Read Online Between the Living and the Dead by Bill Crider - Free Book Online Page A

to think of himself as Rhodes’s boss. Rhodes didn’t feel that way. He was paid by the county, and the county was paid by the city, so Rhodes thought of the county commissioners as being his employers.
    Clement’s position as mayor was purely a part-time job, and not a well-paying one, either. Clement didn’t need the money, having achieved success in life the old-fashioned way, by selling mutual funds and managing other people’s money. Rhodes thought that Clement liked being the mayor because it gave him the opportunity to order the city employees around. Or try to.
    Clement usually spent the mornings at his place of business or on the local golf course and came into his office in the afternoons if there was anything that needed his attention, which is why Rhodes was surprised to hear that he was in the office this early in the day.
    Clement didn’t like Rhodes very much because he’d been a suspect in a murder investigation at one time. Rhodes had told him there was nothing personal in the investigation, but Clement still resented it.
    â€œDid his secretary mention what the mayor wanted with me?” Rhodes asked Hack.
    â€œI meant to say administrative assistant,” Hack said.
    â€œThat’s okay,” Rhodes said. “Alice wouldn’t mind being called a secretary.”
    Alice King was the mayor’s secretary, or administrative assistant, and Rhodes suspected that she did most of the work that got done in the office.
    â€œWhatever you want to call her, you need to go by there,” Hack said.
    â€œI’m on my way,” Rhodes said. “Anything else?”
    â€œNothing you need to worry about,” Hack said, which immediately caused Rhodes to worry.
    â€œTell me,” he said.
    â€œWell, Miz Loomis has called three times.”
    â€œTurn signals,” Rhodes said.
    â€œYou got it. Hard to believe, but some people just won’t use ’em.”
    â€œShe give you their plate numbers?”
    â€œAlways does.”
    â€œYou told her we’d send them all a citation, first thing?”
    â€œJust like I always do. One of these days, she’s gonna catch on though.”
    â€œWe’ll cross that bridge when we have to. What else?”
    â€œThat’s about it.”
    â€œYou’re sure?”
    â€œNothin’ to tell,” Hack said. “Just that Seepy Benton’s been by here.”
    Now they were getting down to it. “What did he want?”
    â€œHe was just askin’ if I knew what you might think about somethin’.”
    â€œWhat specifically did he want to know about?”
    â€œThat haunted house. The one where the murder was. The murder you wouldn’t tell me about last night. That one.”
    If there was anything Hack knew how to do, it was to hold a grudge.
    â€œI knew you’d find out all about it when Ruth came in.”
    â€œSure. She’s not like some people I could name. She doesn’t keep everything to herself. She’ll let people know what’s goin’ on.”
    â€œWe’re drifting off the subject here,” Rhodes said.
    â€œWhat subject was that?”
    â€œSeepy Benton and the haunted house.”
    â€œWell, you know about his new business, that ghost stuff. He wanted to know if I thought you’d let him in the house.”
    â€œWhat did you tell him?”
    â€œWhat do you think I told him?”
    â€œHack,” Rhodes said.
    â€œOkay. I told him that you were a hard man and had a mean streak, that’s what. Maybe not in those exact words, but I let him know you wouldn’t let him in there.”
    â€œGood,” Rhodes said.
    â€œHe’s gonna come at you anyway. He swears he can find a ghost if there’s one in there.” Hack paused. “Mice, too. He said he’s good with mice.”
    Ruth had been talking, all right, but Rhodes wasn’t going to give Hack the satisfaction of commenting on the