Read Online Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon by Donna Andrews - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Donna Andrews
Tags: Fiction, General, Humorous, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths, Women Detectives, Langslow; Meg (Fictitious character), computer games, Psychotherapists, Receptionists
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am,“ he said with a slow smile that set off all kinds of alarm bells in my head. Yes, definitely time to bring in the New Year's photo.
Jack looked down at my hand and frowned. „You're bleeding,“ he exclaimed.
„Oh, sorry,“ I said. „I hope I didn't get too much of it on your belt.“
„Never mind the belt,“ he said. „You need a bandage.“
„That's one thing I have plenty of already,“ I said. I loosened the butterfly clip that held the end of the gauze down, unwound a couple of loops, and wrapped them around my knuckles. Time to get Dad to redo my bandage, I noted. I could live with toner, ink, and coffee stains, not to mention Spike's teeth marks, but these days visible bloodstains tend to make people nervous.
„Ms. Langslow,“ the chief said.
„Yes?“
He glanced down, at my hand and frowned. „Should you be doing this with an injured hand?“ he asked.
„Probably not,“ I said.
„What did you do to it, anyway?“ he asked.
„Smashed it with a hammer. By accident,“ I added, rather unnecessarily.
„You did have it looked at by a doctor, I hope,“ he said.
„Yes, by several of them at Caerphilly Community Hospital the day I did it, and my dad every weekday since,“ I said, not trying to hide my impatience at having yet another person fretting about whether I was taking proper care of myself. And then I had to stifle a chuckle when I realized that the chief wasn't worrying about me – he was sizing me up as a suspect.
„So tell me about this strangling lesson you were giving your coworkers last week,“ he said.
„It was just a demonstration,“ I said. „Pretty much what I did just now, only with a computer security cable, instead of a belt. And I managed not to hurt myself that time; last week I had a bigger bandage that cushioned the knuckles.“
„Chief,“ an officer said. „Danny wants to talk to you.“
„I'll be right up,“ the chief said, and headed for the door, motioning me to come with him. „Who was there when you did this?“
„I don't really remember,“ I said.
„Try, then,“ he said. „It could be important.“
„You mean you think whoever strangled Ted learned it from my demonstration,“ I said as we walked in and began climbing the stairs. „Which could be true, but there's no need for me to remember who was at my demonstration. Half the idiots in the office were running around showing each other for the next three days.“
„So pretty much everyone in the office knew about this belt fu thing?“
„Even the therapists probably know about it by now,“ I said. „So I feel bad that I may have showed the murderer how tocommit the crime, but that isn't going to narrow your suspect field down any.“
„Damn,“ the chief said with a sigh. „Not getting any easier,“ he told the ceiling.
He strolled into the reception room, and I tagged along. The mail cart was still there, I noticed, though Ted's body was gone. I wondered if the police would be taking the mail cart as evidence.
An officer – Danny, I presumed – hurried over when he saw the chief.
„Found this,“ the officer said. He handed the chief a piece of paper in a plastic baggie.
Whatever he'd found, the chief seemed to consider it very interesting. He read it – probably several times, from the length of time he stared at the paper – and then nodded with a grim look on his face.
„You got someone named George working here?“ he asked, still looking at the paper.
„No,“ I said.
He looked over his glasses at me. „You're positive?“
„If you don't believe me, check the phone list,“ I said. „Or the personnel files.“
„No George? At all?“
„He's the only George around,“ I said, indicating the dozing bird.
„He's George?“
„Can't be,“ the officer said. „Got to be someone with an office.“
„What do you mean?“ I asked.
The chief frowned and then held out the baggie. Inside was a note that said, „Put $5000 in small, unmarked bills
Jack looked down at my hand and frowned. „You're bleeding,“ he exclaimed.
„Oh, sorry,“ I said. „I hope I didn't get too much of it on your belt.“
„Never mind the belt,“ he said. „You need a bandage.“
„That's one thing I have plenty of already,“ I said. I loosened the butterfly clip that held the end of the gauze down, unwound a couple of loops, and wrapped them around my knuckles. Time to get Dad to redo my bandage, I noted. I could live with toner, ink, and coffee stains, not to mention Spike's teeth marks, but these days visible bloodstains tend to make people nervous.
„Ms. Langslow,“ the chief said.
„Yes?“
He glanced down, at my hand and frowned. „Should you be doing this with an injured hand?“ he asked.
„Probably not,“ I said.
„What did you do to it, anyway?“ he asked.
„Smashed it with a hammer. By accident,“ I added, rather unnecessarily.
„You did have it looked at by a doctor, I hope,“ he said.
„Yes, by several of them at Caerphilly Community Hospital the day I did it, and my dad every weekday since,“ I said, not trying to hide my impatience at having yet another person fretting about whether I was taking proper care of myself. And then I had to stifle a chuckle when I realized that the chief wasn't worrying about me – he was sizing me up as a suspect.
„So tell me about this strangling lesson you were giving your coworkers last week,“ he said.
„It was just a demonstration,“ I said. „Pretty much what I did just now, only with a computer security cable, instead of a belt. And I managed not to hurt myself that time; last week I had a bigger bandage that cushioned the knuckles.“
„Chief,“ an officer said. „Danny wants to talk to you.“
„I'll be right up,“ the chief said, and headed for the door, motioning me to come with him. „Who was there when you did this?“
„I don't really remember,“ I said.
„Try, then,“ he said. „It could be important.“
„You mean you think whoever strangled Ted learned it from my demonstration,“ I said as we walked in and began climbing the stairs. „Which could be true, but there's no need for me to remember who was at my demonstration. Half the idiots in the office were running around showing each other for the next three days.“
„So pretty much everyone in the office knew about this belt fu thing?“
„Even the therapists probably know about it by now,“ I said. „So I feel bad that I may have showed the murderer how tocommit the crime, but that isn't going to narrow your suspect field down any.“
„Damn,“ the chief said with a sigh. „Not getting any easier,“ he told the ceiling.
He strolled into the reception room, and I tagged along. The mail cart was still there, I noticed, though Ted's body was gone. I wondered if the police would be taking the mail cart as evidence.
An officer – Danny, I presumed – hurried over when he saw the chief.
„Found this,“ the officer said. He handed the chief a piece of paper in a plastic baggie.
Whatever he'd found, the chief seemed to consider it very interesting. He read it – probably several times, from the length of time he stared at the paper – and then nodded with a grim look on his face.
„You got someone named George working here?“ he asked, still looking at the paper.
„No,“ I said.
He looked over his glasses at me. „You're positive?“
„If you don't believe me, check the phone list,“ I said. „Or the personnel files.“
„No George? At all?“
„He's the only George around,“ I said, indicating the dozing bird.
„He's George?“
„Can't be,“ the officer said. „Got to be someone with an office.“
„What do you mean?“ I asked.
The chief frowned and then held out the baggie. Inside was a note that said, „Put $5000 in small, unmarked bills
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