Read Online Dead Letter (Digger) by Warren Murphy - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Warren Murphy
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might be even more final. The ultimate final. Good-bye, world. You think I’m fooling around?"
"No. But I think you’re overreacting. First an accident, then a coincidence. Maybe it’s nothing more than that."
"Two people are dead," Digger said.
"Maybe both accidents," she said. "Strickland fell. Poor Professor Redwing got hit by a car. That’s all. Except for that stupid letter, none of this has anything to do with me."
"That’s exactly it," Digger said. "Except for that stupid letter. But there is that stupid letter, so this does have something to do with you."
"Tell me what," she said coolly.
Digger sighed. "I’ll be goddamned if I know," he said.
"And that’s why I’m not going to miss my finals."
"If I tell your father, you’ll be on your way home so fast your head will spin."
"When we first met, Digger, you told me you weren’t a fink. I don’t think you’ve changed since yesterday. Have you?" She smiled at him.
Digger shook his head disgustedly. "Do you agree with her?" he asked Gilligan.
"No."
"Then why don’t you talk to her?"
"I do, but she never listens to me. Allie never listens to anybody."
"You are your father’s daughter," Digger said.
"I know. Isn’t it grand?"
"Your father’s as big a pain in the butt as you are," Digger said.
"For asking you to make sure I was all right?"
"For spawning you," Digger said.
"What are you going to do now?" she asked Digger. They were interrupted by the waitress who slammed Digger’s coffee cup down in front of him and slid the toast across the table.
"Thanks, darling," he said. "You’re sweet."
She grunted as she left.
"I don’t know," he told Allie. "I’ve got some people to talk to. And like it or not, I’ve got to talk to the cops. They ought to know what’s going on. Besides, somebody else is sure to tell them."
"I suppose so," Allie said. "Will they keep things quiet? I’d hate to be on the six o’clock news back in Long Island and have my father see me smiling at him over the tube. That I can do without."
"They’ll probably keep it quiet until they’ve got something to make noise about. I’ll see what I can do."
"Please do," she said.
"All right. Now tell me about this last name on the list. Jayne Langston."
"She’s the college psychologist," Danny said.
"What kind? Does she teach or what?"
"No, she treats students. Counseling. You know," Allie said. "She’s the resident shrink."
"You know her? You ever go to her?"
"Digger, every student goes to her some time or other. Jeez, you’re not going to tell my father about this, are you?"
"Just keep talking. What do you mean, everybody goes to her?"
Allison shrugged. "Everybody does. College kids, all of them from out of town, away from home for the first time, we all get a little bit weird. Depression. So everybody goes. Isn’t that right, Danny?"
The young man nodded his earnest little face.
"It’s hard to imagine you depressed," Digger told her.
"But I was when I first came up here, and Doctor Langston straightened me out. Then I had some personal problems and I saw her again a year ago."
"Any idea why she might be on somebody’s hit list?" Digger asked.
The young woman winced. "You don’t really think it’s a hit list, do you?"
"I don’t know. Who wouldn’t like her?"
"Nobody that I know of," Allison said. "You, Danny?"
He shrugged. "She’s a nice lady." He thought and shrugged again. "Maybe her ex-husband."
"Who’s that?"
"Dean Hatcher," Allie said. "You met him yesterday."
Digger thought of the dean of students and the worried look he wore when he first gave Allison the chain letter.
"That explains it," Digger said. "I was wondering why he was so frantic looking when he got that letter. It was because his ex-wife’s name was on it."
"I guess so," Allie said.
"I guess I’d better talk to her, too," Digger said. "She have offices on campus?"
"Yeah," Danny said. "Just across the commons from our dorm."
Allie excused herself to use the
"No. But I think you’re overreacting. First an accident, then a coincidence. Maybe it’s nothing more than that."
"Two people are dead," Digger said.
"Maybe both accidents," she said. "Strickland fell. Poor Professor Redwing got hit by a car. That’s all. Except for that stupid letter, none of this has anything to do with me."
"That’s exactly it," Digger said. "Except for that stupid letter. But there is that stupid letter, so this does have something to do with you."
"Tell me what," she said coolly.
Digger sighed. "I’ll be goddamned if I know," he said.
"And that’s why I’m not going to miss my finals."
"If I tell your father, you’ll be on your way home so fast your head will spin."
"When we first met, Digger, you told me you weren’t a fink. I don’t think you’ve changed since yesterday. Have you?" She smiled at him.
Digger shook his head disgustedly. "Do you agree with her?" he asked Gilligan.
"No."
"Then why don’t you talk to her?"
"I do, but she never listens to me. Allie never listens to anybody."
"You are your father’s daughter," Digger said.
"I know. Isn’t it grand?"
"Your father’s as big a pain in the butt as you are," Digger said.
"For asking you to make sure I was all right?"
"For spawning you," Digger said.
"What are you going to do now?" she asked Digger. They were interrupted by the waitress who slammed Digger’s coffee cup down in front of him and slid the toast across the table.
"Thanks, darling," he said. "You’re sweet."
She grunted as she left.
"I don’t know," he told Allie. "I’ve got some people to talk to. And like it or not, I’ve got to talk to the cops. They ought to know what’s going on. Besides, somebody else is sure to tell them."
"I suppose so," Allie said. "Will they keep things quiet? I’d hate to be on the six o’clock news back in Long Island and have my father see me smiling at him over the tube. That I can do without."
"They’ll probably keep it quiet until they’ve got something to make noise about. I’ll see what I can do."
"Please do," she said.
"All right. Now tell me about this last name on the list. Jayne Langston."
"She’s the college psychologist," Danny said.
"What kind? Does she teach or what?"
"No, she treats students. Counseling. You know," Allie said. "She’s the resident shrink."
"You know her? You ever go to her?"
"Digger, every student goes to her some time or other. Jeez, you’re not going to tell my father about this, are you?"
"Just keep talking. What do you mean, everybody goes to her?"
Allison shrugged. "Everybody does. College kids, all of them from out of town, away from home for the first time, we all get a little bit weird. Depression. So everybody goes. Isn’t that right, Danny?"
The young man nodded his earnest little face.
"It’s hard to imagine you depressed," Digger told her.
"But I was when I first came up here, and Doctor Langston straightened me out. Then I had some personal problems and I saw her again a year ago."
"Any idea why she might be on somebody’s hit list?" Digger asked.
The young woman winced. "You don’t really think it’s a hit list, do you?"
"I don’t know. Who wouldn’t like her?"
"Nobody that I know of," Allison said. "You, Danny?"
He shrugged. "She’s a nice lady." He thought and shrugged again. "Maybe her ex-husband."
"Who’s that?"
"Dean Hatcher," Allie said. "You met him yesterday."
Digger thought of the dean of students and the worried look he wore when he first gave Allison the chain letter.
"That explains it," Digger said. "I was wondering why he was so frantic looking when he got that letter. It was because his ex-wife’s name was on it."
"I guess so," Allie said.
"I guess I’d better talk to her, too," Digger said. "She have offices on campus?"
"Yeah," Danny said. "Just across the commons from our dorm."
Allie excused herself to use the
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