Linger: Dying is a Wild Night (A Linger Thriller Book 1) by Robert Gregory Browne, Edward Fallon
Authors: Robert Gregory Browne, Edward Fallon
Ads: Link
hammer down. Bob isn’t interested in adjusting. His world centers around what’s best for Bob MacLean, and everyone else can go screw themselves. I don’t need someone like that on my squad.”
Rusty studied her a moment. “Your squad. I’ve gotta admit it’s a little strange hearing someone else say that.”
“You can always have it back,” she said. “You didn’t have to retire.”
He shook his head. “I promised myself a long time ago I’d travel the world before I hit sixty and that deadline’s approaching faster than I’d like. Bangkok was just the start. I plan to fly to Hamburg next, then head on to Amsterdam from there.”
Kate raised a brow. “You’ve never struck me as the globetrotting type.”
He shrugged. “I’m mostly trying to get away from the ex-wives. They both seem to think they’re still married to me.”
They laughed, relieving the tension, but then Kate got serious again, her little trip into the Twilight Zone still lingering in her brain.
How could it not be?
“While you’re here,” she said, “I need to ask you about something. Can I buy you a cup of coffee?”
“I think I can make the time.”
24
_____
K ATE WANTED TO AVOID THE employee break room, so they went to the vending machine in the hallway. She dropped some coins, waited for the cup to fill, then handed it to Rusty, who took one sip and promptly deposited it in a nearby trash can.
“Now I know why I never bought that pig’s wash. Why don’t we go up to the chapel so I can catch a smoke instead?”
Kate thought about Christopher still waiting in her office, but figured Dan could stay with him for awhile. They hit the stairwell and wound their way up three flights of stairs to the roof of the building, which everyone in the department called the chapel. It was empty up here, giving them privacy, along with a much better view of the city and the Pacific beyond.
Kate hadn’t been outside in hours and the sun felt good on her face.
As Rusty dug a pack of Winstons from his shirt pocket and lit one up, she said, “What do you know about my mother’s murder?”
Rusty paused and blew out smoke. “Is that what the tears were about?”
“You were with the department when it happened.”
“I was. But I was junior at the time.”
“Tell me what you know.”
Rusty contemplated the tip of his cigarette, flicked away some ash. “What I know is next to nothing. It wasn’t my case and I never even went to the crime scene.”
“Do you know anything about the witnesses?”
“Just that there were two. Couple of security guards. My partner and I transported one of them, brought him in from his apartment for a follow-up interview. That was my only involvement.”
“Which security guard? What was his name?”
“Hell, I don’t remember. Bonham. Donner. Something like that. The guy who found her. Kate, I understand your curiosity, but are you sure you wanna be opening this particular wound?”
“What can you tell me about him? What kind of guy was he?”
Rusty took a drag and shrugged. “He didn’t talk much. And he was big. I remember thinking that when we escorted him to the cruiser. Twenty-two, three, somewhere around there. Of course, I could be confusing him with someone else. They all blend together after awhile.”
“Any idea what happened to him after the follow-up?”
“Where are you going with this? You thinking this guy might be good for your mom’s murder?”
“It’s a possibility.”
“And what led you to this conclusion?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“You’d be surprised what I might believe. I’ve pretty much seen it all.”
“It’s nothing. Just me hypothesizing. Wondering how long the guy had been working at Sandy Point when he found her body and how long he stuck around afterwards.”
Rusty shrugged. “Wish I could help you, but I can’t. If I’m remembering right, the lead investigator on the case was Harry Metzler, but he’s been dead
Rusty studied her a moment. “Your squad. I’ve gotta admit it’s a little strange hearing someone else say that.”
“You can always have it back,” she said. “You didn’t have to retire.”
He shook his head. “I promised myself a long time ago I’d travel the world before I hit sixty and that deadline’s approaching faster than I’d like. Bangkok was just the start. I plan to fly to Hamburg next, then head on to Amsterdam from there.”
Kate raised a brow. “You’ve never struck me as the globetrotting type.”
He shrugged. “I’m mostly trying to get away from the ex-wives. They both seem to think they’re still married to me.”
They laughed, relieving the tension, but then Kate got serious again, her little trip into the Twilight Zone still lingering in her brain.
How could it not be?
“While you’re here,” she said, “I need to ask you about something. Can I buy you a cup of coffee?”
“I think I can make the time.”
24
_____
K ATE WANTED TO AVOID THE employee break room, so they went to the vending machine in the hallway. She dropped some coins, waited for the cup to fill, then handed it to Rusty, who took one sip and promptly deposited it in a nearby trash can.
“Now I know why I never bought that pig’s wash. Why don’t we go up to the chapel so I can catch a smoke instead?”
Kate thought about Christopher still waiting in her office, but figured Dan could stay with him for awhile. They hit the stairwell and wound their way up three flights of stairs to the roof of the building, which everyone in the department called the chapel. It was empty up here, giving them privacy, along with a much better view of the city and the Pacific beyond.
Kate hadn’t been outside in hours and the sun felt good on her face.
As Rusty dug a pack of Winstons from his shirt pocket and lit one up, she said, “What do you know about my mother’s murder?”
Rusty paused and blew out smoke. “Is that what the tears were about?”
“You were with the department when it happened.”
“I was. But I was junior at the time.”
“Tell me what you know.”
Rusty contemplated the tip of his cigarette, flicked away some ash. “What I know is next to nothing. It wasn’t my case and I never even went to the crime scene.”
“Do you know anything about the witnesses?”
“Just that there were two. Couple of security guards. My partner and I transported one of them, brought him in from his apartment for a follow-up interview. That was my only involvement.”
“Which security guard? What was his name?”
“Hell, I don’t remember. Bonham. Donner. Something like that. The guy who found her. Kate, I understand your curiosity, but are you sure you wanna be opening this particular wound?”
“What can you tell me about him? What kind of guy was he?”
Rusty took a drag and shrugged. “He didn’t talk much. And he was big. I remember thinking that when we escorted him to the cruiser. Twenty-two, three, somewhere around there. Of course, I could be confusing him with someone else. They all blend together after awhile.”
“Any idea what happened to him after the follow-up?”
“Where are you going with this? You thinking this guy might be good for your mom’s murder?”
“It’s a possibility.”
“And what led you to this conclusion?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“You’d be surprised what I might believe. I’ve pretty much seen it all.”
“It’s nothing. Just me hypothesizing. Wondering how long the guy had been working at Sandy Point when he found her body and how long he stuck around afterwards.”
Rusty shrugged. “Wish I could help you, but I can’t. If I’m remembering right, the lead investigator on the case was Harry Metzler, but he’s been dead
Similar Books
