Chapter 21

Harm grinned, thinking how far off base she was, and decided to throw her a bone. "Carl Travis was Vietnamese, not Italian, so no blood feud."

"Well, we're waiting for the carbon dating on the bones to give us some idea when all this happened.

If it's recent enough, he might still have family around here."

"When that report comes in, I will need it too. You can leave the tracking down of the family to me. I just need the time and cause of death from you."

'Does he really think I am that naive?' Jordan thought, but she just smiled and nodded.

"So, are we still on for lunch today?" Harm asked.

"Sure, why not," she said. Hiding the elation she felt at the prospect of getting more information out of him. Jordan knew from experience, once that first slip was made, the rest came much easier.

He grinned at her, and suggested that he meet her here at noon.

Jordan agreed, figuring that would give her enough time for a quick visit to Clara Rose.

Entering Clara's shop, and seeing the woman for the first time, Jordan was sorry she had teased Woody about this woman being wacky! She was odd, even by Jordan's standards! The purple hair and the far out glasses were just the beginning. Clara had on more necklaces and bracelets than Jordan owned! She wore a floor length caftan and what Jordan's mother used to call house shoes. She was definitely a sight.

"Helloooo, Dearie…aren't you a pretty little thing…you know there was a day when I was young and slim like you, and OH did the boys chase me…but I would never let them catch me because that wouldn't have been proper…but I bet you've been caught Dearie…a young pretty girl like you…"

Jordan jumped into the soliloquy for fear Clara would never stop talking if she didn't. "Ms. Rose, I'm here about the murder you reported twenty five years ago."

"Oh, Dearie, are you with the police?"

"No, I'm with the ME's office," Jordan told her. At Clara's blank stare, she elaborated, "The Medical Examiners office."

"Oh…just like Quincy! Pity they took that show off the air…that Quincy was one incredible doctor…too bad he only worked on dead folks…he was so handsome…and his partner Sam was good looking too…even if he was a foreigner…I bet you have a partner too Dearie?"

"Well, I'm working with Detective Hoyt on the case. We…"

"Oh…so you are the nice Detective's lady!…you must let me read the cards for you…his reading didn't go as planned…" Clara took Jordan by the hand and led her into the small alcove. Handing her the cards she gave the same instructions she had given Woody.

"Really, I didn't come here for this, I just came to ask some questions!" Jordan protested.

"Oh, but, Dearie, all questions can be answered by the cards! The cards know all!"

"Do they know what you saw twenty five years ago?" Jordan inserted.

"Why, whatever do you mean, Dearie?" Clara asked.

"I am trying to find out more about what you witnessed twenty five years ago. If you could go over it with me, I would appreciate it very much."

"Certainly, Dearie!" she said with enthusiasm. "I saw the car pull up and three men got out…then two of them were talking in a language I didn't understand…the third one didn't say anything until after the shouting started…one of the little men…not little green men you understand…just little men…kinda like Mr. Sulu from Star Trek…that was a great show…I will never understand how their five year mission ended in only three years…started running…then the shooting started…"

Jordan was lost for a moment in all the babble, then shook her head to clear it and asked, "Shooting? Do you remember how many shots were fired?"

"Of course I do, Dearie…I'm not senile you know…I may be a bit dotty…but not senile…there were three…in all…but by that time I was on the floor…well…not really on the floor…but bending down to the floor to pick up the pieces of my tea mug…I had dropped it…and it broke…it was my favorite…it was blue…and had roses on it…I was sort of hiding from the men…so they wouldn't see me…"

"Three shots?" Jordan interrupted; afraid that if she didn't the woman would chatter on all day. "We only found signs of two bullets."

"Oh, that's because one of them hit the telephone pole out there!"

"How do you know that?" Jordan demanded.

"Well Dearie…when I called the police…I got to talk to that nice Officer Mitchell…they didn't come until the next day…not Officer Mitchell you understand…when they did get here…two nice detectives…I knew they were detectives you see…they were wearing plain clothes…like in that show Dragnet…they didn't find a body…or bullets…or even any blood …they said that they didn't find anything…"

"Shot twice and no blood?"

"Well…after the shooting there had been a bad rain…so of course…all that poor dear man's blood had been washed away…he was very polite when I talked to him…"

"You TALKED to him!"

To be continued….