did not, until at last he prompted her. “What sort of friction?”
“He couldn’t get along with Craig. Craig thought he dragged the tempo.”
“Did he?”
“I don’t know.”
“And was he successful in this other band?”
“Very.”
“More so, for example, than he would have been if he had stayed?”
“Probably.”
“But he wasn’t a close friend?”
“No. He had other friends all along. He saw the band as just a job.”
“There have been other drummers?”
“Countless.”
“How did they get along with the band?”
“Fine with Noah and Denny. Craig had his ups and downs with them.”
“The latest is Mr. Jake Zimmerman?”
“Yes.”
“How long has he been with the band?”
“A couple of months.”
“How did you get along with Mr. Shellady, Miss Gabriel?”
“Fine.”
“Did you have your ups and downs?”
“Craig was a very moody person, with a hot temper, but also rather charming.”
“Did you see much of him?”
“Yes, he was at our apartment most of the time.”
“That was a satisfactory arrangement?”
“We were used to it, and it is a large apartment.” Susan took the long bobby pin out of her hair and replaced it with deliberation. “Do you have brothers, Detective Honey?”
“Yes, two.” Alice tried to imagine them.
“Craig was very much my boyfriend’s brother. I had to accept that a long time ago.” She paused, thinking, and then, apparently, decided to go on. “I liked Craig, but I understood his limitations. Denny loved him in spite of them, or maybe because of them, and I had to accept them, too. Denny and Craig were a package deal.”
“What were these limitations?”
“His hot temper wasn’t just a hot temper. It was a kind of psychotic interlude. He would become very, very abusive and paranoid. And he couldn’t manage his money very well.”
“Did he give rein to his temper physically?”
“If you mean, did he hit people, no, he didn’t. He was very eloquent. He didn’t need to hit people.”
“Did he take drugs?”
“Drugs weren’t the reason for his problems. Alcohol made it worse, though, and in the last few years he’s pretty much quit drinking.”
“What do you think was the reason for his problems?”
“His parents were both killed when he was twelve, for one thing. I’ve heard that his father had some problems, but I don’t know. They were killed in a car accident.”
“Mr. Minehart remained loyal to him? To the point of practically living with him?”
“Craig loved Denny, like everyone else. Denny could calm him down, and he never really got mad at Denny. Craig lived withDenny’s family off and on after the accident, except for a couple of years when his aunts and uncles sent him to a military school.”
“He didn’t stay there for long?”
“He attempted suicide, I think.”
“In other words, Craig Shellady was a very troubled person?”
“Not exactly. Not day to day. It sounds worse than it is just listing it like this. He was very charming most of the time. Ask Alice.”
Suddenly both their gazes turned on Alice. She nodded immediately, without thinking. “He was very compelling,” she said, wondering if someone like Honey could understand limitless warmth, limitless oblique and edgy insight. “I can’t describe it.”
“Did he ever abuse you, Miss Ellis?”
“Mrs. No. He hardly ever got mad at women.”
“Sometimes?”
Alice looked at Susan, who said, “He threatened to kill me once. And there was a woman he was deeply involved with a few years ago who brought it out in him.”
“Her name?”
“Iris North.”
Honey wrote the name down. Alice detected a certain elevation in his level of interest, and said, “She’s dead. She died of a drug overdose about six months after they broke up.”
“Did Mr. Shellady take drugs?” This time he meant to be answered. Susan inhaled deeply, to Alice’s dismay. Finally, she said, “Sometimes. Once more than now.”
“What kind of
“He couldn’t get along with Craig. Craig thought he dragged the tempo.”
“Did he?”
“I don’t know.”
“And was he successful in this other band?”
“Very.”
“More so, for example, than he would have been if he had stayed?”
“Probably.”
“But he wasn’t a close friend?”
“No. He had other friends all along. He saw the band as just a job.”
“There have been other drummers?”
“Countless.”
“How did they get along with the band?”
“Fine with Noah and Denny. Craig had his ups and downs with them.”
“The latest is Mr. Jake Zimmerman?”
“Yes.”
“How long has he been with the band?”
“A couple of months.”
“How did you get along with Mr. Shellady, Miss Gabriel?”
“Fine.”
“Did you have your ups and downs?”
“Craig was a very moody person, with a hot temper, but also rather charming.”
“Did you see much of him?”
“Yes, he was at our apartment most of the time.”
“That was a satisfactory arrangement?”
“We were used to it, and it is a large apartment.” Susan took the long bobby pin out of her hair and replaced it with deliberation. “Do you have brothers, Detective Honey?”
“Yes, two.” Alice tried to imagine them.
“Craig was very much my boyfriend’s brother. I had to accept that a long time ago.” She paused, thinking, and then, apparently, decided to go on. “I liked Craig, but I understood his limitations. Denny loved him in spite of them, or maybe because of them, and I had to accept them, too. Denny and Craig were a package deal.”
“What were these limitations?”
“His hot temper wasn’t just a hot temper. It was a kind of psychotic interlude. He would become very, very abusive and paranoid. And he couldn’t manage his money very well.”
“Did he give rein to his temper physically?”
“If you mean, did he hit people, no, he didn’t. He was very eloquent. He didn’t need to hit people.”
“Did he take drugs?”
“Drugs weren’t the reason for his problems. Alcohol made it worse, though, and in the last few years he’s pretty much quit drinking.”
“What do you think was the reason for his problems?”
“His parents were both killed when he was twelve, for one thing. I’ve heard that his father had some problems, but I don’t know. They were killed in a car accident.”
“Mr. Minehart remained loyal to him? To the point of practically living with him?”
“Craig loved Denny, like everyone else. Denny could calm him down, and he never really got mad at Denny. Craig lived withDenny’s family off and on after the accident, except for a couple of years when his aunts and uncles sent him to a military school.”
“He didn’t stay there for long?”
“He attempted suicide, I think.”
“In other words, Craig Shellady was a very troubled person?”
“Not exactly. Not day to day. It sounds worse than it is just listing it like this. He was very charming most of the time. Ask Alice.”
Suddenly both their gazes turned on Alice. She nodded immediately, without thinking. “He was very compelling,” she said, wondering if someone like Honey could understand limitless warmth, limitless oblique and edgy insight. “I can’t describe it.”
“Did he ever abuse you, Miss Ellis?”
“Mrs. No. He hardly ever got mad at women.”
“Sometimes?”
Alice looked at Susan, who said, “He threatened to kill me once. And there was a woman he was deeply involved with a few years ago who brought it out in him.”
“Her name?”
“Iris North.”
Honey wrote the name down. Alice detected a certain elevation in his level of interest, and said, “She’s dead. She died of a drug overdose about six months after they broke up.”
“Did Mr. Shellady take drugs?” This time he meant to be answered. Susan inhaled deeply, to Alice’s dismay. Finally, she said, “Sometimes. Once more than now.”
“What kind of
Similar Books
