moment until one of his hands fidgeted on the tabletop. “Mr. Crocker, why did you lie to us about what you did last night?”
His eyebrows knit even further, and his head tilted a fraction. “Sir?”
“You told us that yesterday evening you were out there on the football field by the goalposts, enjoying the stars. Under the glare of two sodium vapor lights. That’s hard to do.” He started to say something, and I interrupted. “And you mentioned the constellation Orion—how you had a grandstand view of it. At this time of year, it isn’t visible in the western sky until just before dawn.” I sounded as if I knew exactly what I was talking about. Wesley Crocker looked down at the table.
Estelle and I waited while Crocker mulled things over. Finally he held up his hands and said, “It was a stupid thing to say, sir.”
I waited.
“Did you ever get caught doing something when you were a kid and you were so eager to get off the hook that you said too much?” The crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes crinkled, but I wasn’t in the mood to share childhood humor. “Well, that’s about what happened, and it wasn’t just the smartest thing I ever did, I can see that.”
“Explain.”
He shrugged. “There ain’t nothing much more to it. I was campin’ right where I said I was, trying’ to decide if I was going to be able to get any sleep with all the glare from the field lights. That’s all. When you folks talked to me, I just padded the story a little. Kind of…you know, to make it sound maybe a little better. I shouldn’t have done that.”
I sat back in the chair and folded my arms across my chest. “Did you know what the officer was looking for when he arrived?”
“No, sir.”
“You had no idea that there was someone under the bleachers?”
“No, sir. I sure didn’t.”
“When you heard the kids in the cars earlier, did you see any of them get out of the cars? Anything like that?”
“No, sir. It was too dark, too far away. My eyes aren’t just what they should be anymore.”
“Did you hear anything else?”
“No, sir. Well, now, wait a minute. One of the cars was quiet, and one was a little louder, if you know what I mean. It might have been a diesel, maybe.”
“Car or truck? Pickup?”
He shrugged helplessly. “I couldn’t say. It was just dark forms and taillights.”
“They didn’t have their headlights turned on?” Wesley Crocker shook his head. “And how long was it from the time the two vehicles drove away to the time the police officer arrived?”
Crocker frowned. “Well, like I say, one of ’em left first, then the other after a few minutes. And I’d say that it was fifteen minutes after that when the police car showed up. Maybe twenty at the most.”
“And that’s it.”
“Yes, sir.” Crocker didn’t bother tacking on the I’m telling the truth…why don’t you believe me? that kids do when they’re lying through their teeth.
Estelle Reyes-Guzman tapped the eraser of her pencil on the table thoughtfully.
“Mr. Crocker, who are you?”
“Ma’am?” Crocker said uneasily.
“Who are you?” Her black eyes held Crocker without blinking. “An officer is working up a background check, but save us some time.”
“Well, I…I been around a bit. Like I said, the good Lord has seen to bless me with my health, and there’s a lot of this country I still want to see.”
“Do you work?”
He shook his head. “No, ma’am. I mean, not at any one thing for any length of time.”
“Why not?”
He frowned at that, and spent a handful of minutes sifting possible answers. He settled for a shrug. “It’s not my way, I guess. Now and then, maybe, for a little while. And then it always seems more important to me to be movin’ on.”
“When was the last time you worked for someone?”
“For pay?”
“For whatever.”
Crocker glanced at me as if maybe I was going to help and then turned back to Estelle. He leaned forward so that he rested
His eyebrows knit even further, and his head tilted a fraction. “Sir?”
“You told us that yesterday evening you were out there on the football field by the goalposts, enjoying the stars. Under the glare of two sodium vapor lights. That’s hard to do.” He started to say something, and I interrupted. “And you mentioned the constellation Orion—how you had a grandstand view of it. At this time of year, it isn’t visible in the western sky until just before dawn.” I sounded as if I knew exactly what I was talking about. Wesley Crocker looked down at the table.
Estelle and I waited while Crocker mulled things over. Finally he held up his hands and said, “It was a stupid thing to say, sir.”
I waited.
“Did you ever get caught doing something when you were a kid and you were so eager to get off the hook that you said too much?” The crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes crinkled, but I wasn’t in the mood to share childhood humor. “Well, that’s about what happened, and it wasn’t just the smartest thing I ever did, I can see that.”
“Explain.”
He shrugged. “There ain’t nothing much more to it. I was campin’ right where I said I was, trying’ to decide if I was going to be able to get any sleep with all the glare from the field lights. That’s all. When you folks talked to me, I just padded the story a little. Kind of…you know, to make it sound maybe a little better. I shouldn’t have done that.”
I sat back in the chair and folded my arms across my chest. “Did you know what the officer was looking for when he arrived?”
“No, sir.”
“You had no idea that there was someone under the bleachers?”
“No, sir. I sure didn’t.”
“When you heard the kids in the cars earlier, did you see any of them get out of the cars? Anything like that?”
“No, sir. It was too dark, too far away. My eyes aren’t just what they should be anymore.”
“Did you hear anything else?”
“No, sir. Well, now, wait a minute. One of the cars was quiet, and one was a little louder, if you know what I mean. It might have been a diesel, maybe.”
“Car or truck? Pickup?”
He shrugged helplessly. “I couldn’t say. It was just dark forms and taillights.”
“They didn’t have their headlights turned on?” Wesley Crocker shook his head. “And how long was it from the time the two vehicles drove away to the time the police officer arrived?”
Crocker frowned. “Well, like I say, one of ’em left first, then the other after a few minutes. And I’d say that it was fifteen minutes after that when the police car showed up. Maybe twenty at the most.”
“And that’s it.”
“Yes, sir.” Crocker didn’t bother tacking on the I’m telling the truth…why don’t you believe me? that kids do when they’re lying through their teeth.
Estelle Reyes-Guzman tapped the eraser of her pencil on the table thoughtfully.
“Mr. Crocker, who are you?”
“Ma’am?” Crocker said uneasily.
“Who are you?” Her black eyes held Crocker without blinking. “An officer is working up a background check, but save us some time.”
“Well, I…I been around a bit. Like I said, the good Lord has seen to bless me with my health, and there’s a lot of this country I still want to see.”
“Do you work?”
He shook his head. “No, ma’am. I mean, not at any one thing for any length of time.”
“Why not?”
He frowned at that, and spent a handful of minutes sifting possible answers. He settled for a shrug. “It’s not my way, I guess. Now and then, maybe, for a little while. And then it always seems more important to me to be movin’ on.”
“When was the last time you worked for someone?”
“For pay?”
“For whatever.”
Crocker glanced at me as if maybe I was going to help and then turned back to Estelle. He leaned forward so that he rested
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