Dead Ends by Don Easton Page B

was genuine. “I love you, you know.”
    â€œI love you, too.” She eyed Jack’s hand again. Punching a car door was not his style. She gave him a quick kiss on his cheek and said, “Let’s go find that corkscrew … then we’ll talk … and don’t try to bullshit me or I’ll use that plunger on you.”
    â€œI could think of a nicer way to get a hickey,” replied Jack.
    â€œHickey? Wasn’t what I had in mind. You would need a proctologist when I was done.”
    * * *
    It was seven o’clock Friday morning when Jack arrived back at Gabriel’s house with cleaning supplies. The blood was sprayed high enough up the back of the house that he needed to borrow a ladder from a neighbour. As he scrubbed the streams of dried blood off the aluminium siding he reflected on the violent, uncontrollable rage of the person who did the murder. This is one animal I will find …
    * * *
    Later that afternoon, Connie returned to Jack and Laura’s office. Any optimism she had disappeared when they both gave her the thumbs-down signal.
    â€œHow about you?” asked Jack.
    â€œNot a thing on the Varrick house. The parents went grocery shopping and to the liquor store and that was it.”
    â€œHow about the crime scene?” asked Laura.
    Connie shook her head and said, “We canvassed the neighbourhood and there was nothing of interest.” She eyed Jack curiously and said, “I heard you were there this morning, making like a janitor.”
    Jack shrugged in response.
    â€œYou should have asked me,” said Laura. “I would have helped.”
    â€œIt was no big deal,” replied Jack. “I was awake early.” More like I hardly slept from grinding my teeth all night …
    â€œIt was good of you,” said Connie. “Anyway, I’ve even taking to interviewing winos. I’ve talked to four of them so far. There’s a liquor store about a block away from Gabriel’s. I’m posting a member there every day for the next week. Also got Forensics collecting prints from empty wine bottles we’ve found in a vacant lot down the alley to identify others.”
    â€œInterviewing winos,” mused Jack. “I heard recruitment for your section was down, but I hadn’t realized how desperate you had become.”
    â€œSmartass,” replied Connie. “No, from what we’ve been told, there were at least a dozen different winos who used Gabriel’s yard to get out of the rain. I’m going on a possible theory, with the way Father Brown was dressed, that he might have gone outside to chase some winos away and saw something he shouldn’t have. Then again, he might have seen one of the dopers doing something and went out to investigate.”
    â€œSo you’re hoping to come up with a drunk as a witness,” said Jack. “Bet the courts will love that.”
    â€œChrist,” replied Connie. “The reason I’m telling you is to show how desperate I am. We need to find Varrick!”
    â€œIf you’re that desperate, want me to try a quick UC call to his parents?” asked Jack.
    â€œIf you could think of something that wouldn’t heat him up, go for it,” replied Connie.
    â€œI’ll think of something,” replied Jack. “Wait in the hall and close the door and make sure nobody walks in during the call.”
    Jack waited until Connie left and closed the office door before glancing at Laura and saying, “I thought it better that Connie not hear. Don’t want her to have to tell a judge and have the case thrown out by saying it put justice into disrepute.”
    â€œThe lawyer act?” smiled Laura.
    Jack nodded as he thumbed through a file. “I have Varrick’s parents’ number … need to find out what lawyer is representing him on his drug charge.”
    â€œIt’s Basil Westmount from the law firm of Manhattan, Westmount, and