Upside Down by John Ramsey Miller

Author:John Ramsey Miller [Miller, John Ramsey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Suspense, Espionage, Fiction, General, Psychological, Mystery & Detective, Suspense Fiction, Action & Adventure, Murder, Assassins, New Orleans (La.), United States marshals, Massey; Winter (Fictitious Character)
ISBN: 9780553583403
Publisher: Dell
Published: 2005-06-28T00:00:00+00:00

47

Winter parked in front of the house next door to the Porter residence, a narrow wood-frame raised shotgun. He climbed from his car and noticed a woman peering out at him through the screen door of the next house over. Most of the houses in the uptown neighborhood were attractive, the yards well kept. The Porter house was light gray with dark gray shutters, a burgundy-painted concrete porch, and a glass-panel burgundy front door. A picket fence stretched across the front, but the fence running down either side of the lot was of hurricane wire. A freestanding cinder-block garage beside the house was painted the same gray as the house.

“Hello there,” he called cheerfully to the woman.

She opened the door and came out on the porch, wiping her hands on the apron she was wearing to protect her cotton housedress. She was thin, probably in her late sixties, and wore her hair in a bun. She had a noticeable mustache.

“Can I help you, young man?”

He opened her gate and stepped into her yard, which unlike the Porters' was filled to bursting with raised flower beds, enough plants to fill a nursery. Dozens of flower pots cut the porch's usable sitting space down to the rocking chair she occupied.

“I'm U.S. Deputy Marshal Winter Massey. Can I talk to you for a moment?”

“I expect you want to ask about Mrs. Porter,” she replied, shaking her head. “Nice lady. Her daughter is a sweet girl. Y'all find her yet?”

“When did you see her last?”

“I saw them both a couple of days ago. I always speak to them, and they are friendly enough, but they kind of stay to themselves. Faith Ann is sweet and very smart. Most kids her age aren't nearly as nice or able to have conversations with adults. I sure hope she's okay. It's just horrible what happened. I told the other police that I'd call if I saw her.”

Winter said, “I'm a friend of Kimberly's sister and her husband, and Faith Ann is a close friend of my son's. I'm trying to find her on my own.”

“Are you sure . . . Are you really a policeman?”

“I'm a United States marshal.”

“Could you show me?”

He came up to the porch and handed her up his badge and I.D.

“Thought you might be a reporter. Several been by to ask me a lot of questions too, but I couldn't help them. Truth is, I only made small talk with the Porters over the fence, how neighbors do. I gave her a recipe here and there. Faith Ann was the one who generally cooked, because her mama wasn't interested in it. I know Mrs. Porter worshipped that girl and vice versa.” She smiled. “They would sit on the porch and talk and laugh and went almost everywhere together. Close, don't you see. Like best friends. They liked keeping their own company.”

The woman handed Winter back his badge case. “I'm Clara Hughes.”

“Nice to meet you. So, how many policemen searched the house?”

“Let me think .

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