page74 (1/2)

“How long is this going to take?” I asked

“Trust me You’ll like this Get up, Boxer”

I threw a big sigh, gulped down halffor?”

We took the stairs down to the lobby, left by the rear door, and speed-walked along the breezeway to Harriet Street, where a standard gray Chevy squad car was parked under the overpass Conklin took the wheel, and we headed out toward the Mission District

Over the crackle of the police radio, my partner started to fill me in

“I spent Friday afternoon at Millie’s favorite homeless shelter”

“I take it you learned so useful?” I turned up the heat, turned down the radio

“I did,” Conklin said “Millie’s o she married an accountant by the name of Ronald Dunn”

“She’s married?” I said “Jeez Did anyone notify her husband?”

“He died fifteen years ago of a heart attack She told us that she has two adult kids—we didn’t ask their names But I have an address”

“For?”

“You shall see,” he told me

We cruised through the gritty commercial section of the Mission, which broke out into the residential community of Eureka Valley This is an upscale area, lined with the lovely Victorian homes our town is known for

I was sightseeing as we drove up hilly Collingwood Street—when Conklin pulled the car up to a gray wood-frame house It was nice, plain, well kept, and it looked like it had been built in the reen Kia in the driveith a Berkeley sticker in the rear

I said, “Who lives here?”