Read Online Buccaneer (Dane Maddock Adventures) by David Wood - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: David Wood
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as soon as the fight ended. ”
“ Fine. Let ’ s suppose I believe you. ” Williams opened a file folder and made a show of inspecting the contents. “ Where were you yesterday between the hours of two and eleven p.m.? ”
That was an unexpected question, but Dane had an easy answer.
“ At the hospital. One of my crew was injured on the job. We stayed with him until well after midnight. ”
“ Can anyone verify that? ”
“ My entire crew and maybe some of the hospital staff. There ’ s a nurse there with frizzy gray hair and crazy eyes who wouldn ’ t stop hitting on me. I ’ m sure she, at least, remembers. ”
Williams actually cracked a smile.
“ I know her. Sorry to break it to you, but you ’ re not her first. ” He took a deep breath and let it all out in a rush. “ You realize I can check hospital security video to confirm your story? ”
“ I ’ m counting on it, ” Dane said. “ I ’ m guessing something bad happened to Rodney. ”
“ You could say that. ” Williams closed his folder. “ Give me a few minutes. ” He pushed himself up from his seat and lumbered to the door. “ Can I get you anything to drink? ”
“ No thanks. ” Dane hoped the abrupt ending to the interrogation, if it could be called that, and William ’ s sudden bout of courtesy were good signs.
Williams returned twenty minutes later. He opened the door and leaned inside. “ How long do you plan on being in town, Mister Maddock? ”
“ Until the job ’ s finished. I don ’ t know how long that will be. ”
“ All right. You ’ re free to go. ” Williams didn ’ t seem angry or upset. Whatever follow-up he ’ d done seemed to have persuaded him that Dane was not responsible for whatever had happened to Rodney.
“ I ’ ll need a lift back to the island. Are the deputies still here? ”
Williams ’ expression darkened for a moment. “ It would be better if I drove you. The deputies are... ” He shrugged.
“ Out for my blood? ”
“ Maybe not your blood, but they want a pound of flesh from somebody, and you two were the prime suspects. ”
Dane took note of the past tense and nodded.
Williams guided Dane and Bones out of the station. As they exited through the front doors, they heard shouting and turned around. Sheriff Meade, apoplectic , was struggling to escape the clutching arms of the three deputies who held him back.
“ You killed my son! ” he cried.
“ My partner ’ s going to talk to him, ” Williams said, ushering Dane and Bones out the door.
“ A horse tranquilizer might help, ” Bones said.
Williams smirked and shook his head.
“ So, Rodney ’ s dead. ” Bones made it a statement, not a question.
“ Very. ” Williams ’ expression grew grave . “ Until we find the killer, I suggest you two steer clear of the sheriff. He ’ s a powerful man and he can be a dangerous enemy. ”
“ That ’ s fine, ” Dane said. “ So can we. ”
Williams stopped and looked at them each in turn. “ I believe you. ”
Chapter 9
“ They have one, Ma ’ am. ” Jacob ’ s expression was studiously blank. He never said so, but he disapproved of this exercise.
“ Very well. I ’ ll be down there shortly. ”
Her phone rang as Jacob was closing the door. It was Locke. “ Yes? ”
“ We found the chest and it was empty. ”
Though Locke had delivered the news exactly as she preferred — swiftly and succinctly , like a clean cut, she still felt a momentary thrill followed by a sagging disappointment. She ’ d been so certain.
“ So it was another false trail. ” She hated the hollow sound of her voice.
“ You misunderstand me. The secret compartment was there, but someone must have gotten to it first. I ’ ve secured the chest so our people can examine it, though I doubt they ’ ll find anything. I took a few other items of no great value and ransacked an office as well. No need to call attention to the chest. ”
“ Very good. ” Her head spun and her
“ Fine. Let ’ s suppose I believe you. ” Williams opened a file folder and made a show of inspecting the contents. “ Where were you yesterday between the hours of two and eleven p.m.? ”
That was an unexpected question, but Dane had an easy answer.
“ At the hospital. One of my crew was injured on the job. We stayed with him until well after midnight. ”
“ Can anyone verify that? ”
“ My entire crew and maybe some of the hospital staff. There ’ s a nurse there with frizzy gray hair and crazy eyes who wouldn ’ t stop hitting on me. I ’ m sure she, at least, remembers. ”
Williams actually cracked a smile.
“ I know her. Sorry to break it to you, but you ’ re not her first. ” He took a deep breath and let it all out in a rush. “ You realize I can check hospital security video to confirm your story? ”
“ I ’ m counting on it, ” Dane said. “ I ’ m guessing something bad happened to Rodney. ”
“ You could say that. ” Williams closed his folder. “ Give me a few minutes. ” He pushed himself up from his seat and lumbered to the door. “ Can I get you anything to drink? ”
“ No thanks. ” Dane hoped the abrupt ending to the interrogation, if it could be called that, and William ’ s sudden bout of courtesy were good signs.
Williams returned twenty minutes later. He opened the door and leaned inside. “ How long do you plan on being in town, Mister Maddock? ”
“ Until the job ’ s finished. I don ’ t know how long that will be. ”
“ All right. You ’ re free to go. ” Williams didn ’ t seem angry or upset. Whatever follow-up he ’ d done seemed to have persuaded him that Dane was not responsible for whatever had happened to Rodney.
“ I ’ ll need a lift back to the island. Are the deputies still here? ”
Williams ’ expression darkened for a moment. “ It would be better if I drove you. The deputies are... ” He shrugged.
“ Out for my blood? ”
“ Maybe not your blood, but they want a pound of flesh from somebody, and you two were the prime suspects. ”
Dane took note of the past tense and nodded.
Williams guided Dane and Bones out of the station. As they exited through the front doors, they heard shouting and turned around. Sheriff Meade, apoplectic , was struggling to escape the clutching arms of the three deputies who held him back.
“ You killed my son! ” he cried.
“ My partner ’ s going to talk to him, ” Williams said, ushering Dane and Bones out the door.
“ A horse tranquilizer might help, ” Bones said.
Williams smirked and shook his head.
“ So, Rodney ’ s dead. ” Bones made it a statement, not a question.
“ Very. ” Williams ’ expression grew grave . “ Until we find the killer, I suggest you two steer clear of the sheriff. He ’ s a powerful man and he can be a dangerous enemy. ”
“ That ’ s fine, ” Dane said. “ So can we. ”
Williams stopped and looked at them each in turn. “ I believe you. ”
Chapter 9
“ They have one, Ma ’ am. ” Jacob ’ s expression was studiously blank. He never said so, but he disapproved of this exercise.
“ Very well. I ’ ll be down there shortly. ”
Her phone rang as Jacob was closing the door. It was Locke. “ Yes? ”
“ We found the chest and it was empty. ”
Though Locke had delivered the news exactly as she preferred — swiftly and succinctly , like a clean cut, she still felt a momentary thrill followed by a sagging disappointment. She ’ d been so certain.
“ So it was another false trail. ” She hated the hollow sound of her voice.
“ You misunderstand me. The secret compartment was there, but someone must have gotten to it first. I ’ ve secured the chest so our people can examine it, though I doubt they ’ ll find anything. I took a few other items of no great value and ransacked an office as well. No need to call attention to the chest. ”
“ Very good. ” Her head spun and her
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