Read Online The Baby Blue Rip-Off by Max Allan Collins - Free Book Online
Authors: Max Allan Collins
Tags: Mystery & Crime
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actual limits, and all the break-ins have been among those.”
“Yeah? Damn, I should’ve noticed that. Has Brennan?”
“I mentioned it to him, and he shrugged it off. Said it was just that those houses are mostly spread far apart from other housesand are easier to pull a van up to without rousing suspicion of neighbors.”
“He’s right,” I said. “Those houses are on highways, too, mostly, where cars are going by too fast to take time to notice anything.”
Lou nodded and said, “He’s right, yeah, but I see more of a tie-in than just that. Outside the city limits means the sheriff’s department handles it; inside means the local cops. Or some in town, some out means a combined investigation. I think staying outside town proper has to do with these people being afraid of what our police chief might do if he got into the fray.”
“Oh, Lou, are you kidding? That fat nincompoop wouldn’t do a damn thing.”
“That’s just it. The chief wouldn’t do a damn thing himself, but he
would
call in the Criminal Bureau of Investigation. He always does in a murder case. He did about those rapes last year, remember?”
“And Brennan’s not much for calling in the CBI.”
“No. Like I said, he likes to fool around with a case himself, especially in an election year.”
“And you think these B-and-E artists are sophisticated enough to consider that angle?”
“Why not? Besides, they’re obviously local people and would’ve known that just from living in town and paying attention.”
“I don’t know. I live in town and I didn’t know that.”
“Maybe you’re not paying attention.”
“Keep that up and you won’t get another beer. Listen, Lou, why is it obvious they’re local people? Why can’t they be out of Davenport or Rock Island or some place, and drive down now and then for a hit?”
“Mallory. You aren’t thinking. And you who used to be a cop yourself.”
“I still don’t get you.”
“I figured it from what you told me about last night—them coming back.”
I thought for a moment, then said, “Damn! What’s wrong with me? Of course they’re local! They
knew
me! They knew where to look for me.... They wanted me to know that; to know they would come around and work me over if I caused them any trouble. And anybody who wasn’t local would’ve split right after the job, would’ve headed back for wherever it was they worked out of. Lou, what about that car, that red-white-and-blue GTO?”
“License number three? What about it? You heard me last night when I said it was stolen, didn’t you?”
I nodded. “But who was it you said the car belonged to? It was somebody I know....”
“Car belongs to Pat Nelson. You remember Pat, don’t you? Went to school with us, a little ahead of us.”
“I remember him. Had a run-in with him once.”
“Oh?”
“That’s neither here nor there, but did you ever consider Nelson could’ve been in on the robbery and reported his car stolen because he knew it’d been seen there?”
“After the fact, you mean? No, he called it in earlier than that, a good hour before you saw that car at Jonsen’s.”
“I don’t know. I still think it could stand some looking into. Nelson’s been in trouble ever since he was a kid.”
“True enough,” Lou agreed. “Reform school when he was barely in his teens, if I recall.”
“That’s right. You going to look into it?”
“Probably. Are you?”
“Probably.”
“You want to do it together, Mal?”
“That’s what I’d like, but we better work separately, or Brennan might cause us some headaches. We can just keep each other up on what we’re doing.”
Lou nodded.
“What ever happened to Nelson?” I asked. “I mean, what’s he been up to lately?”
“Think he has a job with that silo company down in South End. He’s married, you know.”
“Who to?”
Lou grinned. “Don’t tell me I’m the first to break it to you.”
“Break what to me?”
“He’s married to
“Yeah? Damn, I should’ve noticed that. Has Brennan?”
“I mentioned it to him, and he shrugged it off. Said it was just that those houses are mostly spread far apart from other housesand are easier to pull a van up to without rousing suspicion of neighbors.”
“He’s right,” I said. “Those houses are on highways, too, mostly, where cars are going by too fast to take time to notice anything.”
Lou nodded and said, “He’s right, yeah, but I see more of a tie-in than just that. Outside the city limits means the sheriff’s department handles it; inside means the local cops. Or some in town, some out means a combined investigation. I think staying outside town proper has to do with these people being afraid of what our police chief might do if he got into the fray.”
“Oh, Lou, are you kidding? That fat nincompoop wouldn’t do a damn thing.”
“That’s just it. The chief wouldn’t do a damn thing himself, but he
would
call in the Criminal Bureau of Investigation. He always does in a murder case. He did about those rapes last year, remember?”
“And Brennan’s not much for calling in the CBI.”
“No. Like I said, he likes to fool around with a case himself, especially in an election year.”
“And you think these B-and-E artists are sophisticated enough to consider that angle?”
“Why not? Besides, they’re obviously local people and would’ve known that just from living in town and paying attention.”
“I don’t know. I live in town and I didn’t know that.”
“Maybe you’re not paying attention.”
“Keep that up and you won’t get another beer. Listen, Lou, why is it obvious they’re local people? Why can’t they be out of Davenport or Rock Island or some place, and drive down now and then for a hit?”
“Mallory. You aren’t thinking. And you who used to be a cop yourself.”
“I still don’t get you.”
“I figured it from what you told me about last night—them coming back.”
I thought for a moment, then said, “Damn! What’s wrong with me? Of course they’re local! They
knew
me! They knew where to look for me.... They wanted me to know that; to know they would come around and work me over if I caused them any trouble. And anybody who wasn’t local would’ve split right after the job, would’ve headed back for wherever it was they worked out of. Lou, what about that car, that red-white-and-blue GTO?”
“License number three? What about it? You heard me last night when I said it was stolen, didn’t you?”
I nodded. “But who was it you said the car belonged to? It was somebody I know....”
“Car belongs to Pat Nelson. You remember Pat, don’t you? Went to school with us, a little ahead of us.”
“I remember him. Had a run-in with him once.”
“Oh?”
“That’s neither here nor there, but did you ever consider Nelson could’ve been in on the robbery and reported his car stolen because he knew it’d been seen there?”
“After the fact, you mean? No, he called it in earlier than that, a good hour before you saw that car at Jonsen’s.”
“I don’t know. I still think it could stand some looking into. Nelson’s been in trouble ever since he was a kid.”
“True enough,” Lou agreed. “Reform school when he was barely in his teens, if I recall.”
“That’s right. You going to look into it?”
“Probably. Are you?”
“Probably.”
“You want to do it together, Mal?”
“That’s what I’d like, but we better work separately, or Brennan might cause us some headaches. We can just keep each other up on what we’re doing.”
Lou nodded.
“What ever happened to Nelson?” I asked. “I mean, what’s he been up to lately?”
“Think he has a job with that silo company down in South End. He’s married, you know.”
“Who to?”
Lou grinned. “Don’t tell me I’m the first to break it to you.”
“Break what to me?”
“He’s married to
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