Read Online All Chickens Must Die: A Benjamin Wade Mystery by Scott Dennis Parker - Free Book Online
Authors: Scott Dennis Parker
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wondering about Danielle and the stranger who had come to
Teague’s office to threaten Teague. He had thought Clara was Danielle. Why? And
why did that make a difference?
Positioned across the street behind a tall tree, I stood and
smoked and waited for five o’clock. When it rolled over, I stubbed out the butt
and kept my eyes peeled not only for Danielle Bowie but Amos Peete as well.
Clara emerged first. She took a right and walked down the street.
She hopped a bus and was gone. Thankfully, I didn’t see anyone following her.
I’d certainly check up on her later.
Danielle emerged about five minutes later. She walked the
opposite direction and stood at a bus stop with some other patrons. I debated
whether to try my luck at getting on the same bus, but decided for the more
subtle tactic of following in my car.
Ten minutes later, the bus arrived and Danielle got on. In the
bus’s exhaust, I trotted across the street and got into my car. I pulled into
evening traffic and kept the bus in sight. It wasn’t too difficult.
The bus’s route took it south and into the West University area.
Named pretty obviously for the region just to the west of Rice Institute, West
University had a distinct collegiate feel in the middle of the big city.
Danielle emerged from the bus and walked up Rice Boulevard. I parked along Kirby
and got out. Keeping a discreet distance, I followed her.
She seemed to know exactly where she was going. She moved with a
purposeful stride, almost as if she were hurrying. I had to keep moving in
order to maintain line of sight.
Arriving at an outdoor restaurant, Danielle talked with the head
waiter who then showed her a seat. Less than five minutes later, a man in a
nicely pressed suit and tie arrived, fedora cantered at a rakish angle. I
thought nothing of him until he sat at the same table as Danielle.
Now I was in a quandary. She had seen me once before and I
figured she could make me without any problem. And it was entirely possible he
was just a suitor, but I didn’t want to take the chance. Something on the man’s
face teased a memory. Clara had said the man who visited Teague the other night
wore a thin mustache, and damn if this guy didn’t have a nice, pencil-thin
mustache.
This had to be the guy who threatened Teague.
They were going to eat so I figured I might as well, too. I
slipped into a deli and bought a corned beef sandwich and a Dr. Pepper. I stood
just inside the deli’s window eying Danielle and her mystery man. They sat,
ate, and talked. I stood, ate, and stayed quiet. When both of them put their
napkins on the table, the man pulled a white piece of paper or envelope out of
his coat pocket. Laying it flat on the table, he slid it over to her. She
deftly put it in her purse and the man called for the check.
I threw away my trash and walked outside. I positioned myself
behind a parked car and waited for the pair to leave.
“There’s a law against loitering,” a voice said from behind me.
I turned and saw the man from the deli standing just inside his
door. His apron was mottled with the stains of handling food and having it all
splash on him throughout the day. You could almost make out what sandwiches he
had made just by looking at that culinary kaleidoscope.
“I’m not loitering.” I gave him a warm smile. “I’m just letting
the food digest.”
“No, you’re loitering. I have a mind to call the cops.”
I smirked at that. Depending on who he might call, I could get
lucky and score a beat cop I knew. On the other hand, I might get one of
Burman’s goons.
I pulled out my wallet. I started to pull out a few bills.
“Look, I don’t take no bribes,” the man said. “I just follow the
law.”
Giving him a conspiratorial smile, I said, “Why don’t we just
keep this little transaction between you and me? We don’t have to tell the
boss, huh? What do you say?”
“I am the boss,” he said with a certain amount of
indignation. “But I’m not above taking
Teague’s office to threaten Teague. He had thought Clara was Danielle. Why? And
why did that make a difference?
Positioned across the street behind a tall tree, I stood and
smoked and waited for five o’clock. When it rolled over, I stubbed out the butt
and kept my eyes peeled not only for Danielle Bowie but Amos Peete as well.
Clara emerged first. She took a right and walked down the street.
She hopped a bus and was gone. Thankfully, I didn’t see anyone following her.
I’d certainly check up on her later.
Danielle emerged about five minutes later. She walked the
opposite direction and stood at a bus stop with some other patrons. I debated
whether to try my luck at getting on the same bus, but decided for the more
subtle tactic of following in my car.
Ten minutes later, the bus arrived and Danielle got on. In the
bus’s exhaust, I trotted across the street and got into my car. I pulled into
evening traffic and kept the bus in sight. It wasn’t too difficult.
The bus’s route took it south and into the West University area.
Named pretty obviously for the region just to the west of Rice Institute, West
University had a distinct collegiate feel in the middle of the big city.
Danielle emerged from the bus and walked up Rice Boulevard. I parked along Kirby
and got out. Keeping a discreet distance, I followed her.
She seemed to know exactly where she was going. She moved with a
purposeful stride, almost as if she were hurrying. I had to keep moving in
order to maintain line of sight.
Arriving at an outdoor restaurant, Danielle talked with the head
waiter who then showed her a seat. Less than five minutes later, a man in a
nicely pressed suit and tie arrived, fedora cantered at a rakish angle. I
thought nothing of him until he sat at the same table as Danielle.
Now I was in a quandary. She had seen me once before and I
figured she could make me without any problem. And it was entirely possible he
was just a suitor, but I didn’t want to take the chance. Something on the man’s
face teased a memory. Clara had said the man who visited Teague the other night
wore a thin mustache, and damn if this guy didn’t have a nice, pencil-thin
mustache.
This had to be the guy who threatened Teague.
They were going to eat so I figured I might as well, too. I
slipped into a deli and bought a corned beef sandwich and a Dr. Pepper. I stood
just inside the deli’s window eying Danielle and her mystery man. They sat,
ate, and talked. I stood, ate, and stayed quiet. When both of them put their
napkins on the table, the man pulled a white piece of paper or envelope out of
his coat pocket. Laying it flat on the table, he slid it over to her. She
deftly put it in her purse and the man called for the check.
I threw away my trash and walked outside. I positioned myself
behind a parked car and waited for the pair to leave.
“There’s a law against loitering,” a voice said from behind me.
I turned and saw the man from the deli standing just inside his
door. His apron was mottled with the stains of handling food and having it all
splash on him throughout the day. You could almost make out what sandwiches he
had made just by looking at that culinary kaleidoscope.
“I’m not loitering.” I gave him a warm smile. “I’m just letting
the food digest.”
“No, you’re loitering. I have a mind to call the cops.”
I smirked at that. Depending on who he might call, I could get
lucky and score a beat cop I knew. On the other hand, I might get one of
Burman’s goons.
I pulled out my wallet. I started to pull out a few bills.
“Look, I don’t take no bribes,” the man said. “I just follow the
law.”
Giving him a conspiratorial smile, I said, “Why don’t we just
keep this little transaction between you and me? We don’t have to tell the
boss, huh? What do you say?”
“I am the boss,” he said with a certain amount of
indignation. “But I’m not above taking
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