Death in the Secret Garden by Richard; Forrest Page A

hook, didn’t it, Skee?’
    â€˜Huh?’
    â€˜She’s dead with your kid.’
    â€˜What are you talking about? I told you we were in high school together.’
    â€˜Her mom says you two did more than share a little homework.’
    â€˜I might have dated her a couple of times.’
    â€˜Do you know what I think, kid?’ Rocco said. ‘I think you’ve been seeing Boots since the eighth grade and I think you’ve been making out with her since then.’
    â€˜I date lots of girls.’
    â€˜She was carrying your baby.’
    â€˜I don’t know that.’
    â€˜Her mom seems to think so.’
    â€˜It coulda been Eddy’s.’
    â€˜Boots’ body is at the medical examiner’s office right now. Suppose I just ring them up and get a DNA report on that unborn child?’
    â€˜Maybe it was mine. I don’t know. She was fooling around with Eddy, too. That’s why her dad came out here and did what he did.’
    Rocco slowly folded his hand around the broom handle and deliberately removed it from the young man’s grip. He tossed it aside. ‘I find it extremely interesting that you’re working for the guy who was making out with your girl. Did you both do her in the trailer over there? What I’m asking is, did you take turns?’
    â€˜I don’t have to listen to that!’
    â€˜Don’t you? Would you prefer we chatted in my lockup?’
    â€˜No.’
    â€˜Then how come you work for Eddy, who was playing around with Boots? I find that strange, kid. In fact, I find that downright weird.’
    â€˜I didn’t know what was going on when he hired me. I needed a part-time job while I’m going to Middleburg Community College. I found out later what was happening between them.’
    â€˜How much later?’
    â€˜I began to have my suspicions,’ Skee said. ‘It got routine that when I came to work at the lot, Eddy would take off. I’d try to call Boots and she was never home when Eddy was gone. She worked the four-to-eleven at the market and should have been home.’
    â€˜So what happened?’
    â€˜The night before last we had it out. She told me Eddy hired me so he would know exactly where I was when they went together. Boots promised me that she was dumping Eddy. She said the relationship wasn’t going anywhere and he would never divorce his wife. She said she was sorry it ever started.’
    â€˜So, she told you the night before she died that she was going to meet Eddy in the state forest?’ Rocco pressed.
    â€˜She didn’t say where she was going to tell him.’
    â€˜Do you know if Eddy had a gun? Maybe a small handgun?’
    â€˜Lots of his customers paid weekly in cash. He was always afraid of robbery so he kept a pistol. It’s somewhere in the office.’
    â€˜Let’s have a look,’ Rocco said as they walked toward the trailer. Lyon helped Rocco search the narrow office. They found a mass of pornographic magazines, stacks of various MVD forms, and bank loan papers from several institutions. There wasn’t any gun of any caliber.
    â€˜Where do you suppose Eddy put that gun you told me about?’ Rocco asked Skee.
    â€˜I don’t know,’ Skee said in a subdued tone that bordered on obsequiousness. Any trace of his initial belligerency had disappeared.
    â€˜Where were you yesterday morning?’ Rocco snapped.
    â€˜I was in school. I had classes all morning at Middleburg Community College. They’re very particular about taking attendance. You can ask them at the administration office.’
    â€˜I will,’ Rocco said. ‘You may rest assured that I will.’
    The governor of the state of Connecticut began to cry.
    Bea Wentworth sat uncomfortably before the desk in the governor’s study at the mansion on Hartford’s Prospect Avenue. While the state’s chief executive fought for composure, Bea turned her