Read Online The Tangerine Killer by Claire Svendsen - Free Book Online

Probably the same one he had after sex with one of his girlfriends, all red faced and sweaty.
    “Why?”
    He gulped the wine left in his glass, his hand a little less steady.
    “Because I want to understand,” I said.
    “I don’t,” he mumbled.
    “Why not?”
    “I guess I feel guilty.”
    “We all do,” I coaxed. “That’s what happens when someone kills themselves. Everyone is left behind scratching their heads and wondering why they never saw it coming.”
    He actually looked a little sad. If he knew Lisa’s death had been a murder, he wasn’t letting on.
    “Why do you think she killed herself?” I asked gently.
    “I don’t know. She was my little sister. I didn’t pay attention to that sort of thing. How was I supposed to know if she was depressed? I hardly ever saw her.”
    “You couldn’t have known.”
    I placed my hand on top of his in a friendly gesture, hoping to encourage him with kindness and compassion. I bit back all the things I really wanted to say to him.
    “I feel bad about it though,” he said.
    “Yeah. Me too.”
    “Well, you didn’t find her in time did you?”
    “That’s nice Harvey. Thanks a lot.”
    I pulled my hand back roughly, angry I’d shown him the least bit of mercy.
    “I’m just pointing out the obvious.”
    “Well it seems that if I’d had all the information in the first place then maybe I could have done a better job.”
    “What information?”
    “Oh I don’t know. Like this maybe?”
    I shoved the photograph under his nose. He didn’t even flinch.
    “So what?”
    “The baby Harvey, what happened to the baby?”
    “She died. They woke up one morning and she was dead in her crib.”
    “Shit.”
    “Lisa took it hard but she got over it in time. Look, I don’t think it had anything to do with her death.”
    “So you don’t think losing a child played any part in her mental decline?”
    “She could have just had more,” he shrugged.
    That was a man for you. Just pop out another one to replace the gaping hole the first one left behind. I didn’t get the drive to have children and I certainly had no inclination of having one of my own but even I knew it didn’t work that way.
    “You know that wouldn‘t replace the one she lost.”
    “I know,” he shook his head. “But life goes on. In the end they’re all the same aren’t they?”
    I resisted the urge to slam his fat face into his plate of greasy sauce.
    “Another drink?” the waitress asked.
    “Yes,” I said quickly.
    I couldn’t take another minute of Harvey’s company without being at least marginally inebriated. If I couldn’t get anything worthwhile out of him soon, I was going to ditch him. I had better things to do with my time.

SIXTEEN
     
     
    “Do you want to get some fresh air?” Harvey asked.
    “Sure,” I nodded.
    I needed to clear my head and think. The restaurant had become crowded and claustrophobic. Harvey’s chair kept inching closer to mine. It was only a matter of time before he put a hand on me and I couldn’t very well break his fingers in a restaurant full of witnesses.
    Outside the sidewalk was filled with people taking advantage of the beautiful weather, hardly the place for a quiet conversation. When I spotted a little park across the street, I pointed it out.
    “Let’s go in,” I said.
    We walked down the winding path until we reached a wooden bench, shaded by a canopy of leaves. The scent of blossom hung heavy on the air. Harvey rubbed his eyes.
    “Allergies,” he mumbled. “I hate the outdoors.”
    A small play area had been cut out of the grass. There were slides and climbing frames all painted in bright yellows and blues. Two little blonde girls whooshed back and forth on the swing set, squealing in delight as they flew higher and higher.
    “Do you remember how we spent hours on the swings in your back yard?”
    “Not really,” Harvey said.
    “Lisa and I were convinced that if we just tried hard enough then we could get the swing to go all