"I'd have stashed some clothes on the beach earlier."

Dean paused. "So how do you split? It's after midnight and you can't drive two cars. The cabs didn't record anything and it's too far to walk. Do you sleep on the beach and leave in the morning?"

"He could have. It was a nice night. But I checked out the morning cab calls too. No dice. Maybe somebody else is involved-a honey. That would answer a lot of questions."

"It doesn't fit with Byrne's lifestyle. In fact, the whole idea of the skip doesn't fit any better than murder or suicide."

Hunter smiled. "Can't say we didn't give it the old college try. Unless his body floats in with a bullet hole in the head or he gets pinched for speeding in Vegas, it's going down as an accident in my report."

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After leaving the room, Hunter stopped by a green Ford with Pennsylvania license plates. "That's his car. The insurance boys at the local office are picking it up tonight." Hunter took out a set of keys and unlocked the doors and trunk. "Check it out."

"Looks brand new."

"Damn near is-only 3,000 miles. It's a pool car-random assignment. I guess he lucked out and got a new one for this trip."

The glove compartment contained a registration in the name of World Wide Insurance Company and maps of the east coast states. There was a log listing mileage and dates in a variety of dif­ferent handwritings. The latest entry dated Monday showed a mileage figure and the starting point of Parkside, Pennsylvania.

"There was nothing else in the car, except this." Hunter held out a small scrap of paper. Dean looked at the bottom half of a small register receipt showing the amount of $59.95. The top half, which might have identified the date and the store was missing as if the slip had been torn in two. "Not here long, as new as the car is. It might have even blown in the open window from a passing car."

"Or maybe that half blew back in the window when someone tore it in two and tossed it."

"That's why I'm hanging on to it," Hunter answered.

Dean looked at the odometer and then at the mileage log. The figures differed.

"The mileage checks pretty good. The log stays with the car. Looks like he recorded it when he got here, then put another 23 miles on it, running to the office and around town."

"The trunk's clean too," Hunter remarked as Dean moved around to look. He lifted up the mat as Hunter added, "The spare never touched the ground-usually doesn't nowadays. Not like the old times. If I had a buck for every flat I fixed, I could retire...no pun intended."




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