often?”
“I try to …” Her look forced my hand. “From time to time.”
“I understand from Sheriff Cowan and state police that you're also involved in another problem,” she said. “Having to do with Dewayne Turner's body being found?”
Seemed like Cowan's suspicions were making the rounds. I wondered why the sheriff hadn't mentioned anything about the Commowealth's attorney. Were they at odds?
“Right,” I said. “I'm the one who found it. Not on purpose, you understand. I was out hunting, working with my bird.”
“So I was told. You're a private investigator, aren't you?”
“That's right.”
“Were you just in talking with Nicole?”
“No. I was on my way to see the sheriff about listening to the tape of the tipster who turned her in. Then I was hoping to see Nicky again too.”
“I'll be questioning your daughter myself, along with her attorney, in a little while.”
“Any chance I might sit in?”
“I know your background. Mr. Pavlicek.” Oh, boy. Who didn't? “Since you used to be a police detective, I may allow it. As long as your daughter or her attorney don't object.”
“Thank you.” From what I knew of Nicole's attorney, I couldn't imagine him objecting to anything but a price increase in white lightning.
“Good. Right now I really must—”
“Listen, Ms. Thomasen.” I reached out and touched her arm. “Just one more thing … I understand there may be suspicions about Dewayne Turner's disappearance, allegations that the police may have somehow been involved.”
She hesitated. “You understand correctly, but I'm not at liberty to discuss it at the moment.”
“Okay, maybe later. But do you, by any chance, know any of Turner's family?”
“Of course. Good people. I know them well.”
“I would really appreciate it if you would be willing to arrange a meeting for me with them,” I said. “Maybe you could even go along. I know they must be grieving right now, but—”
“Let me get this straight. Your daughter's in jail, maybe mixed up in drug trafficking. And you want me to set up a meeting for you with a murdered man's family and then accompany you? To what, help overcome the black/white thing?”
“Well no. I didn't mean—”
“Look, Pavlicek, as far as I'm concerned, you're on your own if you want to go around bothering Carla Turner. The sheriff needs to talk with her and I've told him so—that's what would really help clear the air around here about Dewayne's disappearance. Right now I'm late and—”
“Do you have any idea if he was still selling drugs?”
She looked at me with suspicion. “From what I understand, no. He'd turned his back on all that.”
“Maybe someone from the crowd he used to run with took exception and murdered him.”
“Maybe it wouldn't be so shocking, either, if your daughter turned out to be involved with his death.”
Wow. Her subtlety was killing me.
“After all,” she said, “the apple doesn't fall …” She stopped in mid-sentence.
“Too far from the tree?”
“I'm sorry,” she said. “I have to go.”
The deep voice on the sheriff's department recording was hollow and indistinct. The call had been traced to a pay phone at a gas station on the outskirts of town so it could have come from almost anyone. The voice was very clear, however, about one thing: he specified Nicole by name and he described her car.
“Not much to go on.” Cowan pushed the button to rewind the tape. “Guy's probably a doper himself. Probably settling a score. Be lucky if whoever owns that coke don't find him before we do.”
“Maybe.” But I was thinking the sheriff might be right.
“Who's side you on in all this anyway, Pavlicek? Just ‘cause that daughter of yours tells you she's innocent, don't mean she wasn't mixed up in something no good.”
“I'm interested in finding out what really happened.”
“No bias? No prejudice at all? You know we're big on that down here now, eliminating prejudice, I mean.” He
“I try to …” Her look forced my hand. “From time to time.”
“I understand from Sheriff Cowan and state police that you're also involved in another problem,” she said. “Having to do with Dewayne Turner's body being found?”
Seemed like Cowan's suspicions were making the rounds. I wondered why the sheriff hadn't mentioned anything about the Commowealth's attorney. Were they at odds?
“Right,” I said. “I'm the one who found it. Not on purpose, you understand. I was out hunting, working with my bird.”
“So I was told. You're a private investigator, aren't you?”
“That's right.”
“Were you just in talking with Nicole?”
“No. I was on my way to see the sheriff about listening to the tape of the tipster who turned her in. Then I was hoping to see Nicky again too.”
“I'll be questioning your daughter myself, along with her attorney, in a little while.”
“Any chance I might sit in?”
“I know your background. Mr. Pavlicek.” Oh, boy. Who didn't? “Since you used to be a police detective, I may allow it. As long as your daughter or her attorney don't object.”
“Thank you.” From what I knew of Nicole's attorney, I couldn't imagine him objecting to anything but a price increase in white lightning.
“Good. Right now I really must—”
“Listen, Ms. Thomasen.” I reached out and touched her arm. “Just one more thing … I understand there may be suspicions about Dewayne Turner's disappearance, allegations that the police may have somehow been involved.”
She hesitated. “You understand correctly, but I'm not at liberty to discuss it at the moment.”
“Okay, maybe later. But do you, by any chance, know any of Turner's family?”
“Of course. Good people. I know them well.”
“I would really appreciate it if you would be willing to arrange a meeting for me with them,” I said. “Maybe you could even go along. I know they must be grieving right now, but—”
“Let me get this straight. Your daughter's in jail, maybe mixed up in drug trafficking. And you want me to set up a meeting for you with a murdered man's family and then accompany you? To what, help overcome the black/white thing?”
“Well no. I didn't mean—”
“Look, Pavlicek, as far as I'm concerned, you're on your own if you want to go around bothering Carla Turner. The sheriff needs to talk with her and I've told him so—that's what would really help clear the air around here about Dewayne's disappearance. Right now I'm late and—”
“Do you have any idea if he was still selling drugs?”
She looked at me with suspicion. “From what I understand, no. He'd turned his back on all that.”
“Maybe someone from the crowd he used to run with took exception and murdered him.”
“Maybe it wouldn't be so shocking, either, if your daughter turned out to be involved with his death.”
Wow. Her subtlety was killing me.
“After all,” she said, “the apple doesn't fall …” She stopped in mid-sentence.
“Too far from the tree?”
“I'm sorry,” she said. “I have to go.”
The deep voice on the sheriff's department recording was hollow and indistinct. The call had been traced to a pay phone at a gas station on the outskirts of town so it could have come from almost anyone. The voice was very clear, however, about one thing: he specified Nicole by name and he described her car.
“Not much to go on.” Cowan pushed the button to rewind the tape. “Guy's probably a doper himself. Probably settling a score. Be lucky if whoever owns that coke don't find him before we do.”
“Maybe.” But I was thinking the sheriff might be right.
“Who's side you on in all this anyway, Pavlicek? Just ‘cause that daughter of yours tells you she's innocent, don't mean she wasn't mixed up in something no good.”
“I'm interested in finding out what really happened.”
“No bias? No prejudice at all? You know we're big on that down here now, eliminating prejudice, I mean.” He
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