“I think that’s the least of your problems,” said Trimble, walking around the room. On top of the dresser, next to the television, he found a small folder. “What’s this, Eddie? These look like airplane tickets.” He took them out of their folder. “Let’s have a look here. Rio? You’re going to Rio? Now, here’s something interesting. There’s no return ticket here. That’s really dumb, Eddie. That just makes people suspicious. Even if you aren’t planning to come back, you buy a return ticket.”

“I just wanted to get away, just for a few days, a little break, get some sun, you know, just a little break.” He looked pitiful sitting in the middle of the king-size bed. “I wasn’t sure exactly what day I was coming back, you know, like maybe Wednesday, but maybe Thursday, could be Saturday, you know, depends.”

“I see. And you’re going alone? No ticket for the missus?”

“We like to take separate vacations sometimes. It’s good for a marriage, you know? Kind of heats things up, once you get back.” He tried to smile, force a laugh. I tried to picture things heating up between Eddie and Mrs. Mayhew.

Trimble pulled up a chair, sat down by the foot of the bed. “Have any idea why I’m here, Eddie?”

He shrugged, smiled. “Honestly, for the life of me, I can’t begin to guess. You’ve got me. I’m absolutely dumfounded. This is a total bafflement to me.”

“Barbie Bullock sent me.”

Eddie’s grin evaporated. When he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbed. “Really? He sent you to find me? What for? Why would a guy like that want anything to do with me?”

“He got a big surprise tonight. He was tearing apart that car, the one he told you he was interested in, the one you gave him the address for, of the guy who bought it at the auction?”

“Sure, yeah, I remember. It’s sort of coming back to me. I was just a bit fuzzy there for a minute. Was there a problem? Car not start or something?”

Now Trimble chuckled. “There was nothing in the car, Eddie. Nothing at all.”

Absolute astonishment. “Are you serious?” Eddie, still holding on to his toes, shook his head in wonderment. “That’s crazy, totally crazy, unbelievable, totally totally unbelievable.”

“The stuff’s missing,” Trimble said. “And then, what do you know, here you are in a hotel, ready to fly off to Rio with a one-way ticket, your closet cleaned out at home, and your wife has no idea that you were planning a little getaway.”

“You talked to Rita? You didn’t talk to Rita, did you?”

Trimble nodded. “She’s very upset. I think she’d like to take a vacation, too. Maybe to visit her sister in Milwaukee.”