Read Online Demolition Angel by Robert Crais - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Robert Crais
Ads: Link
about the videotapes.
“Listen, Buck, I’m getting together the videos that the TV stations took. When we have everything together, I’d like you to come in and take a look. Maybe you’ll see someone in the crowd.”
“I don’t know, Carol. My head was on the bomb. I was worried about Charlie’s body temp and about getting good snaps. We thought we had some gangbanger over there, you know? A
pachuco
showing off for the homeboys. It was just a couple of goddamned pipes, for Christ’s sake.”
“It’ll be another day or two before we get all the tapes. I want you to think about it, okay? Try to recall anyone or anything that stood out.”
“Sure. I got nothing else to do. Dick made me take three days.”
“It’s good for you, Buck. Hey, you can take care of the weeds here in your yard. The place looks like shit.”
Daggett grudged a wan smile, and the two of them fell into silence.
After a time, he said, “You know what they’re making me do?”
“What?”
“I gotta go to the bank. Shit, I don’t want to talk to those people.”
Starkey didn’t know what to say.
“They call it ‘trauma counseling.’ We got all these new rules now. You’re in a shooting, you gotta go in. You get in a car wreck, you gotta go in. Now I guess I’ve got to tell some headshrinker what it feels like seeing my partner get blown to shit.”
Starkey was still trying to think of something to say when she felt her pager vibrate. It was Marzik’s number, followed by 911.
Starkey wanted to return the call, but she didn’t want to leave Buck Daggett so quickly, or like this.
“Don’t worry about the bank. It’s not like you’re being ordered in.”
“I just don’t want to talk to those people. What’s there to say about something like this? What did
you
say?”
“Nothing, Buck. There’s nothing to say. Just tell’m that. There’s nothing to say. Listen, I’ve got to return this call. It’s Marzik.”
“Sure. I understand.”
Daggett walked her out through the house and to the front door. His wife was nowhere around.
“Natalie’s upset, too. I’m sorry she didn’t offer you anything.”
“Don’t worry about it, Buck. I didn’t want anything anyway.”
“We were pretty tight, the three of us. She liked Charlie a lot.”
“I’ll call you about the videos. Think about it, okay?”
She was stepping through the door when Buck stopped her.
“Detective?”
She looked back at him, smiling at his use of her title.
“Thanks for not asking. You know what I mean? Everyone asks you how you are, and there’s nothing to say to that, either.”
“I know, Buck. It used to drive me crazy, everyone asking that.”
“Yeah. Well, I guess we’re a pretty small club, me and you.”
Starkey nodded at him, and then Buck Daggett closed the door.
Starkey was paged a second time as she walked out to her car. This time it was Hooker. She called Marzik first because of the 911, using her cell phone as she sat in Daggett’s drive.
Marzik got it on the first ring, as if she’d been waiting.
“Beth Marzik.”
“It’s Starkey. What’s up?”
Marzik’s voice was excited.
“I got something here, Starkey. I’m down by that flower shop, the one across from the phone? 911 gets the call from the phone at one-fourteen, right? Well, the owner’s kid is out front, getting ready to deliver some flowers, and he sees a guy on the phone.”
Starkey’s pulse quickened.
“Tell me he saw a car, Beth. Say we’ve got a license plate.”
“Carol, listen to this. It’s even better. He said it was an Anglo guy.” “The caller was Latino.”
“Listen to me, Starkey. This kid is solid. He’s sitting in histruck, listening to the fuckin’ Gipsy Kings while they load the flowers. He’s there from a little after one to exactly one-twenty. I know he was there during the call because they logged his departure time.
He says it was a white guy
.”
Starkey tried not to let herself get excited, but it was
“Listen, Buck, I’m getting together the videos that the TV stations took. When we have everything together, I’d like you to come in and take a look. Maybe you’ll see someone in the crowd.”
“I don’t know, Carol. My head was on the bomb. I was worried about Charlie’s body temp and about getting good snaps. We thought we had some gangbanger over there, you know? A
pachuco
showing off for the homeboys. It was just a couple of goddamned pipes, for Christ’s sake.”
“It’ll be another day or two before we get all the tapes. I want you to think about it, okay? Try to recall anyone or anything that stood out.”
“Sure. I got nothing else to do. Dick made me take three days.”
“It’s good for you, Buck. Hey, you can take care of the weeds here in your yard. The place looks like shit.”
Daggett grudged a wan smile, and the two of them fell into silence.
After a time, he said, “You know what they’re making me do?”
“What?”
“I gotta go to the bank. Shit, I don’t want to talk to those people.”
Starkey didn’t know what to say.
“They call it ‘trauma counseling.’ We got all these new rules now. You’re in a shooting, you gotta go in. You get in a car wreck, you gotta go in. Now I guess I’ve got to tell some headshrinker what it feels like seeing my partner get blown to shit.”
Starkey was still trying to think of something to say when she felt her pager vibrate. It was Marzik’s number, followed by 911.
Starkey wanted to return the call, but she didn’t want to leave Buck Daggett so quickly, or like this.
“Don’t worry about the bank. It’s not like you’re being ordered in.”
“I just don’t want to talk to those people. What’s there to say about something like this? What did
you
say?”
“Nothing, Buck. There’s nothing to say. Just tell’m that. There’s nothing to say. Listen, I’ve got to return this call. It’s Marzik.”
“Sure. I understand.”
Daggett walked her out through the house and to the front door. His wife was nowhere around.
“Natalie’s upset, too. I’m sorry she didn’t offer you anything.”
“Don’t worry about it, Buck. I didn’t want anything anyway.”
“We were pretty tight, the three of us. She liked Charlie a lot.”
“I’ll call you about the videos. Think about it, okay?”
She was stepping through the door when Buck stopped her.
“Detective?”
She looked back at him, smiling at his use of her title.
“Thanks for not asking. You know what I mean? Everyone asks you how you are, and there’s nothing to say to that, either.”
“I know, Buck. It used to drive me crazy, everyone asking that.”
“Yeah. Well, I guess we’re a pretty small club, me and you.”
Starkey nodded at him, and then Buck Daggett closed the door.
Starkey was paged a second time as she walked out to her car. This time it was Hooker. She called Marzik first because of the 911, using her cell phone as she sat in Daggett’s drive.
Marzik got it on the first ring, as if she’d been waiting.
“Beth Marzik.”
“It’s Starkey. What’s up?”
Marzik’s voice was excited.
“I got something here, Starkey. I’m down by that flower shop, the one across from the phone? 911 gets the call from the phone at one-fourteen, right? Well, the owner’s kid is out front, getting ready to deliver some flowers, and he sees a guy on the phone.”
Starkey’s pulse quickened.
“Tell me he saw a car, Beth. Say we’ve got a license plate.”
“Carol, listen to this. It’s even better. He said it was an Anglo guy.” “The caller was Latino.”
“Listen to me, Starkey. This kid is solid. He’s sitting in histruck, listening to the fuckin’ Gipsy Kings while they load the flowers. He’s there from a little after one to exactly one-twenty. I know he was there during the call because they logged his departure time.
He says it was a white guy
.”
Starkey tried not to let herself get excited, but it was
Similar Books
