haven’t I? I’ll make a report on it, but we haven’t got much to go on.”
“How about checking this place for prints?” I asked. “Or don’t you want to? And how about the registration card he made out? And if you thought it wouldn’t bore you too much, I can give you a description of him. And the car. Any of that interest you? And what about those jugs in there?”
“Well, what about the jugs? They had acid in ‘em. So I know that already.”
I was beginning to get it now, though not the reason for it. Even this scenic and posturing hero wasn’t that stupid. He knew what you did with those jugs. You checked them for prints; you found out what kind of acid had been in them; then you found out where they’d been stolen from, and how, and went on from there. It was a deliberate goof-off.
“Then you’re not interested? Is that it?”
“I didn’t say that, did I?”
“How do you get hold of the Sheriff of this County?” I asked. “Is there a password or something? I’ve tried the office twice—”
“Try the Mayo Clinic,” he suggested. Then he added, “It’s in Minnesota.”
“Thanks,” I said. “But maybe somebody’s in charge while he’s gone?”
“Sure,” he said. “Redfield.”
“I see.”
“You remember him; you talked to him on the phone.” He grinned. “He mentioned it.”
“Sure,” I said. I remember him. That’s what puzzles me. He sounded like a cop.”
He turned and stared coldly. “What do you mean by that?”
“Did he tell you how to do this? Or did you figure it out yourself?”
“He did tell me to find out who the hell you are,” he snapped. “Turn around and put your hands against that wall.”
“Cut it out,” I said.
“Turn around!”
I sighed and put my hands against the wall. He shook me down for the gun he knew I didn’t have. Then he caught me by the shoulder and whirled me around facing him. and did it again. He managed to get an elbow under my chin a couple of times, pull my shirt tail out, and step on my feet, but as a rough frisk it was pretty crude Any rookie could have done better. Humiliation is the only object of it, anyway, and without an audience it’s pointless. He stepped back.
“You through?” I asked.
“You got any identification?”
“It’s in my hip pocket. You’ve been over it three times.” “Give it here.”
I took out the wallet, deliberately removed the money from it, and handed it to him. His face reddened. He shuffled through the identification.
His eyes jerked up at me. “Cop, huh?”
“I was one,” I said.
“What are you doing around here?”
“I’m going to wash the acid out of that room as soon as we finish this comedy routine.”
“I mean, what’re you hanging around for? What have you got to do with this place? And Mrs. Langston?”
“I’m staying here, while they fix my car.”
“How come you’re working for her? Can’t you pay for your room?”
“Let’s just say she’s a friend of mine. And I thought she needed help.”
“A friend, huh? How long have you known her?”
“A little less than a day.”
He gave me a cold smile. “You sure make friends fast. Or maybe she does.”
“Tell me something,” I said. “How does it happen she can’t get any police protection?”
“Who said she couldn’t?”
“Look around you.”
“What do you expect us to do?” he asked. “Stay out here night and day because people don’t like her?”
“Who doesn’t?” I asked. “If you’re supposed to be a cop, I’d think that would suggest something to you. It’s just possible the guy who dumped that acid in there didn’t like her.”
“Round up half the people in town? Is that it?”
“You know better than that. There’s not half a dozen people in any town that’d do a job like this.”
I was wasting my breath. He turned away and stepped down onto the gravel. “Here’s your stuff,” he said, and tossed the wallet onto the concrete at my feet.
“Thanks,” I
“How about checking this place for prints?” I asked. “Or don’t you want to? And how about the registration card he made out? And if you thought it wouldn’t bore you too much, I can give you a description of him. And the car. Any of that interest you? And what about those jugs in there?”
“Well, what about the jugs? They had acid in ‘em. So I know that already.”
I was beginning to get it now, though not the reason for it. Even this scenic and posturing hero wasn’t that stupid. He knew what you did with those jugs. You checked them for prints; you found out what kind of acid had been in them; then you found out where they’d been stolen from, and how, and went on from there. It was a deliberate goof-off.
“Then you’re not interested? Is that it?”
“I didn’t say that, did I?”
“How do you get hold of the Sheriff of this County?” I asked. “Is there a password or something? I’ve tried the office twice—”
“Try the Mayo Clinic,” he suggested. Then he added, “It’s in Minnesota.”
“Thanks,” I said. “But maybe somebody’s in charge while he’s gone?”
“Sure,” he said. “Redfield.”
“I see.”
“You remember him; you talked to him on the phone.” He grinned. “He mentioned it.”
“Sure,” I said. I remember him. That’s what puzzles me. He sounded like a cop.”
He turned and stared coldly. “What do you mean by that?”
“Did he tell you how to do this? Or did you figure it out yourself?”
“He did tell me to find out who the hell you are,” he snapped. “Turn around and put your hands against that wall.”
“Cut it out,” I said.
“Turn around!”
I sighed and put my hands against the wall. He shook me down for the gun he knew I didn’t have. Then he caught me by the shoulder and whirled me around facing him. and did it again. He managed to get an elbow under my chin a couple of times, pull my shirt tail out, and step on my feet, but as a rough frisk it was pretty crude Any rookie could have done better. Humiliation is the only object of it, anyway, and without an audience it’s pointless. He stepped back.
“You through?” I asked.
“You got any identification?”
“It’s in my hip pocket. You’ve been over it three times.” “Give it here.”
I took out the wallet, deliberately removed the money from it, and handed it to him. His face reddened. He shuffled through the identification.
His eyes jerked up at me. “Cop, huh?”
“I was one,” I said.
“What are you doing around here?”
“I’m going to wash the acid out of that room as soon as we finish this comedy routine.”
“I mean, what’re you hanging around for? What have you got to do with this place? And Mrs. Langston?”
“I’m staying here, while they fix my car.”
“How come you’re working for her? Can’t you pay for your room?”
“Let’s just say she’s a friend of mine. And I thought she needed help.”
“A friend, huh? How long have you known her?”
“A little less than a day.”
He gave me a cold smile. “You sure make friends fast. Or maybe she does.”
“Tell me something,” I said. “How does it happen she can’t get any police protection?”
“Who said she couldn’t?”
“Look around you.”
“What do you expect us to do?” he asked. “Stay out here night and day because people don’t like her?”
“Who doesn’t?” I asked. “If you’re supposed to be a cop, I’d think that would suggest something to you. It’s just possible the guy who dumped that acid in there didn’t like her.”
“Round up half the people in town? Is that it?”
“You know better than that. There’s not half a dozen people in any town that’d do a job like this.”
I was wasting my breath. He turned away and stepped down onto the gravel. “Here’s your stuff,” he said, and tossed the wallet onto the concrete at my feet.
“Thanks,” I
Similar Books
