Death of the Black-Haired Girl

27

WHEN OFFICER BLANKENSHIP brought Salmone the bulletin from Boone announcing the apprehension of John Clammer, he immediately telephoned Shelby Magoffin’s dorm room. When she answered, he asked her to stay where she was. He also called Polhemus, to do what he could to control the press hordes that he suspected might be making their way to the campus.

When Salmone got to Shelby’s room, he was cross.

“Why didn’t you tell us your husband was obsessed with Maud’s piece in the Gazette?”

“’Cause he wasn’t. He mentioned it but he wasn’t bent out of shape or anything. The preacher down there must have been working on him. There’s this dude named Dr. Fumes likes his name in the paper. He’s been trying to work up a tabloid story about me and John.”

“You didn’t mention the protection order you had on him.”

“Look, the protection wasn’t even valid in this state. I put it in at the office here because I thought I might need it. I never thought he was a threat to Maud.”

“Well, he’s down in Kentucky confessing to Maud’s murder.”

Shell fell vertically on her sofa, landing on the seat of her pants.

“What?”

“The police down there are giving a press conference in half an hour.”

“I don’t believe it!” Shell said. “Hey, Lieutenant, John Clammer was either in jail or the hospital over that weekend. He never came around here. My mother checks up on him.”

About half an hour later the cable news station announced the cancellation of John Clammer’s press conference. He had been accounted for in custody on the night in question.