Page 91 of A Rose of Steel
“So you think the person is in there?” he asked.
“That would be most anyone’s logical conclusion.”
He laughed. “You’re right.” He turned again to look at the parking lot. “Maybe you could have your cousin, Pogue, run a check on it.”
“It’s from Louisiana.”
“He can make a call to their state police.”
“Or maybe you can make a call to your FBI office?” He knew I was still on the fence about his affiliation with the agency. But that was partly his fault, he never gave me a straight answer.
“Or, I can do that,” he said, a sly smile curling around the ends of his lips.
“Yeah, right,” I said and stepped inside the door. “I’ll be alright.” I blew out a breath. “I don’t suppose anyone would try to do anything to me in a crowd of two hundred people.”
“Didn’t stop whoever killed Bumper.”
“Thanks for making me feel better,” I said.
“Anything I can do to help,” he said. He put his hand in the small of my back and leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you. I’ll stay real close and watch your every move.”
“I don’t want to put you out,” I said.
“Oh, you won’t. In case you hadn’t noticed, it’s what I do all the time.”
“What?”
“Watch your every move.”
I shook my head and sucked my tongue. “I have to find Auntie,” I said, and looked around the room. “I’m sure she needs me to do something.”
“I’ll come with you,” he said.
“There you are!” A voice came toward me.
“Looks like she found you,” Rhett said.
Auntie came sashaying across the room. Her navy silk dress shimmering as she walked, her arm filled with bangles and bobbles. Her white hair high in the top, not moving one bit as she moved.
And walking next to her was Delphine Griffith.
“Hi Miss Griffith,” I said. She looked at me and squinted her eyes, scolding. “I mean Delphine. What are you doing here?”
“Remember I told you I had family in Roble?” Delphine said. She smiled at me.
“That’s right you did,” I said.
“I love to be around when praise is being heaped on family members, or in this case when they are doing the heaping.”
“That’s nice,” Auntie Zanne said.
“If you’ll excuse me,” she said, looking around. I want to say hello before the program begins.”
“Sure,” I said.
“That’s fine, Delphine,” Auntie said. “Romaine can talk to you after the awards ceremony.”
“I’d like that,” she said.
