It had been several months since Seth had been inside the building, but it looked no different now than it had then. The room they entered served as the dining room, and rows of tables lined the floor. Folding chairs had been placed at each spot, which would later in the evening provide a seat for a hungry person to enjoy a free meal.
The banging of pots and pans echoed from the room at the back, and he headed to the door that led into that area of the building. He stopped just inside the kitchen with Callie behind him and let his gaze drift over the room. Steam rose from several large pots on a stove where a woman wearing a long, white apron appeared to be overseeing their progress. Another woman chopped vegetables at a table, and a third looked up from smoothing the icing on top of a cake.
“Hello, may I help you?”
Seth nodded. “I’d like to see Dorothy Tipton if she’s available.”
The woman wiped her hands on her apron and walked over to them. “Mrs. Tipton is in her office down the hall. Who should I tell her wants to speak with her?”
Seth pulled out his badge. “Detective Seth Dawtry with the Memphis Police.”
She nodded and stepped around them. “Follow me.”
They followed her down a narrow hallway that led from the dining room toward the back of the building and stopped outside a closed door. She knocked on the door. “Mrs. Tipton?”
“Yes.” The muffled voice could barely be heard through the closed door.
“There’s someone here to see you.”
A moment later the door opened, and a woman who looked to be in her late fifties stood before them. “Who is it?”
“He’s a police officer, Mrs. Tipton. He needs to speak with you.”
She glanced past the woman to Seth. “Of course. Won’t you come in?”
The woman from the kitchen stepped out of the way, and Callie and Seth walked into the room. Mrs. Tipton pointed to two chairs facing the desk. “Please have a seat.”
“Thank you,” Seth said as he and Callie took their seats.
Mrs. Tipton waited until they were settled before she walked behind her desk and sat in the chair there. She folded her hands and leaned forward. “Now how may I help you?”
Seth straightened in his chair. “I’m Detective Seth Dawtry with the Memphis PD, and this is my friend Dr. Callie Lattimer. Her uncle is Judge Dan Lattimer. You may know him.”
A sad look creased her face, and she looked at Callie. “I do. I was so sorry to hear he’s been in an accident. How is he doing?”
“He’s holding his own. We’re very hopeful he’s going to be all right.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“We’re here, Mrs. Tipton,” Seth said, “because we thought you might be able to help us with something. The police have reason to believe that one of the people who might have been responsible for Judge Lattimer’s wreck was Carlos Allen, who seems to have a long history with this mission. I wondered if you could tell us anything about him.”
She chewed on her lip and nodded. “I know Carlos. This mission also serves as a type of halfway house where individuals can do court-ordered community service hours. Through the years Carlos has served a lot of time here. I’ve always liked him, and I believe he could really make something of his life. But he’s never been able to break away from that criminal mentality he’s had for years. I haven’t seen him in a while, so I hoped he was finally doing better.”