Read Online The Tamarack Murders by Patrick F. McManus - Free Book Online

kid’s new. I suspect he’ll mind his manners in the future. Anyway, the bottle is on the house.”
    â€œThanks, Joey, but we’re doing work. I’ll put it on the county card. Otherwise folks will think I’m taking graft.”
    Joey laughed. “If you don’t take graft, Bo, folks will think you’re putting on airs! Just ask Pap. It’s on the house!”
    â€œYou win, Joey!”
    Grid said. “You seem to be well known at Slade’s, Bo! Who’s Pap?”
    â€œMy father. He was sheriff of Blight county for many years and holds the record for corruption, womanizing, legal and illegal killings, and the same for gambling. The FBI got after him once, and he ran off to Mexico. Lived down there until the county cooled off enough for him to come back. Slade’s is not my favorite hangout, but I do some of my best work here. Bad guys seem attracted to the place. No offense, Grid.”
    â€œNone taken. Say, there’s a little all-night cafe down the street. What say we move down there, where we can at least hear ourselves think?”
    â€œGood idea! I’ll get Joey paid for the bottle of whiskey and drinks and meet you outside.”
    â€œSuits me.”
    Joey put the bottle in a sack and handed it to Tully along with his county credit card. “Sorry about the rudeness, Bo. Any time you come in, your drinks are on the house from now on.”
    â€œThanks, Joey. But I’m afraid that actually would be graft. We’ll let the county pay.” He walked out front and looked for Grid, Beeker, and Dance. They were leaning against the front wall of Slade’s.
    Beeker was tall and husky with a mop of reddish hair, more orange than red, to be exact. The other man, Dance, shorter and skinny with a thinning residue of light-brown hair. Tully had never before laid eyes on either of them. He said, “You fellows must be new in town.”
    â€œYeah,” Beeker said. “We came here a few days ago to hunt elk. Looked all over for a place to stay and finally found a little cabin outside of Famine.”
    â€œYeah,” Dance said. “About the only thing it comes with is a wood stove and a view.”
    Beeker frowned at him. “The price was right anyway. Nothing. Got a supply of firewood in it, so a least we can stay warm.”
    â€œYou’re lucky to find anything,” Tully said. “Blight County gets pretty crowded during elk season.”
    Grid said, “Hey, it’s freezing out here. What say we walk down to the cafe and finish our chat there?”
    Tully was surprised the place was still open. The four of them walked in and sat down in a booth. Tully turned the water glasses upright and filled each half full of whiskey. A waiter with sleeves rolled up to the top of bulging biceps walked over and handed out menus. He nodded at the bottle of whiskey. “I’m afraid that’s against the law, fellows.”
    Tully smiled at him. “I’m the law in Blight county, son. We’ll also have a round of coffee.”
    â€œYes, sir,” the waiter said and went to get the coffee.
    Beeker was holding his glass of whiskey up off the table. “I just wanted to make sure you weren’t going to make another grand gesture, Sheriff.”
    Tully laughed. “Don’t worry, Horace. I limit myself to one a day.”
    The waiter came back with the coffee. “We serve breakfast anytime. You fellas want some?”
    â€œSounds great,” Tully said. “I’ll take hash browns, scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon, the bacon crisp.” The waiter looked around the table and got nods from the others.
    â€œThe same for all four. What kind of toast—white, whole grain, sourdough, or rye?”
    Tully shook his head. No matter how thoroughly you think you’ve given your order, waiters always have one more question. “White,” he said. The other three nodded in agreement.
    The waiter left,