officer’s rescue.
“That’s not necessary, mayor. Marty called out, trying to be as diplomatic as possible.
The mayor, who was as wide as he was tall, had a tendency to try and throw his weight around. Marty knew that Paul Knox was more hot air than substance, and he knew that the mayor knew that he knew it.
The minute Knox saw Marty at the top of the stairs, his whole attitude changed.
“Marty! Good, you’re here. This imbecile won’t let us see my stepdaughter. She needs her mother right now.”
Katie ’s mother stood behind him, looking intimidated. Although Marty was well acquainted with Paul Knox, he had never met the mayor’s second wife. The platinum blonde was at least three inches taller than her husband, even though she was wearing flats.
Marty nodded to the young officer who had been trying to keep the mayor from gaining access to the interrogation room.
“It’s okay, Stiskin, I got this.”
Relieved, the young officer made his way back down the stairs, deliberately bumping the husky politician as he passed him on the narrow stairwell, tipping his hat to the mayor’s wife as he descended.
The mayor watched intently and waited for the officer to get out of sight before he climbed to the top of the landing in an unsuccessful effort to appear closer to Marty’s eye level.
“What the hell happened, Keal, what is this about Katie being a witness to a murder?”
He must have recalled at that moment he was with his wife, who appeared frozen a few steps below him, because he suddenly turned his attention to her. He climbed back down a few steps and placed one chubby palm under her elbow, guiding her up the rest of the stairs.
“Your stepdaughter is fine, Paul. I was just going to get her a soft drink. Can I get something for either of you? Mrs. Knox?”
“No, nothing, thank you. Can I see my daughter?” the blonde asked him.
Marty took a good look at the woman. She had the same exotic features that made her daughter so striking and conceded that the woman was probably quite beautiful once herself. But now the mayor’s wife looked tired and worn. He could hear his father’s voice as he recalled one of the old man’s favorite expressions: “Rode hard and put up wet” seemed a fitting way to describe the lady.
Marty turned to Frank, who had been standing on the sidelines watching the exchange.
“Frank, could you bring a few refreshments up? I’ll bring them to see Katie.”
“Yeah, sure, Marty. Mayor, can I get you a soda?”
With a smile and a wink, Frank signaled to Marty that the older and more experienced detective wasn’t insulted that Marty was taking the lead in the investigation.
Turning back to the mayor and the second Mrs. Knox, Marty motioned for them to follow him.
“Tell me what’s going on, Marty.” He once again resorted to acting passive and friendly. Paul Knox, the career politician and occasional attorney, was never without a motive. The mayor calculated that the familiarity would allow Marty to speak more freely.
Marty turned and leaned his back against the door of the room where Katie waited.
“One of Katie’s friends was murdered last night, Paul; we’re trying to find out what happened.”
“Who?” Katie’s mother grabbed her husband’s hand. “What friend?”
“A girl named Jamie Camp. Do you know her?” Marty asked looking directly at the blonde woman.
She gasped, bringing her hand to cover her mouth. “Oh my God—Jamie? How?”
“What does this have to do with Katie, Marty?” The mayor put a protective arm around his wife.
“Did either of you know that Katie wasn’t home last night?” He once again directed his question to the girl’s mother.
“She said she was spending the night at Tiffany’s. I didn’t think that Katie had anything to do with Jam…” she stopped midsentence and turned to her husband. Marty could
“That’s not necessary, mayor. Marty called out, trying to be as diplomatic as possible.
The mayor, who was as wide as he was tall, had a tendency to try and throw his weight around. Marty knew that Paul Knox was more hot air than substance, and he knew that the mayor knew that he knew it.
The minute Knox saw Marty at the top of the stairs, his whole attitude changed.
“Marty! Good, you’re here. This imbecile won’t let us see my stepdaughter. She needs her mother right now.”
Katie ’s mother stood behind him, looking intimidated. Although Marty was well acquainted with Paul Knox, he had never met the mayor’s second wife. The platinum blonde was at least three inches taller than her husband, even though she was wearing flats.
Marty nodded to the young officer who had been trying to keep the mayor from gaining access to the interrogation room.
“It’s okay, Stiskin, I got this.”
Relieved, the young officer made his way back down the stairs, deliberately bumping the husky politician as he passed him on the narrow stairwell, tipping his hat to the mayor’s wife as he descended.
The mayor watched intently and waited for the officer to get out of sight before he climbed to the top of the landing in an unsuccessful effort to appear closer to Marty’s eye level.
“What the hell happened, Keal, what is this about Katie being a witness to a murder?”
He must have recalled at that moment he was with his wife, who appeared frozen a few steps below him, because he suddenly turned his attention to her. He climbed back down a few steps and placed one chubby palm under her elbow, guiding her up the rest of the stairs.
“Your stepdaughter is fine, Paul. I was just going to get her a soft drink. Can I get something for either of you? Mrs. Knox?”
“No, nothing, thank you. Can I see my daughter?” the blonde asked him.
Marty took a good look at the woman. She had the same exotic features that made her daughter so striking and conceded that the woman was probably quite beautiful once herself. But now the mayor’s wife looked tired and worn. He could hear his father’s voice as he recalled one of the old man’s favorite expressions: “Rode hard and put up wet” seemed a fitting way to describe the lady.
Marty turned to Frank, who had been standing on the sidelines watching the exchange.
“Frank, could you bring a few refreshments up? I’ll bring them to see Katie.”
“Yeah, sure, Marty. Mayor, can I get you a soda?”
With a smile and a wink, Frank signaled to Marty that the older and more experienced detective wasn’t insulted that Marty was taking the lead in the investigation.
Turning back to the mayor and the second Mrs. Knox, Marty motioned for them to follow him.
“Tell me what’s going on, Marty.” He once again resorted to acting passive and friendly. Paul Knox, the career politician and occasional attorney, was never without a motive. The mayor calculated that the familiarity would allow Marty to speak more freely.
Marty turned and leaned his back against the door of the room where Katie waited.
“One of Katie’s friends was murdered last night, Paul; we’re trying to find out what happened.”
“Who?” Katie’s mother grabbed her husband’s hand. “What friend?”
“A girl named Jamie Camp. Do you know her?” Marty asked looking directly at the blonde woman.
She gasped, bringing her hand to cover her mouth. “Oh my God—Jamie? How?”
“What does this have to do with Katie, Marty?” The mayor put a protective arm around his wife.
“Did either of you know that Katie wasn’t home last night?” He once again directed his question to the girl’s mother.
“She said she was spending the night at Tiffany’s. I didn’t think that Katie had anything to do with Jam…” she stopped midsentence and turned to her husband. Marty could
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