“Nothing out of the ordinary. Pauline’s a friendly gal. She’d talk to anyone.” His eyes were far away, bringing up a memory that was still etched in his mind. “He was quieter, but not by much. I know that Pauline’s missing. The sergeant and I had a conversation about it, right?”

“We did,” Quay said. “You said that Elsie and Pauline would come here.”

Jim said, “Pauline used to be a regular, but after she hooked up with Elsie, the visits weren’t so often. They’d pop in … play pool for about an hour. They ordered sodas and bar food. I think Elsie was trying to keep Pauline sober.”

“Pauline could throw them down?” McAdams asked.

“She could hold her own.”

Decker tapped the photo. “What did Pauline drink when she was with this man?”

“What did she drink?” A pause. “Not soda, that’s for sure.” Another pause. “Don’t hold me to it, but I seem to recall both of them putting back shots with a beer chaser.”

“How many shots?”

“Maybe three or four over an hour. Nothing crazy.”

A patron yelled, “Hey, Jim, can I get a refill?”

“Sorry, Barry. Coming up.” He looked at the trio. “Excuse me.”

They waited until he was done serving. Quay drank his beer, then took a handful of pretzels. “Not much lunch today.”

Jim came back over. “Refill, Sarge?”

“Nah, this is fine.”

“Okay.” A pause. “Is Pauline dead?”

“She is deceased, unfortunately,” Decker said.

“And you think this guy in the picture did it?”

“He’s a person of interest. Elsie Schulung is still missing, so she is also a person of interest.”

“I can’t see Elsie harming Pauline. They were … you know.”

“Involved,” McAdams said.

“Ye-ah. A surprise to me. Pauline liked men. But I guess she was a switch hitter. Who is this guy, by the way?”

“His name is Brock Baer,” Decker said. “How many times did you see him with Pauline?”

“Just the one time, as far as I can recall.”

Quay said, “If you happen to see him again, let me know.”

“No prob,” Jim said.

Decker said, “And you say they stayed here for around an hour?”

“About.”

“Do you remember when they left? The time?”

Jim thought a moment. “After ten probably. The place was still crowded.”

“Did you sense any tension between them when they left?”

“I don’t remember,” Jim told him. “I was busy. They weren’t yelling and screaming at each other, if that’s what you’re asking.” Another shout, calling for the bartender. People were coming in. “I’ve got to run.”

“Thanks so much. Just one more question,” Decker said. “Any idea where they’d go after they left the Mule?”

“Probably another bar,” Jim said. “They didn’t look like they were done for the night. You know, when people drink, it doesn’t take much to go from a good time to one too many.”