being that he lost all of your money for you.”
“That’s a crock,” Duncan told her.
Bernie jumped in to the conversation. “It doesn’t seem that way to me,” she said. “Judging from your reaction, we seem to have hit the mark.”
“A lot you know,” Duncan said.
Bernie looked up at Duncan. “Then enlighten us,” she challenged him.
“Let me tell you something,” Duncan said, glowering down at her. “Sweeney might have screwed me over, but that was nothing compared to what he did to the other guys. I’m not married. I don’t have dependents. And anyway, I’ll make the money back easy enough. I made it the first time and I’ll do it again. Sweeney got a little more complicated than he should have. It happens.” He paused to take a breath. “I don’t know why I’m talking to you guys about this. I thought you were hired to help me.”
“We are,” Bernie said. “And we will.”
“This is what you consider helping?” Duncan demanded. “You two are worse than the DA.”
“We just need to know all the facts,” Libby explained.
Duncan put up his hands. “You already know them.”
“I think there’s more,” Bernie said.
“There isn’t,” Duncan said. “I’ve already told you everything I know.”
“No, you haven’t,” Bernie said.
Duncan didn’t say anything. After a minute had passed Bernie motioned for Libby to get up.
“Fine,” she said to Duncan. “If you want to waste your aunt’s money, that’s fine with me. If you want to go to jail, that’s your business not mine.”
“I’m not going to jail,” Duncan retorted.
“I think maybe you are,” Libby answered.
“No friggin’ way,” Duncan shot back.
Libby zipped up her sweatshirt. “Here’s something to think about. Given your conne Cen /spctions in this town, I don’t think the DA would have moved to have you arrested if he didn’t have a good case, a case he thought he could win. Are you sure there isn’t anything else you want to tell us before we go?”
“Yes,” Duncan said.
“Fine,” Libby said, and started for the door. Bernie followed. They were almost there when Duncan called out to them.
“Stop,” he said.
Libby and Bernie both turned.
Duncan was standing there looking down at the floor and plucking at the hem of his shirt.
“We’re waiting,” Libby said when Duncan didn’t say anything.
Duncan looked up and bit his lip. “It’s just that this is hard,” he said.
“No doubt,” Bernie said.
“It makes things look worse.”
“Did you kill Sweeney?” Libby asked.
“No. Of course not,” Duncan cried. Then he went back to looking at the floor.
“You don’t seem so sure,” Libby said.
Duncan didn’t say anything. The sisters waited.
“Okay, okay,” Duncan finally said to them after a moment had gone by. “Truth ...”
“Truth,” Bernie replied.
“The truth is I don’t know, because I don’t remember anything,” Duncan said.
“I don’t get it,” Libby said.
Duncan waved his arms in the air. He looked on the brink of tears. Suddenly Libby felt bad for him.
“I don’t remember anything. The last thing I remember is having a drink at RJ’s and the next thing I know I’m waking up in my bed the next morning with a hangover you wouldn’t believe.”
“How many drinks did you have?” Bernie asked him.
“One. A beer.”
“So you blacked out at the party when you threatened to kill Sweeney?” Libby asked.
“Yeah. But that was because I had five Singapore Slings and a couple of shots, and anyway I was lying.”
“About remembering?” Bernie asked.
Duncan looked away. “Yeah.”
“Go on,” Bernie said.
Duncan rubbed his hands together and looked down at the floor. “I say things when I drink... .” His voice trailed off. “But as to this blacking out thing—that’s never happened to me before. Not after one drink.” He lifted up his head, looked Bernie and Libby in the eyes, and put his hand up. “I swear.” He turned to
“That’s a crock,” Duncan told her.
Bernie jumped in to the conversation. “It doesn’t seem that way to me,” she said. “Judging from your reaction, we seem to have hit the mark.”
“A lot you know,” Duncan said.
Bernie looked up at Duncan. “Then enlighten us,” she challenged him.
“Let me tell you something,” Duncan said, glowering down at her. “Sweeney might have screwed me over, but that was nothing compared to what he did to the other guys. I’m not married. I don’t have dependents. And anyway, I’ll make the money back easy enough. I made it the first time and I’ll do it again. Sweeney got a little more complicated than he should have. It happens.” He paused to take a breath. “I don’t know why I’m talking to you guys about this. I thought you were hired to help me.”
“We are,” Bernie said. “And we will.”
“This is what you consider helping?” Duncan demanded. “You two are worse than the DA.”
“We just need to know all the facts,” Libby explained.
Duncan put up his hands. “You already know them.”
“I think there’s more,” Bernie said.
“There isn’t,” Duncan said. “I’ve already told you everything I know.”
“No, you haven’t,” Bernie said.
Duncan didn’t say anything. After a minute had passed Bernie motioned for Libby to get up.
“Fine,” she said to Duncan. “If you want to waste your aunt’s money, that’s fine with me. If you want to go to jail, that’s your business not mine.”
“I’m not going to jail,” Duncan retorted.
“I think maybe you are,” Libby answered.
“No friggin’ way,” Duncan shot back.
Libby zipped up her sweatshirt. “Here’s something to think about. Given your conne Cen /spctions in this town, I don’t think the DA would have moved to have you arrested if he didn’t have a good case, a case he thought he could win. Are you sure there isn’t anything else you want to tell us before we go?”
“Yes,” Duncan said.
“Fine,” Libby said, and started for the door. Bernie followed. They were almost there when Duncan called out to them.
“Stop,” he said.
Libby and Bernie both turned.
Duncan was standing there looking down at the floor and plucking at the hem of his shirt.
“We’re waiting,” Libby said when Duncan didn’t say anything.
Duncan looked up and bit his lip. “It’s just that this is hard,” he said.
“No doubt,” Bernie said.
“It makes things look worse.”
“Did you kill Sweeney?” Libby asked.
“No. Of course not,” Duncan cried. Then he went back to looking at the floor.
“You don’t seem so sure,” Libby said.
Duncan didn’t say anything. The sisters waited.
“Okay, okay,” Duncan finally said to them after a moment had gone by. “Truth ...”
“Truth,” Bernie replied.
“The truth is I don’t know, because I don’t remember anything,” Duncan said.
“I don’t get it,” Libby said.
Duncan waved his arms in the air. He looked on the brink of tears. Suddenly Libby felt bad for him.
“I don’t remember anything. The last thing I remember is having a drink at RJ’s and the next thing I know I’m waking up in my bed the next morning with a hangover you wouldn’t believe.”
“How many drinks did you have?” Bernie asked him.
“One. A beer.”
“So you blacked out at the party when you threatened to kill Sweeney?” Libby asked.
“Yeah. But that was because I had five Singapore Slings and a couple of shots, and anyway I was lying.”
“About remembering?” Bernie asked.
Duncan looked away. “Yeah.”
“Go on,” Bernie said.
Duncan rubbed his hands together and looked down at the floor. “I say things when I drink... .” His voice trailed off. “But as to this blacking out thing—that’s never happened to me before. Not after one drink.” He lifted up his head, looked Bernie and Libby in the eyes, and put his hand up. “I swear.” He turned to
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