interviews tomorrow. I’ll have a better handle on it after that.”
“Hurry.”
“Cool your jets. I’ll get there as soon as I can.”
“Meanwhile, I have a ring side seat to Ken and Barbie’s honeymoon.”
*
Billy Bear Wingo despised Forrest Wade. Wade was soft and lazy and corrupt. Always had been. He had remained Police Chief for over 20 years simply because nobody else wanted the job. But, Wade did. Absent the job, the badge, he would be nothing. Invisible.
Billy pulled his truck to the curb in front of the Police Station. He glanced at his watch, 9:15 p.m. He hadn’t called Wade to tell him he was coming. Had he, Wade would have waited for him downstairs in his office. Wade didn’t like people invading the privacy of his upstairs apartment. Probably because the two times Billy had seen it, it was a mess. Unkempt, disordered, like Wade himself.
Besides, Billy enjoyed irritating Wade.
As he took the stairs to the police chief’s apartment, this weak thread of pleasure dampened his growing anger. Somewhat. He rapped his fist against the doorframe, shaking the wall.
He smiled to himself as he heard Wade muttering and shuffling across the floor. He banged the frame again. The latches clicked and Wade yanked the door open, his face furrowed with anger.
“What the hell...” he began, but stopped when his eyes focused on Billy. He wore wrinkled khaki pants and a stained white tee shirt, no shoes. He took a step back.
“You wanted to see me?” Billy said.
“Yeah,” Wade said, recovering from his initial shock. “But, not here. In my office.”
Billy planted his feet and crossed his arms over his chest. “Right here’ll do. What do you want?”
“Lloyd Varney was murdered last night.”
“I know.”
Wade stepped closer to him. “How?”
“I suspect everybody knows by now.”
“And?” Wade pushed his thinning hair back. “You know anything about it?”
“Just that it happened.”
“A witness put you there,” Wade said, a self-satisfied smile on his face.
“I don’t think so,” Billy said. He uncrossed his arms and leaned forward, one hand propped on the doorframe. He could smell the alcohol on Wade’s breath. His shadow, created by the dim porch light, fell across Wade’s face.
“Someone saw you in the store right before they found Lloyd’s body,” Wade said.
Billy chuckled. “You’d like that wouldn’t you? But, that ain’t how it went. Someone saw somebody who happened to be big. Not me.”
“How do you know that?”
“I know. How’s not important.”
“Where were you last night? A little past midnight.” Wade asked.
“Asleep.”
“Where?”
“You know where. Up there.” Billy yanked his head toward the peaks to the south.
“By yourself?”
“No, Wade. I had a covey of super-models with me. Of course I was alone.”
“You didn’t sneak back into town last night?”
“You got something to say, Wade, you say it and cut the bullshit.”
“Did you kill Lloyd Varney?”
“No. And you know I didn’t.”
“I don’t know any such thing,” Wade said. “You act like Lloyd and Louise are such good friends. But, I know what the real deal is.”
“What deal?”
Wade smirked and shook his head. “I think you finally fucked up big time, Billy.”
Billy glared at him. “How do you figure that?”
“A witness saw someone big. Like you. The killer had access, knew the layout. Like you. He bashed Lloyd’s head in, which means he was strong. Like you. And, he stole a pair of boots. Timberland. Size 14. Like those.” Wade nodded down toward Billy’s feet.
“None of that makes me the killer.”
“Not yet. But, my investigation is just beginning.”
“Investigation?” Billy spat. “You couldn’t investigate a one car accident.”
“I guess we’ll see.”
“Yes. I guess we will.” Billy turned to leave, but stopped and faced Wade. “Be careful, Wade. Don’t go making accusations you can’t back up or I’ll have your ass in court
“Hurry.”
“Cool your jets. I’ll get there as soon as I can.”
“Meanwhile, I have a ring side seat to Ken and Barbie’s honeymoon.”
*
Billy Bear Wingo despised Forrest Wade. Wade was soft and lazy and corrupt. Always had been. He had remained Police Chief for over 20 years simply because nobody else wanted the job. But, Wade did. Absent the job, the badge, he would be nothing. Invisible.
Billy pulled his truck to the curb in front of the Police Station. He glanced at his watch, 9:15 p.m. He hadn’t called Wade to tell him he was coming. Had he, Wade would have waited for him downstairs in his office. Wade didn’t like people invading the privacy of his upstairs apartment. Probably because the two times Billy had seen it, it was a mess. Unkempt, disordered, like Wade himself.
Besides, Billy enjoyed irritating Wade.
As he took the stairs to the police chief’s apartment, this weak thread of pleasure dampened his growing anger. Somewhat. He rapped his fist against the doorframe, shaking the wall.
He smiled to himself as he heard Wade muttering and shuffling across the floor. He banged the frame again. The latches clicked and Wade yanked the door open, his face furrowed with anger.
“What the hell...” he began, but stopped when his eyes focused on Billy. He wore wrinkled khaki pants and a stained white tee shirt, no shoes. He took a step back.
“You wanted to see me?” Billy said.
“Yeah,” Wade said, recovering from his initial shock. “But, not here. In my office.”
Billy planted his feet and crossed his arms over his chest. “Right here’ll do. What do you want?”
“Lloyd Varney was murdered last night.”
“I know.”
Wade stepped closer to him. “How?”
“I suspect everybody knows by now.”
“And?” Wade pushed his thinning hair back. “You know anything about it?”
“Just that it happened.”
“A witness put you there,” Wade said, a self-satisfied smile on his face.
“I don’t think so,” Billy said. He uncrossed his arms and leaned forward, one hand propped on the doorframe. He could smell the alcohol on Wade’s breath. His shadow, created by the dim porch light, fell across Wade’s face.
“Someone saw you in the store right before they found Lloyd’s body,” Wade said.
Billy chuckled. “You’d like that wouldn’t you? But, that ain’t how it went. Someone saw somebody who happened to be big. Not me.”
“How do you know that?”
“I know. How’s not important.”
“Where were you last night? A little past midnight.” Wade asked.
“Asleep.”
“Where?”
“You know where. Up there.” Billy yanked his head toward the peaks to the south.
“By yourself?”
“No, Wade. I had a covey of super-models with me. Of course I was alone.”
“You didn’t sneak back into town last night?”
“You got something to say, Wade, you say it and cut the bullshit.”
“Did you kill Lloyd Varney?”
“No. And you know I didn’t.”
“I don’t know any such thing,” Wade said. “You act like Lloyd and Louise are such good friends. But, I know what the real deal is.”
“What deal?”
Wade smirked and shook his head. “I think you finally fucked up big time, Billy.”
Billy glared at him. “How do you figure that?”
“A witness saw someone big. Like you. The killer had access, knew the layout. Like you. He bashed Lloyd’s head in, which means he was strong. Like you. And, he stole a pair of boots. Timberland. Size 14. Like those.” Wade nodded down toward Billy’s feet.
“None of that makes me the killer.”
“Not yet. But, my investigation is just beginning.”
“Investigation?” Billy spat. “You couldn’t investigate a one car accident.”
“I guess we’ll see.”
“Yes. I guess we will.” Billy turned to leave, but stopped and faced Wade. “Be careful, Wade. Don’t go making accusations you can’t back up or I’ll have your ass in court
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