Cry From The Grave
Chapter 33
Located at the corner of Natural Bridge Road and Goodfellow Boulevard, Connelly's Goody Goody Diner boasts a pantheon of breakfast and lunch platters that rank among the most renowned in the St. Louis area. Situated in the northwest corner of the city limits, the establishment is one of the few St. Louis businesses permitted to have a flashing sign. The interior is comfortably full most of the time, with patrons packed out the door during weekend breakfast hours. Pictures of local folks, events, and memorabilia deck the papered walls and overlook both the counter area and the many tables throughout.
Tori tapped Ballack on the shoulder and pointed to a table that had just opened up by the windows. In no time, they had moved through the gregarious crowd that was a solid blend of socio-economic and multi-racial backgrounds. They settled in and opened the menus on the red tablecloth, eventually settling on the same order for each: the meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and lima beans. Tori texted a message to Paula while they waited and sipped their ice waters. She looked absently out the window before losing patience and calling her ex-husband, leaving a message to make sure Paula made her doctor's appointment that afternoon.
"Any developments?" asked Ballack.
"Still a good deal of pain," replied Tori. "I'm worried we'll be closing in on Bowie and then I'll get a call that her water broke."
"Well, you have to give her credit for persevering thus far. Even if she has kept you on pins and needles."
"What's got me edgy is the sex of the baby. I can't believe Paula refuses to find out."
Ballack said nothing but whipped out his own phone and dialed John Rearden's number. The first call went to voice mail and Ballack, never patient himself in these situations, signed off and then immediately dialed again. Rearden answered after two rings.
"You believe in playing hard to get?" Ballack asked.
"I was walking my dog," Rearden snarled, "which happens to be a retriever, and my phone was lodged in my jacket pocket. Do the math, copper."
"How was Ben's game yesterday?"
"Won the first, lost the second with four minutes to go. But Ben was sterling as always. Not that I'm biased."
"Just checking in to see if you've gone ahead on Delmar."
"Was getting to it this afternoon. Can I email you the results?"
"Actually, if you can target three specific cases involving Hibbler, that'd be even more of a coup." He mentioned the lawsuits that Sumner had detailed for them nearly an hour before. "What do you say, John?"
"That's two Glenfiddiches."
"There goes Tori's paycheck," Ballack groaned.
"My what?" asked Tori.
"Nothing. Is that something you can handle?"
"General confirmation or is there something specific you want?"
Ballack thought, recalling his words to Sumner. "Any angle from any case that would mean revenge against Hibbler." He paused, weighing the three million dollar payout to the Trafford family. "But especially the Dave Trafford fiasco. I'll send you the names of the suits to your phone."
"Stay by your laptop, then."
"Seriously, John. Where am I going to go?" Ballack hung up.
"So, this is on the way to the Traffords' old place?" asked Tori.
"If the Internet doesn't lie," replied Ballack. He had done a search through various news headlines from 2005 and found the heart-wrenching story of Paul and Marta Trafford. "Obviously, we're taking our chances that anyone remains in that neighborhood, but we've eked out against longer odds before. And according to Google Maps, there's a house built on top of the ashes of the former abode."
Their food arrived and both detectives, who had skipped breakfast, attacked their victuals with a vengeance.
"Evidently," Ballack said after chewing up a forkful of lima beans, "the entire Trafford family brought the lawsuit. And Dave wasn't an only child. Their daughter Jennifer is named, as well."
"Anything else?"
"Snakes and arrows!" Ballack snapped. "Missy texted me when we were in Sumner's office. Told me to ring her back and it completely slipped what's left of my mind!"
"You deserve that after you left me hanging with Suzanne Lamotta," Tori muttered as she threw her straw wrapped at Ballack's head. He dodged it and put the phone to his ear.
"Missy, sorry I didn't get you called until now. You need an update?"
"Go ahead, and then I'll give you one," Crabolli said with a streak of excitement bolting through her verbiage.
Ballack gave a brief summary of their day's events, then asked Crabolli for her news. Half a minute later, Ballack's face beamed with a grin that shone like the sun. "Good news," he gushed to Tori after he hung up. "Zane's awake and improving, and Missy is getting discharged this afternoon."
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