Detective Goddard sat at one of the white round tables on the enclosed white porch that ran across the back of Loraine Dellin's white house, watching her arrange a teak tray with glasses and a pitcher of iced tea. From the porch, he could see out to the patio and pool area and beyond to the spacious backyard. Sliding glass doors connected the porch to a family room and kitchen area. Another glass door opened from the porch into the living room. Nice location, sitting on what passes for a hill in Florida. From the second floor, there was a slight ocean view.
He knew this house, had played here as a child, back when she and Al were first married. Towson was entering politics, and this porch had been a popular gathering spot. As he recalled, she received this house in the divorce settlement. Back then, the house was all bright and sparkling. Even allowing for his exaggerated childhood impressions, the place seemed sullied now.
Harsh sunlight flooding the porch didn't enhance Loraine either, still he had to admit she was in good shape. He tried to picture her in a thong as Reid had claimed, but the image wouldn't come. Yeah, he'd probably look twice, but he couldn't imagine she'd actually wear one. "Do you use the pool often?"
"Ah, the interrogation has begun. I notice you checking me out. You're wondering if I work out. Yes, daily at the Club."
He remembered her from before he went off to college. His father had just made police chief. Al Towson had just won the mayoral election. He won in spite of her cleverly exaggerating the bitter divorce proceedings into a major campaign distraction. She would have preferred to stay married and play the mayor's wife, but it didn't happen for her. Sabotaging his campaign seemed the next best thing. Goddard was uncertain what she had been up to the last few years.
"Must be expensive to keep up a place this size."
"Is that code for my house appears shabby? To tell the truth I've been putting off some maintenance because a lot will be changed during the remodeling."
"Big plans?"
"Yes, I've decided to put a major amount of money into renovations." She passed the tea. "They still call you Chip, right?"
Of course, she knew his nickname. She had called him Chipper and wiped his runny nose right here on this porch.
"Before you start asking, I wouldn't say we remained close after the divorce, just civil. We'd chat briefly at parties and such." She turned away from him and began fussing with the glasses. "Some love never fades."