with their ambitions lightly, in my estimation. And those ambitions appeared to include Cas.
“What does this have to do with Keith Landry’s death?” Mike asked when I tried to explain all this.
“Fair question,” I admitted as we joined other spectators weaving around parked vehicles in search of their own. “But if Blue Hair has a mishap, I say we look right at Heather and her mama.”
He rolled his eyes, but had no time for more because his phone rang. One glance at Caller ID, and he answered quickly.
“Hi, Aunt Gee. Yes, I’m coming Sunday. I don’t know. That hasn’t been decided yet.” His eyes cut toward me. “Uh-huh . . . uh-huh . . . Oh . . . uh-huh. Okay. Yes, ma’am. I will. Thank you.”
He ended the call as we reached his four-wheel drive. The vehicle’s outside blended unpretentiously with those around it. Inside, it offered the luxuries befitting his status as a former pro football player, without slipping into flashy. It was a lot like Paycik.
His Aunt Gee—Gisella—was the long-time dispatcher for and acknowledged queen of the county sheriff’s department’s unit in the town of O’Hara Hill. She’d provided invaluable help in the Foster Redus investigation. I’d worried she might be in danger of losing her job. But since the sheriff was being recalled by voters, going after Aunt Gee appeared unlikely.
While being more circumspect, she’d also provided a mild tidbit or two in the weeks since. So, I was strongly tempted to whack Mike upside the head and demand to know what his aunt had said. On the other hand, she might have been calling on a family matter that was none of my business.
“Mind a detour, instead of going right to the station?” he asked.
“To?”
“The sheriff’s department. I have this sudden hunch Deputy Alvaro might have something interesting to tell us.”
Chapter Six
“OH, GOD.”
“Now, is that nice, Deputy Alvaro?”
“I should have known. If you’re . . . ” He looked around, saw other deputies in earshot. Instead of finishing, he sighed. “In here.”
“Is this an interrogation room?” I asked as the door closed us in.
“No. Observation room. You think I want anybody to hear this? Listen, what happened this spring, that was only because of extraordinary circumstances. You can’t think I’ll tell you things all the time. And Mike, you’ve got to tell your aunt to watch her step.”
Mike was unmoved. “You were promoted to working here in Sherman based on what happened this spring. Besides, if you want to keep things quiet, don’t put hints over the radio. Aunt Gee says she’s already had calls from two scanner regulars asking about tomorrow morning’s news conference. If you think she was happy to hear about it that way, you are wrong.”
“All it said was—oh, hell.” He dropped his butt onto the table. “This has been one hell of a day. I don’t suppose you two would go away and come back in the morning?”
Mike and I shook our heads.
“C’mon, Richard,” I said. “We can’t get anything on the air until tomorrow, but we need background now to start working.”
“Fine probably won’t let anybody else come to the news conference,” Mike added gloomily.
“Fine?” Alvaro appeared heartened by that prospect.
“Les Haeburn is out of town, and Thurston Fine’s running the show. As in the nutjob’s running the insane asylum.”
Alvaro blew out his breath. “Tell me about it. Acting sheriff’s out of town, too. The number two guy’s wife went into labor last night. I added his overnight to my dayshift from yesterday, then right into today’s dayshift. And the wife still hasn’t had the kid, so in this case, I’m the nutjob running the insane asylum. At least on Keith Landry’s death.”
“It wasn’t an accidental death?”
Mike’s head whipped around to me at that question. He needed to work on his poker face. Alvaro regarded me steadily for a moment before he went to the door and
“What does this have to do with Keith Landry’s death?” Mike asked when I tried to explain all this.
“Fair question,” I admitted as we joined other spectators weaving around parked vehicles in search of their own. “But if Blue Hair has a mishap, I say we look right at Heather and her mama.”
He rolled his eyes, but had no time for more because his phone rang. One glance at Caller ID, and he answered quickly.
“Hi, Aunt Gee. Yes, I’m coming Sunday. I don’t know. That hasn’t been decided yet.” His eyes cut toward me. “Uh-huh . . . uh-huh . . . Oh . . . uh-huh. Okay. Yes, ma’am. I will. Thank you.”
He ended the call as we reached his four-wheel drive. The vehicle’s outside blended unpretentiously with those around it. Inside, it offered the luxuries befitting his status as a former pro football player, without slipping into flashy. It was a lot like Paycik.
His Aunt Gee—Gisella—was the long-time dispatcher for and acknowledged queen of the county sheriff’s department’s unit in the town of O’Hara Hill. She’d provided invaluable help in the Foster Redus investigation. I’d worried she might be in danger of losing her job. But since the sheriff was being recalled by voters, going after Aunt Gee appeared unlikely.
While being more circumspect, she’d also provided a mild tidbit or two in the weeks since. So, I was strongly tempted to whack Mike upside the head and demand to know what his aunt had said. On the other hand, she might have been calling on a family matter that was none of my business.
“Mind a detour, instead of going right to the station?” he asked.
“To?”
“The sheriff’s department. I have this sudden hunch Deputy Alvaro might have something interesting to tell us.”
Chapter Six
“OH, GOD.”
“Now, is that nice, Deputy Alvaro?”
“I should have known. If you’re . . . ” He looked around, saw other deputies in earshot. Instead of finishing, he sighed. “In here.”
“Is this an interrogation room?” I asked as the door closed us in.
“No. Observation room. You think I want anybody to hear this? Listen, what happened this spring, that was only because of extraordinary circumstances. You can’t think I’ll tell you things all the time. And Mike, you’ve got to tell your aunt to watch her step.”
Mike was unmoved. “You were promoted to working here in Sherman based on what happened this spring. Besides, if you want to keep things quiet, don’t put hints over the radio. Aunt Gee says she’s already had calls from two scanner regulars asking about tomorrow morning’s news conference. If you think she was happy to hear about it that way, you are wrong.”
“All it said was—oh, hell.” He dropped his butt onto the table. “This has been one hell of a day. I don’t suppose you two would go away and come back in the morning?”
Mike and I shook our heads.
“C’mon, Richard,” I said. “We can’t get anything on the air until tomorrow, but we need background now to start working.”
“Fine probably won’t let anybody else come to the news conference,” Mike added gloomily.
“Fine?” Alvaro appeared heartened by that prospect.
“Les Haeburn is out of town, and Thurston Fine’s running the show. As in the nutjob’s running the insane asylum.”
Alvaro blew out his breath. “Tell me about it. Acting sheriff’s out of town, too. The number two guy’s wife went into labor last night. I added his overnight to my dayshift from yesterday, then right into today’s dayshift. And the wife still hasn’t had the kid, so in this case, I’m the nutjob running the insane asylum. At least on Keith Landry’s death.”
“It wasn’t an accidental death?”
Mike’s head whipped around to me at that question. He needed to work on his poker face. Alvaro regarded me steadily for a moment before he went to the door and
Similar Books
