Red Dog by Jason Miller Page A

know why and I wanted, if possible, to atone in some small way for putting that leash on him in the first place. Halfway to Harrisburg, I dialed the Randolph County sheriff’s office on my cell.
    â€œWhat is it, Slim? I’m eating my supper,” Ben Wince said.
    â€œFilling station burrito?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œFilling station corn dog?”
    â€œStrike two.”
    â€œSomething from a filling station, though?”
    â€œBetween you and me, it’s one of these frozen diet dinners.”
    â€œLean Cuisine?”
    â€œHealthy Choice. Chicken Florentine. Supposed to only have two hundred ninety calories, but I’d be shocked if it had even that many. I’ve seen bigger food in a dollhouse. Is there a point to this call? Or are you just filling time with your favorite hobby?”
    â€œI guess you heard about my troubles.”
    â€œEverybody has.”
    â€œDo me a favor, would you? Find out why the Jackson County sheriff let me go.”
    â€œDon’t have to find out. Already know. They didn’t have evidence to hold you, they let you go. That’s how these things work.”
    â€œNo, they don’t.”
    â€œI know.”
    â€œAnything else?”
    â€œWell, in this case here, it’s enough. Dennis Reach was shot at close range with a Colt rifle. AR-15 model. Dang things seem to be everywhere these days, don’t they? I guess there really is no such thing as bad publicity. Anyway, yourman Reach was shot with one of them nasty things. He must have turned his head at the last second, because the shell glanced off his right cheekbone and tunneled through the nasal cavity before blowing his brainpan all over the dirty dishes. Otherwise, it would have taken his head clean off. How’s that for TMI?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œIt means too much information. It’s a thing the kids say. Like when you give them too much information about a subject, they say TMI.”
    I said, “I know. I know what it means. What I’m wondering is why are you saying it.”
    â€œNew girl in the office. Guess I picked it up from her.”
    â€œMight also pick up that grown women don’t like being called girls anymore. That’s another thing the kids say.”
    â€œIt’s a bad habit,” he admitted. “Anyway, this thing. Your thing. The gun.”
    â€œI was hoping we’d get back to that eventually.”
    He grunted at me and my attitude. “Funny thing, Jackson County found it floating in the shit-pond behind the house. The lagoon, that is. I reckon they let a new guy go in after that one.”
    â€œRegistered?”
    â€œNope. Not stolen, neither. Least as far as we can tell. Fact, it’s as clean as a beaver. Probably a gun-show gun. Loophole gun.”
    â€œA dead end, then.”
    â€œAppears so, anyway. I suppose it’d be stupid to ask if there’s anything personal in this with you?”
    I said, “Nothing personal, except that I spent three days in lockup for a murder I didn’t do.”
    â€œI’m guessing Peggy’s none too thrilled about it, either.”
    â€œDon’t know about it yet. She’s visiting her sister in Kankakee. Anci’s pretty upset, though.”
    â€œI guess that would sting some. Anci more than the time in lockup. Unofficially, I can’t blame you for being sore about it.”
    â€œWhat about officially?”
    â€œDifferent story. And Lindley will play it official all the way down the line.”
    â€œHe thinks I’m good for it,” I said.
    â€œHe’s leaning in that direction, anyway, and you can hardly blame him, story you’re telling. Slim, I like you. You’re a pain in my ass sometimes, but I like you, and I got to tell you, you’re putting your pecker in a hornet’s nest with this thing. Dennis Reach was what you’d call flush with enemies. There were three pretty nasty divorces and some lawsuits