Read Online Atonement by Michael Kerr - Free Book Online Page A

pole.”
    “You hear about the trouble?”
    “Yeah, it’s a tragedy over what happened to Wayne and Shirley’s daughter; and a shock to hear that Ray Marshall may be responsible for it.”
    “He looked to be guilty as hell, but a guy by the name of Logan found some evidence that puts him in the clear.”
    “You know this Logan?”
    “Wouldn’t say I know him as such.  He eats in here regularly, but doesn’t have a lot to say for himself.  What I know about the guy is secondhand.  He just turned up out of the blue and has been staying at the Pinetop for a couple of weeks.  Seems to be friendly with Kate Donner.”
    Larry didn’t learn any more than he already knew.  He had another coffee and asked Amy how her ailing mother was doing, and shook his head and made appropriate comments when Amy said that her mother was finding it hard to remember her own name these days, and how awful it was to see a loved one lose all memory of her life.
    Affecting a practiced limp, he crossed the street to the department, noting that the sheriff’s Charger was not in its slot.  He walked in and spent some time in the bullpen talking with Denny Matthews.
    “How’s your back Larry?”  Denny said.
    “A lot better,”  Larry said.  “I plan on bein’ back on duty in a few days.  Seems like I’m missin’ out on all the action.”
    “We’ve got next to nothin’, yet.  But that guy Logan has convinced the sheriff that it’s some local that killed the girl.  He found a slider off her jacket out on the road”
    “Could have been someone passin’ through,”  Larry said.
    Denny hiked his shoulders.  “Where would anyone be passin’ through to at that time of night in this neck of the woods?”
    “Right,”  Larry said.  “Makes sense.  What do you know about Logan?  Maybe it was him, bein’ a stranger in town.”
    “I didn’t consider that.  Lyle says he was a Marine, then an NYPD cop for twenty years.  From what I can gather he just moves around now, and doesn’t stay in one place long enough to start puttin’ down roots.”
    “Could be the killer.  Probably drifts around the country rapin’ and killin’ girls.”
    Denny’s eyes widened.  “You think?”
    “I dunno, Denny.  It’s a possibility.  Put it to Lyle when he comes in.”
    “I’ll do that.  Where’s Bama?”
    “In the truck.  He brought a young whitetail buck down in the woods yesterday.  He’s a good ol’ boy.”
    “He’s a lethal weapon, Larry.  I wouldn’t want to piss him off, even with my Glock in hand.”
    Larry smiled.  “He only attacks what I tell him to, Denny.  How are Carl and the others?”
    “Hurtin’.  They were gonna beat up on Logan with bats, but he took them out.  Carl’s in a mess.  They had to operate on his leg and arm.  And he got three of his fingers broken.”
    “This Logan guy sounds like a psycho. You watch yourself, Denny.”
    “I’ll do that.  Be glad when you’re back on duty, Larry.  We’re stretched as thin as a fly’s wing, now that Carl is out of the picture.”
    Out on the street, Larry was almost back to his Chevy Silverado when he saw the man he knew from his description to be Logan walking out of the general store with a large brown paper sack tucked under an arm.  He looked to be about six-four, and a solid two hundred-fifty pounds.
    “You must be Logan,”  he said, after waiting for the big man to approach him along the sidewalk.
    Logan stopped, made eye contact, but said nothing.
    Larry found the man’s demeanor disconcerting.  “I’m Larry Horton, one of the sheriff’s deputies.”
    “Fine,”  Logan said and made to step around Larry, but found himself blocked.
    “I wanted a word with you, Logan.”
    “You don’t always get what you want, Larry.  And as you are out of uniform and obviously off duty, and that this is unofficial, I’d appreciate you getting the hell out of my way.”
    Logan was human.  He sometimes took instant dislikes to