Read Online Rusty Nails (The Dade Gibson Case Files) by Jason Brannon - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jason Brannon
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ring a bell. Could it be an alias?”
“Well, I haven’t checked her out if that’s what you’re asking. That’s sort of the reason I called you. I haven’t been in town long enough to establish a list of contacts. Other than you, of course.”
“Fortunately, I’m the only contact you’ll need,” Leon replied, his voice a deep rumble in the quiet coffeehouse. “Describe her to me.”
“Buxom, heavyset, red-headed, ring any bells?”
“Southern accent?” Leon asked, a worried look clouding his heavily made-up features. “Talks like she just stepped out of Steel Magnolias or something?”
“You know her?” Dade replied, more than a little unnerved by Leon’s reaction.
“Let’s just say if you’re talking about the same woman I’m talking about, you might be in more trouble than I originally thought.”
“You did remember me saying that she murdered an angel in cold blood, right?”
“This is deep,” Leon sighed.
“Let’s go back to Richard Edgemore. I want to know what kind of history I’m chasing here. I think he may have had something to do with my sister’s death.”
“I doubt that,” Leon said, eyebrows raised. “I knew Richard when he was still alive and he wasn’t the murdering type. He did a lot of things that would have got him thrown in jail if he’d ever been caught, but killing people wasn’t one of them.”
“Lots of people don’t seem like the murdering type until the police start pulling bodies out of the crawlspace beneath their house.”
“That wasn’t the kind of guy Richard was,” Leon maintained. “What makes you think he had something to do with your sister’s death?”
“It‘s complicated,” Dade said. “I’m not going to rely on you entirely for this. I’m going to do some digging on my own. All I want from you is just a few answers. I’ll do all the legwork myself. If Richard Edgemore had anything to do with Jane’s death, I’ll find out. You just point me in the right direction.”
Leon thought for a minute. It was apparent by the way the big man sighed and paused that he was indecisive about telling what he knew. After some deliberation, the clouds passed from his face, and it was clear that he’d made his choice.
“You’ve mentioned Richard Edgemore and a large woman with red hair and a southern accent. You’ve also mentioned angels. I’d say The Zodiac Club would be a place that could really give you a leg up on this whole thing.”
The look on Dade’s face was enough to show he wasn’t happy about going back to that place.
“Been there already? Or just scared that you’ll have to dance?”
“That’s where Liz and I met Mrs. Hartwell.”
“Go there after midnight,” Leon advised. “That’s when you’ll get some answers.”
“I owe you big time.”
“I’ll send you a bill,” Leon laughed, clapping Dade on the back. “With interest.”
Chapter 14
Dade didn’t want to run to The Zodiac Club with guns blazing. He needed time to think, time to plan. He decided to go back to his office first and grab a few things that might come in handy. Like holy water. Cursed bullets. A few talismans he had picked up along the way.
He had just grabbed his .45’s and was about to head out the door when he heard someone plodding up the stairs. He stood there expectantly, waiting for his guest, and was completely surprised to see a winded, white-haired old man stagger through the door, gasping for breath, his face red from the exertion of the climb. Dade immediately rushed to help the man into a chair, noticing with some concern how the old guy’s hands trembled and how his bloodshot eyes darted from place to place like a fly, never lighting in one place for more than a moment. Instinctively, he got the man a cup of water and pressed it into his tremulous hands. It seemed to help a little.
“Are you ok?” Dade asked.
“Dade,” the man whispered, his breath coming in ragged gasps. “You’re a hard man to
“Well, I haven’t checked her out if that’s what you’re asking. That’s sort of the reason I called you. I haven’t been in town long enough to establish a list of contacts. Other than you, of course.”
“Fortunately, I’m the only contact you’ll need,” Leon replied, his voice a deep rumble in the quiet coffeehouse. “Describe her to me.”
“Buxom, heavyset, red-headed, ring any bells?”
“Southern accent?” Leon asked, a worried look clouding his heavily made-up features. “Talks like she just stepped out of Steel Magnolias or something?”
“You know her?” Dade replied, more than a little unnerved by Leon’s reaction.
“Let’s just say if you’re talking about the same woman I’m talking about, you might be in more trouble than I originally thought.”
“You did remember me saying that she murdered an angel in cold blood, right?”
“This is deep,” Leon sighed.
“Let’s go back to Richard Edgemore. I want to know what kind of history I’m chasing here. I think he may have had something to do with my sister’s death.”
“I doubt that,” Leon said, eyebrows raised. “I knew Richard when he was still alive and he wasn’t the murdering type. He did a lot of things that would have got him thrown in jail if he’d ever been caught, but killing people wasn’t one of them.”
“Lots of people don’t seem like the murdering type until the police start pulling bodies out of the crawlspace beneath their house.”
“That wasn’t the kind of guy Richard was,” Leon maintained. “What makes you think he had something to do with your sister’s death?”
“It‘s complicated,” Dade said. “I’m not going to rely on you entirely for this. I’m going to do some digging on my own. All I want from you is just a few answers. I’ll do all the legwork myself. If Richard Edgemore had anything to do with Jane’s death, I’ll find out. You just point me in the right direction.”
Leon thought for a minute. It was apparent by the way the big man sighed and paused that he was indecisive about telling what he knew. After some deliberation, the clouds passed from his face, and it was clear that he’d made his choice.
“You’ve mentioned Richard Edgemore and a large woman with red hair and a southern accent. You’ve also mentioned angels. I’d say The Zodiac Club would be a place that could really give you a leg up on this whole thing.”
The look on Dade’s face was enough to show he wasn’t happy about going back to that place.
“Been there already? Or just scared that you’ll have to dance?”
“That’s where Liz and I met Mrs. Hartwell.”
“Go there after midnight,” Leon advised. “That’s when you’ll get some answers.”
“I owe you big time.”
“I’ll send you a bill,” Leon laughed, clapping Dade on the back. “With interest.”
Chapter 14
Dade didn’t want to run to The Zodiac Club with guns blazing. He needed time to think, time to plan. He decided to go back to his office first and grab a few things that might come in handy. Like holy water. Cursed bullets. A few talismans he had picked up along the way.
He had just grabbed his .45’s and was about to head out the door when he heard someone plodding up the stairs. He stood there expectantly, waiting for his guest, and was completely surprised to see a winded, white-haired old man stagger through the door, gasping for breath, his face red from the exertion of the climb. Dade immediately rushed to help the man into a chair, noticing with some concern how the old guy’s hands trembled and how his bloodshot eyes darted from place to place like a fly, never lighting in one place for more than a moment. Instinctively, he got the man a cup of water and pressed it into his tremulous hands. It seemed to help a little.
“Are you ok?” Dade asked.
“Dade,” the man whispered, his breath coming in ragged gasps. “You’re a hard man to
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