Read Online A Most Unpleasant Wedding by Judith Alguire - Free Book Online Page B

it with water. He returned, handed the mug to Arnold.
    Arnold took a swig, spluttered. “This tastes like piss.”
    â€œSorry,” said Creighton. “I guess I didn’t let the tap run long enough.”
    Brisbois pulled up a chair, sat down. “Do you mind answering a few questions?”
    Arnold shoved his hair out of his eyes. “This had better be good. I had a lousy night.”
    â€œOh, it’s good,” said Brisbois.
    Arnold gave him a wary look.
    â€œWhere were you last night?”
    Arnold ran a hand across his chest, coughed. “I went into town.”
    â€œWhat time?”
    â€œI don’t know exactly. Sometime after supper. Around dusk.”
    â€œNotice anything unusual? Anybody on the road?”
    Arnold looked at him as if he were crazy. “There was the odd car.”
    Brisbois turned a page in his notebook. “OK, where’d you go in town?”
    â€œThe hotel.”
    â€œWhat time did you get back?”
    Arnold hesitated. “I don’t know. Late, I guess.”
    Brisbois stared at Arnold for a long moment. “How’d you get home?”
    Arnold squinted. “I drove.”
    Brisbois raised his brows. “I heard they found you sacked out on the veranda this morning, smelling like a distillery.”
    Arnold snorted. “They sent two detectives out here over a DUI?”
    Brisbois glanced at Creighton. “We’re a small detachment. We — what is it you call it? — multitask.”
    Arnold took a deep breath, looked around. “Look guys, I figured I wasn’t in any shape to drive, so I pulled over.”
    â€œCommendable,” Brisbois said. “So you walked home?”
    â€œYeah. So you guys came for nothing. No DUI.”
    Brisbois ignored this. “How far did you walk?”
    Arnold drew a hand through his hair. “From where I left my car.”
    â€œAnd how far would that be?”
    â€œI don’t know exactly. How can you tell out here?”
    Brisbois watched him for a moment. “Your pants” — he gestured toward the crumpled trousers — “how did they get so dirty?”
    â€œI took a shortcut.”
    â€œThrough a mud puddle?”
    â€œNo, through that boggy area.” Arnold paused as Brisbois stared. “Hey, it was messy but it was short. Else, I’d have had to go all the way around on the road.”
    Brisbois smiled. “And you didn’t want to get caught beside your car, ten times over the limit.”
    Arnold looked hurt. “Hey, I was a little wobbly. If I’d stayed on the road, I might have been hit by a car.”
    Brisbois rolled his eyes. “You had to be a pretty good navigator to find your way back to the Pleasant through the swamp.”
    Arnold smirked. “I went as true as the crow flies. I came out right into the driveway.”
    â€œAmazing. In the dark. In an unfamiliar place.”
    Arnold shrugged. “I’m a builder. I have good spatial sense.”
    Too bad you don’t have any other kind of sense, Brisbois thought. “So what time did you get back?” he said.
    Arnold looked into the cup, swished the water around. “Look, can you get me something from the fridge? Maybe a Coke.”
    Creighton spun off the wall, returned with a can of ginger ale. He opened it, shoved it into Arnold’s hand.
    Arnold took a long drink.
    â€œWhat time?” Brisbois prompted.
    â€œI don’t know.” Arnold looked to Brisbois, found only a riveting stare. “Late.” He paused, studied their faces. “This isn’t about a DUI.”
    Brisbois shook his head.
    Arnold dragged his hand across his mouth. “It’s about that dame in the bar, isn’t it? I’ll bet she claimed I was harassing her.”
    Brisbois didn’t respond.
    â€œLook, all I did was ask her to have a drink with me. Ask the bartender. I didn’t touch her.”
    â€œDid you catch this