School Days by Robert B. Parker Page A

empty yogurt carton in her mouth.
    â€œSee, now we know what you were eating,” I said.
    Pearl took the carton to the corner of the office and settled down with it.
    â€œShe gonna eat the fucking carton?” DiBella said.
    â€œShe’ll probably chew it and spit it out,” I said.
    â€œOn my fucking floor?”
    â€œI’ll pick it up,” I said.
    DiBella watched her for a moment, then looked at me and shook his head slowly.
    â€œYou know how many people come in here with a fucking dog?” he said.
    â€œNone?”
    â€œThat’s right, none.”
    â€œThey’re obviously not fun like me,” I said.
    â€œAnd God bless them for it,” DiBella said. “We got nothing on Luis Yang.”
    â€œHow about his brother?”
    â€œI talked with the gang squad in Boston.”
    â€œAnd?”
    â€œThey got nothing on Luis Yang, either,” he said. “But there’s a Jose Yang in a gang called Los Diablos.”
    â€œClever name,” I said.
    â€œYeah. Gangbangers are always imaginative. Usual stuff—deal dope, run a chop shop, fight other gangs.”
    â€œGuns?”
    â€œYeah. Gang squad says they have guns, probably got a connection. Probably could get more. Probably pretty much anything you wanted.”
    â€œSo,” I said. “Maybe we know where the guns came from.”
    â€œMaybe,” DiBella said. “We could shake Animal a little, see what came out.”
    â€œWe can always do that,” I said. “If we do it too soon and release him, he’ll be looking for whoever ratted him out, and no one will talk to me again.”
    â€œYou figure Wendell and the Clark kid hooked up somehow, and Grant got the guns from Animal.”
    â€œYeah.” I said. “And Animal had taught Grant how to shoot, and, maybe, for whatever reason, Grant taught Clark.”
    â€œThat would make it sort of not spur of the moment,” DiBella said.
    â€œIt would,” I said.
    â€œNo surprise,” DiBella said. “Part of the excitement of something like this is probably the planning and preparation.”
    â€œSo,” I said. “They decide to do the shooting. They buy guns and ammo from Animal. They practice until they’re ready. And off they go.”
    â€œYeah?”
    â€œSo,” I said, “assuming Animal didn’t give them the guns and ammo because he’s a generous guy, where’d they get the money?”
    â€œFamilies are well off,” DiBella said. “Hell, the Clark family is loaded.”
    â€œÂ â€˜Hey, Dad, gimme a couple grand to buy guns and ammo’?”
    â€œGood point,” DiBella said. “Find out when either or both came up with a chunk of cash, and you got an idea when the gun deal went down.”
    â€œYep.”
    â€œStill don’t excite me,” DiBella said. “We got the shooters. We got their confessions. Los Diablos are Boston’s problem, and I’m not sure Animal is a major threat to civil order in Bethel County.”
    â€œAnimal is small change,” I said. “But I still want to know why.”
    â€œAnd you think if you know why, you’ll be able to clear the Clark kid?” DiBella said.
    â€œI won’t know that until I know why,” I said.
    DiBella nodded thoughtfully.
    â€œI don’t know how smart you are,” he said. “But I’ll give you stubborn.”
    â€œMay be better than smart,” I said.
    â€œMay be,” DiBella said. “Both is even better.”
    Pearl exhausted the yogurt carton and abandoned the remnants. She came and sat next to me and looked hopeful.
    â€œSo,” DiBella said. “Fine. Go to it. But pick up the chewed carton first.”
    Which I did. A man’s only as good as his word.

28
    I SAT WITH Lily Ellsworth in a large, domed-glass conservatory with a view of the Bethel River, which moved in big blue meanders across the floor of the Bethel