The Big Mitt (A Detective Harm Queen Novel Book 1) by Erik Rivenes Page A
Authors: Erik Rivenes
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stay on. I’m officially an Ames detective.”
“How in the hell do you know that?”
“I found Dander, Harm. This afternoon. Slugged him once or twice and then dropped him in a cell. Him and that bastard Higgins. Took me and four men to do it, too. Higgins went off his chump when I hit his poor old boss.”
“Where was he?”
“Holed up in the basement of the White Elephant Saloon. Right across the street from City Hall, if you can believe it. Dander’s got one goddamned swelled head, I’ll say. Get this. He had the nerve to tell me my grammar was used up. Ain’t that a kick in the ass? That’s when I knocked the spots off him.”
“Were the girls with him?”
“No, not a one. I figured you’d want to squeeze their hiding place out of him yourself.” Norbeck’s face went cold sober. “Queen, you think he thinks I’m some kind of inferior to him? I’m an appointed police officer, for Christ’s sake. He tries that highfalutin language around me and it puts me on my ear!”
“Ignore him. He’s a fop. What about the bullet that killed the girl? Did you visit the coroner?”
Norbeck perked up, reached into his pocket, and held out his hand. Queen took the bullet, trying to ignore the sweat from Norbeck’s palm, and examined it.
“It’s a .45-70 cartridge. This isn’t from any side arm.”
“Nope,” Norbeck replied. “It came out of a rifle. I seen Coroner Williams come out to look at the body himself. He was going to put it in as evidence for the inquest but I borrowed it. You know what kind of rifle it came from?”
“A Remington or a Sharp, most likely. You borrowed the bullet?
“I’ll bring it back later today. No one’ll be the wiser.”
Queen cringed slightly. “Give it to me, Chris. I’ll do it. Did you find any weapons on Dander?”
“Him and Higgins both had pistols on ‘em, but nothing that would fire a bullet like this.”
“But Pock is still out there.”
“I’ve never seen that little freak carry a rifle, though.”
“So that means he doesn’t goddamn have one?”
“Why the hell are you so ‘specially sore today?” Norbeck asked.
“So how do you know you’re to be kept on?”
“Both Doc and his brother the colonel seen me, and the colonel told me himself. He congratulated me on catching Dander and told me I was the kind of detective the mayor needed on the force.” Norbeck’s blotched face glowed a greasy pink, and he lifted his chest proudly.
Queen burned inside when he heard this. It wasn’t that Norbeck wasn’t qualified, but he’d assumed all along that he was going to be named Chief of Detectives and this dampened his already questionable mood. It should be his job to pass news along to subordinates. That’s what a chain of command is for, isn’t it? He hesitated, forced a smile, and then shook Norbeck’s hand.
“You’re a good fly-bob, Chris. A decent detective. They made the right decision on you.”
Norbeck’s mouth went open, and then he grinned, but it wasn’t so much a leer as an appreciative smile. “Nice of you to say so, Harm. I didn’t expect it, but nice of you to say so.”
Queen stiffened uncomfortably. He wasn’t in the mood to have a warm moment with Chris Norbeck right now. “So,” he said, “You’ve just been in to see the colonel?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“In good temperament?”
“I guess. He liked that I collared Dander.”
“That’s good, then. When I’m finished here, Chris, I’m going to go talk to Dander myself.”
“I figured you would, Harm. He’s being held at Central Station.” He gave Queen one of his weird winks, which made the prior moments of goodwill fly out the door. Queen wanted to slap it right out of him, but held himself in check. “But when I told the colonel you were going to question Dander, he told me to tell you not to. Not yet,” Norbeck continued. “You should speak to the colonel first.”
“Is that so? The colonel said this? Not Doc?”
“No, not Doc.
“How in the hell do you know that?”
“I found Dander, Harm. This afternoon. Slugged him once or twice and then dropped him in a cell. Him and that bastard Higgins. Took me and four men to do it, too. Higgins went off his chump when I hit his poor old boss.”
“Where was he?”
“Holed up in the basement of the White Elephant Saloon. Right across the street from City Hall, if you can believe it. Dander’s got one goddamned swelled head, I’ll say. Get this. He had the nerve to tell me my grammar was used up. Ain’t that a kick in the ass? That’s when I knocked the spots off him.”
“Were the girls with him?”
“No, not a one. I figured you’d want to squeeze their hiding place out of him yourself.” Norbeck’s face went cold sober. “Queen, you think he thinks I’m some kind of inferior to him? I’m an appointed police officer, for Christ’s sake. He tries that highfalutin language around me and it puts me on my ear!”
“Ignore him. He’s a fop. What about the bullet that killed the girl? Did you visit the coroner?”
Norbeck perked up, reached into his pocket, and held out his hand. Queen took the bullet, trying to ignore the sweat from Norbeck’s palm, and examined it.
“It’s a .45-70 cartridge. This isn’t from any side arm.”
“Nope,” Norbeck replied. “It came out of a rifle. I seen Coroner Williams come out to look at the body himself. He was going to put it in as evidence for the inquest but I borrowed it. You know what kind of rifle it came from?”
“A Remington or a Sharp, most likely. You borrowed the bullet?
“I’ll bring it back later today. No one’ll be the wiser.”
Queen cringed slightly. “Give it to me, Chris. I’ll do it. Did you find any weapons on Dander?”
“Him and Higgins both had pistols on ‘em, but nothing that would fire a bullet like this.”
“But Pock is still out there.”
“I’ve never seen that little freak carry a rifle, though.”
“So that means he doesn’t goddamn have one?”
“Why the hell are you so ‘specially sore today?” Norbeck asked.
“So how do you know you’re to be kept on?”
“Both Doc and his brother the colonel seen me, and the colonel told me himself. He congratulated me on catching Dander and told me I was the kind of detective the mayor needed on the force.” Norbeck’s blotched face glowed a greasy pink, and he lifted his chest proudly.
Queen burned inside when he heard this. It wasn’t that Norbeck wasn’t qualified, but he’d assumed all along that he was going to be named Chief of Detectives and this dampened his already questionable mood. It should be his job to pass news along to subordinates. That’s what a chain of command is for, isn’t it? He hesitated, forced a smile, and then shook Norbeck’s hand.
“You’re a good fly-bob, Chris. A decent detective. They made the right decision on you.”
Norbeck’s mouth went open, and then he grinned, but it wasn’t so much a leer as an appreciative smile. “Nice of you to say so, Harm. I didn’t expect it, but nice of you to say so.”
Queen stiffened uncomfortably. He wasn’t in the mood to have a warm moment with Chris Norbeck right now. “So,” he said, “You’ve just been in to see the colonel?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“In good temperament?”
“I guess. He liked that I collared Dander.”
“That’s good, then. When I’m finished here, Chris, I’m going to go talk to Dander myself.”
“I figured you would, Harm. He’s being held at Central Station.” He gave Queen one of his weird winks, which made the prior moments of goodwill fly out the door. Queen wanted to slap it right out of him, but held himself in check. “But when I told the colonel you were going to question Dander, he told me to tell you not to. Not yet,” Norbeck continued. “You should speak to the colonel first.”
“Is that so? The colonel said this? Not Doc?”
“No, not Doc.
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