Read Online The Devil's Water: Scenic City Murder Series #1 by Amanda Swafford - Free Book Online
Authors: Amanda Swafford
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news. I should’ve protected her.” Clutch said, his eyes filling with tears.
“There was nothing you could do, Clutch. Sometimes shit just happens. It was out of your control.”
“That’s what my sponsor said this morning.” Clutch said, wiping a tear that was dripping down his cheek.
“Wallace Yoder was the best friend any man could have. He was my confidant and my partner. He saved my life more than once. I only wish I could’ve saved his. I’ve gone back over that day a thousand times in my mind. What could I have done differently?”
“Nothing Clutch. You did all you could. Wrong place wrong time. Young punk high on drugs didn’t even know where the fuck he was. He had a gun. He was going to kill himself. Wally tried to get the gun away from him and he fired at Wally instead. He was gut shot. He bled out in no time. It wasn’t your fault, Clutch.”
“I still remember all the blood. I remember holding Wally as he died. He was in my arms when he died.” Clutch wiped at the constant stream of tears falling from his eyes. “And I remember having to tell Tasha and her mother. I drove over there. I still had blood on my clothes.”
“Now, it’s just Tasha.” Skopic said quietly.
“Yeah, Elaine died less than a year later. Cervical cancer. I think that’s when Tasha started drinking so heavy. Thank God I quit or I would have killed myself with the stuff.”
“Have you talked to Tasha yet?”
“No. Not yet and I dread it. I doubt she’s up yet but I probably need to talk to her before she finds out some other way. “
Skopic leaned over the desk and grabbed the phone receiver. He handed it to Mclutcheon. “There’s no time like the present.” He said and offered Clutch a gentle smile. Skopic rose from his chair and opened up the office door. “You may need to give her some time but she’ll understand.” He said as he shut the door quietly behind him.
CHAPTER 17
He sat staring down into a black cup of coffee. It was 10:00AM, over 24 hours since the Gamblin story broke. Clutch had read the piece more than once. He had studied it and tried to figure out what the article had said without really saying it. For one, Gamblin had intimated that Tasha had a drinking problem. That wasn’t terribly big news since Tasha had made no secret of it, really. Gamblin was just trying to embarrass the department with that. What had he left out, though? Clutch sat back and clasped his hands behind his head. The most glaring thing he could think of that was left out of the article was the news he had received from Janese Dupri. No mention of dark blue cars or green hats or beards anywhere in the article. That would’ve been huge to Gamblin and he certainly wouldn’t have kept his fat mouth shut had he known. Clutch realized that the only people who witnessed the interview firsthand were a couple of detectives from vice. He knew the men well and knew they were upstanding. Ryan Skopic, Jeff Wilder and Tasha were the only other people who were aware. Clutch had been careful with Wilder and told him not to tell a single soul about it. At this very moment, Clutch realized that he hadn’t. He realized that Wilder would’ve told his partner before he told anyone else and Clutch knew to his core that he hadn’t. He knew because Martin Vicelli called in sick for work yesterday and, according to Wilder, he had called him last night to ask about how the day had gone at the PD. Clutch thought about it a moment more and his jaw muscles began working as he clenched his teeth. He picked up the desk phone and dialed in house. It rang twice before Vicelli picked it up. “Yeah”
“Martin I need to see you for a few minutes. Can you come down here?”
“Sure. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Martin Vicelli strolled into Clutch’s office and took a seat in the chair by Clutch’s desk. He had a smile on his face. “What’s up?” he asked innocently.
“Hey, I heard you had a 24 hour bug yesterday. You
“There was nothing you could do, Clutch. Sometimes shit just happens. It was out of your control.”
“That’s what my sponsor said this morning.” Clutch said, wiping a tear that was dripping down his cheek.
“Wallace Yoder was the best friend any man could have. He was my confidant and my partner. He saved my life more than once. I only wish I could’ve saved his. I’ve gone back over that day a thousand times in my mind. What could I have done differently?”
“Nothing Clutch. You did all you could. Wrong place wrong time. Young punk high on drugs didn’t even know where the fuck he was. He had a gun. He was going to kill himself. Wally tried to get the gun away from him and he fired at Wally instead. He was gut shot. He bled out in no time. It wasn’t your fault, Clutch.”
“I still remember all the blood. I remember holding Wally as he died. He was in my arms when he died.” Clutch wiped at the constant stream of tears falling from his eyes. “And I remember having to tell Tasha and her mother. I drove over there. I still had blood on my clothes.”
“Now, it’s just Tasha.” Skopic said quietly.
“Yeah, Elaine died less than a year later. Cervical cancer. I think that’s when Tasha started drinking so heavy. Thank God I quit or I would have killed myself with the stuff.”
“Have you talked to Tasha yet?”
“No. Not yet and I dread it. I doubt she’s up yet but I probably need to talk to her before she finds out some other way. “
Skopic leaned over the desk and grabbed the phone receiver. He handed it to Mclutcheon. “There’s no time like the present.” He said and offered Clutch a gentle smile. Skopic rose from his chair and opened up the office door. “You may need to give her some time but she’ll understand.” He said as he shut the door quietly behind him.
CHAPTER 17
He sat staring down into a black cup of coffee. It was 10:00AM, over 24 hours since the Gamblin story broke. Clutch had read the piece more than once. He had studied it and tried to figure out what the article had said without really saying it. For one, Gamblin had intimated that Tasha had a drinking problem. That wasn’t terribly big news since Tasha had made no secret of it, really. Gamblin was just trying to embarrass the department with that. What had he left out, though? Clutch sat back and clasped his hands behind his head. The most glaring thing he could think of that was left out of the article was the news he had received from Janese Dupri. No mention of dark blue cars or green hats or beards anywhere in the article. That would’ve been huge to Gamblin and he certainly wouldn’t have kept his fat mouth shut had he known. Clutch realized that the only people who witnessed the interview firsthand were a couple of detectives from vice. He knew the men well and knew they were upstanding. Ryan Skopic, Jeff Wilder and Tasha were the only other people who were aware. Clutch had been careful with Wilder and told him not to tell a single soul about it. At this very moment, Clutch realized that he hadn’t. He realized that Wilder would’ve told his partner before he told anyone else and Clutch knew to his core that he hadn’t. He knew because Martin Vicelli called in sick for work yesterday and, according to Wilder, he had called him last night to ask about how the day had gone at the PD. Clutch thought about it a moment more and his jaw muscles began working as he clenched his teeth. He picked up the desk phone and dialed in house. It rang twice before Vicelli picked it up. “Yeah”
“Martin I need to see you for a few minutes. Can you come down here?”
“Sure. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Martin Vicelli strolled into Clutch’s office and took a seat in the chair by Clutch’s desk. He had a smile on his face. “What’s up?” he asked innocently.
“Hey, I heard you had a 24 hour bug yesterday. You
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