Read Online Known Dead by Donald Harstad - Free Book Online

Sheriff’s Department with us. We have some questions to ask you.’’ She turned to the trooper. ‘‘Cuff him now, please.’’
    ‘‘Sure thing, ma’am.’’
    ‘‘I’ll give you a receipt for the rifle,’’ I said, smiling, ‘‘as soon as we get to the office. We’ll have to keep it.’’
    ‘‘I know,’’ said Howler. ‘‘It’s these new fuckin’ gun laws.’’ He caught himself instantly. ‘‘Excuse my language, ma’am.’’
    We gave Howler to a deputy from James County, who had come over to assist, and let him take Howler to our jail. We thanked the young trooper again, eliciting another barrage of ‘‘ma’am.’’ Hester wasn’t in the best of moods when we left.
    I notified Lamar that we were en route to the office for an interview. Hester called her boss, Al, and gave him more detail over her cell phone. We just had to get those things for our department.
    When she was done, we talked. Mostly about Howler and the gun. It could be a murder weapon. The caliber was right. But the owner didn’t seem to be a good possibility.
    ‘‘He’s not nervous enough,’’ said Hester. ‘‘Not by a mile.’’
    ‘‘Yeah, I know. And he was sleeping, but not apparently drugged.’’
    ‘‘So?’’
    ‘‘I don’t know. I wonder, though. I mean, shit, Hester, these dudes are both into Howie. They know about the dope. They either know, or should, who was with him. They’ve just about got to be involved, at some level or another. Don’t you think?’’
    Even as I heard myself, I knew that there was something wrong.
    ‘‘I wonder.’’ Hester slid down in the seat a bit, and reached for her now warm can of pop. ‘‘Something isn’t working.’’
    I nodded. ‘‘Tell me.’’

Seven
    WHEN WE GOT to the office, the mood was more somber than I had ever seen it. Hester and I, having generated some activity, and having been away from the crime scene for a while, had managed to push the gravity of the events to the back of our minds. You learn to do that. But back at the office, it all came homing in on us with a rush. Nobody was crying, or anything like that. But there was no life. No remarks. No rapid movements or speech. All the noises seemed muted. Even the phones didn’t sound right.
    I called Sue first thing. News gets around, and although the office had called her and said that I was all right, I wanted to touch base. She was glad I was alive, and wondered when I could get back home. I told her I didn’t know, but that I was anxious to be there too. Which I was. I was also glad to be at the office and in the middle of things. Hard to explain to a wife, so I didn’t bother. She knew that anyway.
    I checked in at the dispatch desk, just to be certain that they knew we were in the building. Sally, my favorite dispatcher, was at the main console.
    ‘‘Carl,’’ she said, not looking up, ‘‘the ME has a message for you. Call him at the Maitland General Hospital.’’
    ‘‘Okay.’’
    ‘‘It’s about the autopsy. That’s all I know.’’
    ‘‘Okay.’’
    ‘‘One of the agents from the scene will be in in a couple of minutes. He wants you to be sure to wait for him.’’
    ‘‘I’ll be in the back room.’’
    ‘‘The Freiberg officer is waiting for you in the kitchen, with a prisoner.’’
    We don’t have interrogation rooms. The kitchen is the best place, because it has fresh coffee.
    ‘‘That’s fine. Can I go now?’’
    She looked up for the first time. No smile, but she spoke softly. ‘‘Sure.’’
    ‘‘Either of the guys talk to you about what they were doing up there?’’
    She shook her head.
    ‘‘That’s all right, they really shouldn’t have anyway. You remember Turd from a few years back?’’
    ‘‘Sure.’’
    ‘‘You get a chance, leave me a note about what you know about him, will you?’’
    ‘‘Won’t be a very long note.’’
    ‘‘ ’S all right. Anything will be a help.’’
    ‘‘Want me to run