Whitaker County had him on edge. Seated next to Downes in the passenger seat of their patrol car was Bob Patrick, whom everyone called Pat. Pat was tall and thin with wiry muscles. His face was narrow and pock marked and his eyes were close-set, making him look scary and mean. Pat wore his hair long and greasy in an Elvis Presley, fifties' duck's-ass style that was a little intimidating because it was so weird. Everything about him screamed "tough cop," which was why Downes brought him along. Pat was as psyched up as his partner.
"Jesus, Dennis, I think you're definitely on to something here," he said, as Downes drove toward Gary Harmon's house. Following them was another patrol car with two more officers.
"It's got to be him," Downes responded confidently.
"I talked to Karen Nix at her dorm around six. She and Whiley aren't twins, but they're the same type. Blond, long hair, slender. And they were both wearing jeans and that Whitaker tee shirt with the horse.
, "The way I see it, Harmon has this fight with Nix. He stays mad like a little kid would and broods about the put-down. Then, he gets a weapon and waits outside the Stallion for her. The door opens, out walks a blonde.
Only it's the wrong one. He follows her, waits for his chance ..
"And kills her, just like he threatened."
"There's something else. A few weeks ago, Harmon was arrested for peeping a coed's room at the dorm."
"Hot damn."
They turned the corner and Gary's house came into view.
"We've got to be careful with this," Downes cautioned. "Everything by the book. Lots of "Please' and "Thank you." The bathroom, if he's got to pee. Coke, if he's thirsty."
"Gotcha," Patrick agreed with a knowing smile.
"With one exception."
"And that is?"
"The kid's gonna trust me," Downes said as he parked the car. "I got him out of that peeping scrape and treated him right. We can play on that, but I might need some help. That's why I brought along the meanest prick on the force."
Patrick's smile widened. He knew exactly what Downes wanted. They had played this game before.
It was seven-thirty and the living room lights were on in Gary's house. Downes could hear the mindless chatter of the TV set when he rang the bell.
A moment later, Gary opened the door. He was barefoot and wearing jeans and a Whitaker football team tee shirt. The presence of four policemen on his doorstep confused and frightened him.
"Hi, Gary, remember me?" Downes asked with a cheerful smile.
Gary's brow furrowed. Then, he remembered Sergeant Downes. He was the nice policeman who helped him the night he ... Gary's initial relief was replaced by anxiety as he recalled the humiliating circumstances of his arrest for peeping. Had the girl he spied on pressed charges? Were these men here to arrest him?
"What do -you want?" Gary asked warily.
"Hey, Gary, there's nothing to worry about. I'm here because I need your help. Can I come in?"
Gary hesitated for a moment, but he remembered the good manners Mom had taught him and stepped aside.
Downes led the other policemen inside.
"Nice place you got here," Downes commented.
"Thank you. Do you want to sit down?" he asked, acting just the way his mom told him he should act when company called.
"Sure," Downes said, lowering himself onto the sofa.
"Say, Gary, could we turn the TV off? It's a little loud."
Gary turned off the set and sat opposite the burly police officer. Gary noticed that none of theother policemen sat down. One stayed by the front door, one stood near the entrance to the hall and the officer with the greasy hair made Gary uncomfortable by moving out of Gary's line of vision and standing behind his armchair.
"Have you heard about the girl who was murdered in Wishing Well Park?" Downes asked.
Gary nodded. Downes took a snapshot of Sandra Whiley out of his breast pocket and handed it to Gary.
Whiley was standing on a lawn in front of the business school dressed in shorts and a tank top, acting silly. She was leaning slightly
"Jesus, Dennis, I think you're definitely on to something here," he said, as Downes drove toward Gary Harmon's house. Following them was another patrol car with two more officers.
"It's got to be him," Downes responded confidently.
"I talked to Karen Nix at her dorm around six. She and Whiley aren't twins, but they're the same type. Blond, long hair, slender. And they were both wearing jeans and that Whitaker tee shirt with the horse.
, "The way I see it, Harmon has this fight with Nix. He stays mad like a little kid would and broods about the put-down. Then, he gets a weapon and waits outside the Stallion for her. The door opens, out walks a blonde.
Only it's the wrong one. He follows her, waits for his chance ..
"And kills her, just like he threatened."
"There's something else. A few weeks ago, Harmon was arrested for peeping a coed's room at the dorm."
"Hot damn."
They turned the corner and Gary's house came into view.
"We've got to be careful with this," Downes cautioned. "Everything by the book. Lots of "Please' and "Thank you." The bathroom, if he's got to pee. Coke, if he's thirsty."
"Gotcha," Patrick agreed with a knowing smile.
"With one exception."
"And that is?"
"The kid's gonna trust me," Downes said as he parked the car. "I got him out of that peeping scrape and treated him right. We can play on that, but I might need some help. That's why I brought along the meanest prick on the force."
Patrick's smile widened. He knew exactly what Downes wanted. They had played this game before.
It was seven-thirty and the living room lights were on in Gary's house. Downes could hear the mindless chatter of the TV set when he rang the bell.
A moment later, Gary opened the door. He was barefoot and wearing jeans and a Whitaker football team tee shirt. The presence of four policemen on his doorstep confused and frightened him.
"Hi, Gary, remember me?" Downes asked with a cheerful smile.
Gary's brow furrowed. Then, he remembered Sergeant Downes. He was the nice policeman who helped him the night he ... Gary's initial relief was replaced by anxiety as he recalled the humiliating circumstances of his arrest for peeping. Had the girl he spied on pressed charges? Were these men here to arrest him?
"What do -you want?" Gary asked warily.
"Hey, Gary, there's nothing to worry about. I'm here because I need your help. Can I come in?"
Gary hesitated for a moment, but he remembered the good manners Mom had taught him and stepped aside.
Downes led the other policemen inside.
"Nice place you got here," Downes commented.
"Thank you. Do you want to sit down?" he asked, acting just the way his mom told him he should act when company called.
"Sure," Downes said, lowering himself onto the sofa.
"Say, Gary, could we turn the TV off? It's a little loud."
Gary turned off the set and sat opposite the burly police officer. Gary noticed that none of theother policemen sat down. One stayed by the front door, one stood near the entrance to the hall and the officer with the greasy hair made Gary uncomfortable by moving out of Gary's line of vision and standing behind his armchair.
"Have you heard about the girl who was murdered in Wishing Well Park?" Downes asked.
Gary nodded. Downes took a snapshot of Sandra Whiley out of his breast pocket and handed it to Gary.
Whiley was standing on a lawn in front of the business school dressed in shorts and a tank top, acting silly. She was leaning slightly
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