Read Online Bad Moon Rising by Ed Gorman - Free Book Online Page B

I’d hung out my shingle.
    â€œDo you know anything about her?”
    â€œI know one thing.”
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    â€œShe’s been seen with Bobby Randall on occasion.”
    â€œYou’re kidding.”
    â€œWild child. Lot of trouble for her old man.”
    â€œBobby Randall deals drugs.”
    â€œThat’s my point. A lot of trouble for her old man.”
    â€œI’m representing Sarah Powers. She’s the sister of Neil Cameron, the guy everybody’s looking for. They’re both part of the commune. You ever hear of Bobby Randall hanging out at the commune?”
    â€œOh, sure. They had some real head-trippers out there for a while. Right after Donovan and the rest of them came here. Randall was the only source they had so they dealt with him. But finally the head-trippers moved on. Randall still goes out there. I think he had something going with one of the girls at the commune for a while, but she broke it off with him for some reason. He’s a heartbreaker.”
    I took a moment to finish my glazed donut. This coffee shop was one of the few small businesses that hadn’t shriveled up since the new mall opened. The larger downtown stores had all moved to the mall, taking with them a good deal of traffic and thus business. The mayor had been frothy with reassurances that the mall would increase business for everybody because shoppers who’d trekked to Iowa City or Cedar Rapids would now be happy to shop here again. The younger people thought it was pretty cool of course. But the older ones—and the ones like Wendy and me, touched by a spiritual old age on occasion—saw it as one of those generational betrayals that are a part of growing up. The young betray the old until they are old enough to be betrayed by the next generation. I’m sure the good Reverend Cartwright has an explanation for such things.
    â€œYou hear much about the Mainwaring family?”
    â€œJust that it’s sort of gone to hell since Mrs. Mainwaring died and Mainwaring married again. I know the Mainwaring kids really don’t like her.”
    â€œShe’s pretty exotic.”
    â€œYeah, and from what I hear not a real warm person. But she went to Smith and worked on the Bobby Kennedy campaign and drives a Jag. I know you like Mainwaring but he’s really a snob. And I still don’t understand how a guy who makes stuff for war can pretend to be such a liberal.”
    â€œYou think he’s pretending?”
    â€œDon’t you?”
    â€œI’m not sure. Maybe he’s just sort of blind to himself.”
    â€œI don’t trust him. I was in a peace march in Iowa City last month and I saw him on the sidewalk talking to a guy I was pretty sure was a fed.”
    â€œHow can you tell?”
    â€œDidn’t you read that article in Esquire about how the feds who check out peace marches dress? Short hair, T-shirts, and jeans. Hoover likes his boys to wear uniforms. And they all drive black Fords with blackwalls because Hoover gets a deal on them.”
    One thing about Kenny—he’d never met a conspiracy theory he didn’t like. “Maybe he’s changed things because of that article.”
    â€œI doubt it. I admit I’m being paranoid but I still don’t trust Mainwaring. I mean his business is with the federal government.” He checked his wristwatch. “Melissa’s at her grandmother’s right now. I had to leave her there while I went to have Alan check my blood pressure. He sure is a smart-ass.”
    â€œYou should’ve heard him last night when he was sewing me up.”
    â€œHe was always like that.” He slid out of the booth. “We were too mature to act like that, as I remember.”
    â€œRight. All the times we both called his glasses Mount Palomars. Real mature.”
    As if I hadn’t spoken, he said: “I’ll have some new pictures of Melissa next time I see