Jamison said somberly, “He’s still very much in love with Caroline Dawson.”
“Yes he is. And I wish him luck, but if I was Kelly, I wouldn’t hold my breath. I don’t think she’s going to suddenly run into his arms.”
As they pulled away, Jamison said, “But this may very well have nothing to do with why we’re up here. Figuring out the time-bomb comment by Ben Purdy. That has to be our focus.”
“Our focus is finding out who killed Irene Cramer.”
“But isn’t one connected to the other?”
“Not necessarily.”
As they pulled in front of their hotel, Baker hailed them from the street.
Decker rolled down the passenger window and said, “Stan, what’s up?”
“Was just coming to see you. That photo you gave me, of the dead woman?”
“Irene Cramer. What about it?”
“I asked around about anyone that might have, you know,beenwith her.”
“And did you find anybody?”
“Three guys. All oil field workers.”
“And?”
“And they all said that they hadn’t had sex with her.”
“So whatdidthey do with her?” asked Jamison.
“She bought them food and drinks.”
“That’s interesting,” said Jamison.
Decker said, “But it makes sense. Why get into bed with strangers if she could get the info she wanted by springing for food and booze? Be a lot easier for her.”
“Boy, I hear you on that,” said Jamison a bit too quickly. When Decker glanced at her she blushed and looked away.
Baker said, “As I was saying, she bought them food and drinks, and asked a lot of questions.”
“Questions about what?”
“That Air Force installation.”
“But why ask oil workers about a military base?”
“Beats the hell out of me. She might have talked to some of the guys who worked there before the Air Force pulled out. And I never saw any of the Vector guys come into town, so she might not have been able to ask them.”
“What sort of questions did she ask?” Decker wanted to know.
“Anything suspicious they might have seen. Whether they knew the history of the facility. And she asked about the auctioning off of the land around the facility.”
Decker nodded thoughtfully. “Now, that is interesting. Anything else?”
“That’s about it. Hope it helps.”
“Thanks, Stan.”