes, Your Honor. The Crown calls Jack Scoles.

      SCOLES SWORN.

      Weinert: Would you state your name and occupation, please?

      Scoles: John ... er ... Jack Scoles. I am a meteorologist with the government weather service.

      Weinert: Your Honor, the Crown is calling Mr. Scoles as an expert witness in this case and –

      Fred Boettger: Begging Your Honor’s pardon, the defense will stipulate as to Mr. Scoles’s expertise. No point in taking more of the court’s time.

      Losch: Very well. Let the record show that counsel for the defense accepts the witness as an expert.

      Weinert: Just three questions, Mr. Scoles. Would you describe the weather conditions for the south of Grey County on August 20, 1941?

      Scoles: Records show completely clear skies for the day and night of the 20th. For the 21st and 22nd as well. Very warm. A dayt time high on the 20th of 89 degrees, low of 21. Sunrise at 6:18 a.m. Set at 8:11 p.m. Winds were ...

      Weinert: That’s really all we need for now, Mr. Scoles. Could you tell the court the moon phase for that date?

      Scoles: The moon was full.

      Weinert: A full moon. Now this is most important: based on your expert knowledge, once the sun has set, how much time passes before the moon in its full phase is completely visible above the horizon?

      Scoles: That depends on latitude, how far you are from the equator, and what kind of horizon, whether it’s flat or hilly – a lot of factors. Here in the south end of Grey County, on a late August night – clear, of course – the moon is usually fully visible and giving off quite a bit of light after about one hour. Perhaps seventy minutes.

      Weinert: An hour or just a bit more. Thank you. No more questions.

      Boettger: Defense waives, Your Honor.

      Losch: Very well. Carry on, Mr. Weinert.

      Weinert: The Crown calls Mr. Jack Kaster.

      KASTER SWORN.

      Weinert: