hand on his head, his blunt fingers measuring the egg on the side of his skull. He swore, but that was to be expected.
‘Gimme a minute, huh?’ Scott got up and went to his friend. ‘OK, Burt, take it easy. I had this guy all wrong.’
‘Son of a bitch got me with a sneaky punch . . .’ said Burt, struggling up to a seated position. ‘I see him again I’ll show him I’m not one to be fucked with.’
Then he noticed me sitting there and shut up. He looked at Scott, his eyes wide, then rolled his head to take in their other buddy who was still out for the count.
‘Rob’s fine. He’ll be OK when he’s slept it off,’ Scott said.
‘What the hell happened?’
‘Like I said, I had this guy all wrong. He’s not another parasite who’s after money.’
At Scott’s words I took a look around the trailer. Judging by the poor state of repair, the cheap TV and accoutrements, there wasn’t much in the way of cash in the Blackstock household. To think that some private dicks had tried to play on his grief and worm cash out of him made me feel a little sick.
Scott passed a mug of cold coffee to his pal. ‘When you’re done with that, check on Rob, OK? Me and Hunter are still talking business and don’t want him going off on one when he wakes up.’
When Scott returned to the counter and sat down, I prompted him. ‘You said that Helena just disappeared?’
‘Yeah, she was walking into Indian Wells to fetch some groceries. She never made it there. When she didn’t get back, I drove in and had a look around but no one had seen her.’
‘You drove in, but Helena walked?’
‘She couldn’t drive and I was sleeping off a hangover. The boys had been over and we’d been playing poker. You know how it is, man.’
‘Had you argued?’
‘First thing the cops asked. No. We didn’t argue. We were good together. Son of a bitch! You know what the cops suggested . . . that I was no good and Helena had finally seen the light and had upped and left me while she had the chance.’
‘They don’t seem to take missing persons reports very seriously,’ I said.
‘Same with your girls, is it? The cops just brushed it off?’
‘At first, but I spoke with a cop last night. Officer Lewin. He seemed OK.’
Burt, listening from his end of the trailer, chose then to intrude. ‘Lewin? He’s an asshole like all the other cops. He ran me in on a driving under the influence charge.’
‘Were you drunk?’ I asked.
‘Yeah, but . . .’
I didn’t say anything more and he finally got the message.
He lifted both palms. ‘Ignore me. I’m not here, OK?’
Just about then the other man, Rob, began to come round, and Burt helped coax him back to lucidity with a whispered warning not to try my patience again. Rob seemed content to sit cradling his head in his palms.
‘So . . . there was no reason you can think of for Helena to leave you? You were good together. No other guy? No other girl with you?’
Scott shook his head sadly. ‘People take a look at us, see poor white trash, and think we go round humping anything that moves. It wasn’t like that with me and Helena. We loved each other. I still love her.’
‘I had to ask,’ I said. ‘But it’s behind us now. Next obvious question . . . did you and Helena have any enemies?’
‘None to speak of.’
‘What about anyone giving Helena the eye? You know the type I’m talking about. She wouldn’t have to reciprocate for them to show an interest.’
‘I occasionally caught some of them Injun boys giving her the glad eye, but that was about it. They wouldn’t have done anything about it, they knew better than to mess around with me.’
Yeah, the back-up his boys offered made him a real force to be reckoned with, I thought sourly. Like they were going to put off anyone determined to catch Helena’s attention.
‘Anything out of the ordinary happen before or after Helena disappeared?’
‘What, like a ransom demand? No, nothing.’
I was floundering a
‘Gimme a minute, huh?’ Scott got up and went to his friend. ‘OK, Burt, take it easy. I had this guy all wrong.’
‘Son of a bitch got me with a sneaky punch . . .’ said Burt, struggling up to a seated position. ‘I see him again I’ll show him I’m not one to be fucked with.’
Then he noticed me sitting there and shut up. He looked at Scott, his eyes wide, then rolled his head to take in their other buddy who was still out for the count.
‘Rob’s fine. He’ll be OK when he’s slept it off,’ Scott said.
‘What the hell happened?’
‘Like I said, I had this guy all wrong. He’s not another parasite who’s after money.’
At Scott’s words I took a look around the trailer. Judging by the poor state of repair, the cheap TV and accoutrements, there wasn’t much in the way of cash in the Blackstock household. To think that some private dicks had tried to play on his grief and worm cash out of him made me feel a little sick.
Scott passed a mug of cold coffee to his pal. ‘When you’re done with that, check on Rob, OK? Me and Hunter are still talking business and don’t want him going off on one when he wakes up.’
When Scott returned to the counter and sat down, I prompted him. ‘You said that Helena just disappeared?’
‘Yeah, she was walking into Indian Wells to fetch some groceries. She never made it there. When she didn’t get back, I drove in and had a look around but no one had seen her.’
‘You drove in, but Helena walked?’
‘She couldn’t drive and I was sleeping off a hangover. The boys had been over and we’d been playing poker. You know how it is, man.’
‘Had you argued?’
‘First thing the cops asked. No. We didn’t argue. We were good together. Son of a bitch! You know what the cops suggested . . . that I was no good and Helena had finally seen the light and had upped and left me while she had the chance.’
‘They don’t seem to take missing persons reports very seriously,’ I said.
‘Same with your girls, is it? The cops just brushed it off?’
‘At first, but I spoke with a cop last night. Officer Lewin. He seemed OK.’
Burt, listening from his end of the trailer, chose then to intrude. ‘Lewin? He’s an asshole like all the other cops. He ran me in on a driving under the influence charge.’
‘Were you drunk?’ I asked.
‘Yeah, but . . .’
I didn’t say anything more and he finally got the message.
He lifted both palms. ‘Ignore me. I’m not here, OK?’
Just about then the other man, Rob, began to come round, and Burt helped coax him back to lucidity with a whispered warning not to try my patience again. Rob seemed content to sit cradling his head in his palms.
‘So . . . there was no reason you can think of for Helena to leave you? You were good together. No other guy? No other girl with you?’
Scott shook his head sadly. ‘People take a look at us, see poor white trash, and think we go round humping anything that moves. It wasn’t like that with me and Helena. We loved each other. I still love her.’
‘I had to ask,’ I said. ‘But it’s behind us now. Next obvious question . . . did you and Helena have any enemies?’
‘None to speak of.’
‘What about anyone giving Helena the eye? You know the type I’m talking about. She wouldn’t have to reciprocate for them to show an interest.’
‘I occasionally caught some of them Injun boys giving her the glad eye, but that was about it. They wouldn’t have done anything about it, they knew better than to mess around with me.’
Yeah, the back-up his boys offered made him a real force to be reckoned with, I thought sourly. Like they were going to put off anyone determined to catch Helena’s attention.
‘Anything out of the ordinary happen before or after Helena disappeared?’
‘What, like a ransom demand? No, nothing.’
I was floundering a
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