possible, Rhodes walked back around to the front of the restaurant, where Ivy was waiting for him in the Edsel.
Seepy Benton stood beside the car, talking to Ivy. When he saw Rhodes approaching, he said something to Ivy and went to meet Rhodes.
“I’ve been talking to your wife,” he said.
“We trained lawmen tend to notice that kind of thing.”
“I liked talking to her. She’s very nice.”
“I’ve noticed that, too.”
“I don’t blame you for being a little surly. It must be hard to have to deal with dead bodies and murder.”
Rhodes didn’t think he was being surly. He was tired and his chest hurt, but he wasn’t surly.
“Were you too squeamish to come out back and have a look?” he said.
“I don’t like to look at things like that. I’m not squeamish. I’d just rather not.”
Rhodes didn’t blame him.
“You probably didn’t hang around out here just to talk to my nice wife,” Rhodes said.
“No, but I had a good reason. I don’t know if you’re aware of it, but I was quite a help to the police in the town I used to live in.”
“I believe you mentioned that a time or two in the academy classes,” Rhodes said.
“I did? I don’t remember.”
Rhodes just waited.
“What I was thinking,” Benton said, “was that I might be able to help you out with this murder.”
“It might have been just an accident,” Rhodes said. “The driver was lost, and Kergan got between the truck and the Dumpster.”
“That’s what I’d say if I were the driver and I got caught, but I don’t believe it. I’ll bet you don’t believe it, either.”
“No,” Rhodes said. “I don’t believe it.”
“And even if it was an accident, it was a hit-and-run. That’s not murder, but it’s not good.”
“No, it’s not good.”
“So I was right. I’m right about being able to help you with this, too.”
“I don’t think that would be a good idea,” Rhodes told him.
“That’s because you don’t know the whole story. I have some information that you don’t have.”
It had been a long day, and Rhodes was tired. He didn’t feel like dragging information out of Benton the way he had to drag it out of Hack and Lawton.
“Tell me what it is,” he said.
“One of the things we learned in the academy is that one part of an investigation is learning about the victim’s associates.”
“I’m the sheriff,” Rhodes said. “Remember?”
“So you’d know all that, I guess. I teach math, and sometimes I tend to forget what people know.”
Next, Rhodes thought, I’ll be getting a lecture on the importance of fractions.
“You know that Mr. Kergan’s wife is dead?” Benton said.
Rhodes had heard that. “I know. You mentioned something about associates.”
“That’s right, I did. I’ve been singing here for the last three Fridays, and I’ve seen some of the people who come and go. Some of them don’t even eat here. They just go into Mr. Kergan’s office, along with Mr. Kergan. After awhile, they come back out and leave.”
“What people?”
“I didn’t know all of them, but I knew two of them.”
“And sooner or later you’re probably even going to tell me who they are.”
Benton gave a rueful grin. “I do tend to take my time about telling things. It’s one of my little failings, not that I have many of them. My students mention that one on the evaluations now and then.”
Rhodes wondered what it would take to move Benton along to the point. Something must have shown in his face, because Benton held up his hand as if to ward off a blow.
“The Crawfords,” Benton said. “That’s who I was talking about. Larry and Terry Crawford. They’d come into the restaurant, and Mr. Kergan would take them to his office. They’d leave later without eating. So obviously they weren’t here for the food.”
“Obviously,” Rhodes said.
“I’ll tell you who else was here, too. You know the commissioners?”
“I’m the sheriff, remember?”
“Maybe it’s because
Seepy Benton stood beside the car, talking to Ivy. When he saw Rhodes approaching, he said something to Ivy and went to meet Rhodes.
“I’ve been talking to your wife,” he said.
“We trained lawmen tend to notice that kind of thing.”
“I liked talking to her. She’s very nice.”
“I’ve noticed that, too.”
“I don’t blame you for being a little surly. It must be hard to have to deal with dead bodies and murder.”
Rhodes didn’t think he was being surly. He was tired and his chest hurt, but he wasn’t surly.
“Were you too squeamish to come out back and have a look?” he said.
“I don’t like to look at things like that. I’m not squeamish. I’d just rather not.”
Rhodes didn’t blame him.
“You probably didn’t hang around out here just to talk to my nice wife,” Rhodes said.
“No, but I had a good reason. I don’t know if you’re aware of it, but I was quite a help to the police in the town I used to live in.”
“I believe you mentioned that a time or two in the academy classes,” Rhodes said.
“I did? I don’t remember.”
Rhodes just waited.
“What I was thinking,” Benton said, “was that I might be able to help you out with this murder.”
“It might have been just an accident,” Rhodes said. “The driver was lost, and Kergan got between the truck and the Dumpster.”
“That’s what I’d say if I were the driver and I got caught, but I don’t believe it. I’ll bet you don’t believe it, either.”
“No,” Rhodes said. “I don’t believe it.”
“And even if it was an accident, it was a hit-and-run. That’s not murder, but it’s not good.”
“No, it’s not good.”
“So I was right. I’m right about being able to help you with this, too.”
“I don’t think that would be a good idea,” Rhodes told him.
“That’s because you don’t know the whole story. I have some information that you don’t have.”
It had been a long day, and Rhodes was tired. He didn’t feel like dragging information out of Benton the way he had to drag it out of Hack and Lawton.
“Tell me what it is,” he said.
“One of the things we learned in the academy is that one part of an investigation is learning about the victim’s associates.”
“I’m the sheriff,” Rhodes said. “Remember?”
“So you’d know all that, I guess. I teach math, and sometimes I tend to forget what people know.”
Next, Rhodes thought, I’ll be getting a lecture on the importance of fractions.
“You know that Mr. Kergan’s wife is dead?” Benton said.
Rhodes had heard that. “I know. You mentioned something about associates.”
“That’s right, I did. I’ve been singing here for the last three Fridays, and I’ve seen some of the people who come and go. Some of them don’t even eat here. They just go into Mr. Kergan’s office, along with Mr. Kergan. After awhile, they come back out and leave.”
“What people?”
“I didn’t know all of them, but I knew two of them.”
“And sooner or later you’re probably even going to tell me who they are.”
Benton gave a rueful grin. “I do tend to take my time about telling things. It’s one of my little failings, not that I have many of them. My students mention that one on the evaluations now and then.”
Rhodes wondered what it would take to move Benton along to the point. Something must have shown in his face, because Benton held up his hand as if to ward off a blow.
“The Crawfords,” Benton said. “That’s who I was talking about. Larry and Terry Crawford. They’d come into the restaurant, and Mr. Kergan would take them to his office. They’d leave later without eating. So obviously they weren’t here for the food.”
“Obviously,” Rhodes said.
“I’ll tell you who else was here, too. You know the commissioners?”
“I’m the sheriff, remember?”
“Maybe it’s because
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