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the news items his Los Angeles girl friend had scissored
from old newspapers, apparently in some library. The
clippings contained her picture and the story of her
disappearance after the Las Vegas episode. They never
were certain what had made Roberts suspicious of her in
the first place, but they did learn he d been on the Coast
himself at that time, October, 1958, on his vacation, just
before he d been suspended from the Houston police
force. Probably he d seen the story and the picture and
remembered them or at least, the picture. She was
beautiful enough to stick in the mind.
The Long Saturday Night 128
It was Clement, of course, who d tried to call her at the
hotel in New Orleans the afternoon she checked out and
came home. He had Denman s report, and was afraid she
was going to be identified and picked up by the police
before she could lose all her money and have to come
home. He must have been scared blue.
It s been ten months now, and the memory of it is
beginning to fade. Ernie took over the Sport Shop and is
making a success of it. We threw out the furnishings of
the apartment in the rear, and he s fitted it out as a first-
class gunsmith s shop. Barbara is still out there in the
office, but not for long. We re going to be married in
January.
I sold the house and moved into an apartment, but
about three months ago I bought a new building site, and
a New Orleans architect is working on the plans now for
the house. The lot it s close to two acres is up there on
the brow of that hill overlooking the town just north of
the city limits, the spot where Barbara and I parked that
night that long Saturday night neither of us will ever
forget. It s a good location, with a fine view.
Barbara agrees; she said I couldn t have made a better
choice.
This afternoon we were in a back booth at Fuller s
having coffee, with a tentative landscaping plan spread
out on the table when Scanlon came in. He saw us and
came back, and pulled a chair over to the end of the
table. He ordered coffee too, took out a cigar, bit the end
off it, and said thoughtfully, You know, I always wanted
to be a best man at a wedding, but somehow I never did
make it. Now, unless you ve got somebody else in mind
Barbara s eyes lighted up. I think that d be wonderful,
don t you, Duke?
Sure, I said. It s great.
Well, that was easy. He struck a match, and held it in
front of his cigar. Here I was all prepared for a lot of
maneuvering, and maybe having to bring a little pressure
to bear.
Pressure? Barbara asked innocently.
The Long Saturday Night 129
On the bride. He blew out the match, studied it for a
moment, and dropped it in the ashtray. I was just
looking up the statute of limitations on a few minor
peccadillos like harboring a fugitive, obstructing justice,
and blackmailing a peace officer, not that I d even dream
of using anything like that if I didn t have to, you
understand.
Barbara grinned. No, of course not.
Especially after the way you talked Duke into throwing
down his guns and coming out of there that night. I ll
always look back on that as one of the great inspirational
moments of my career. I mean, when a peace officer can
command that type of support and cooperation from the
citizens, well, it gives you a warm feeling about the whole
thing.
Well, she said modestly, I thought it was worth a
try.
He nodded. Yes, I gathered that.
He drank his coffee, and looked at the plan, which was
almost unrecognizable now with penciled alterations.
What s all this?
The landscaping, I told him. We ve got it all just
about settled except for this area here in back of the
bedroom wing. I m in favor of a swimming pool, with the
rest of it in flagstone, but Barbara thinks the pool will be
more trouble than it s worth, and that a simple expanse
of lawn looks better anyway.
I see. He looked at his watch, and stood up. I ve got
to get back to work; you go ahead and thresh it out. But
at least I ve got an idea for the wedding present.
What s that? I asked.
A lawn mower, he said.
The Long Saturday Night 130
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