and
inhaling burgers, paid no attention to our taut little group.
Mary couldn't stand it any longer.
"What is it Jackie? For God's sake, tell us!"
Jack looked back at Paul, biting his lip.
" What did she say?"
"What do you think she said?” asked Keegan. At
that point I sensed danger. I don't know much about the law, but I've
learned from Brady Cone that when the water turns murky, clam up and
wait for good advice. I told Keegan that the "interview"
was over. The three of us got up and left him sitting at the table
alone, presumably to pick up the tab. It was the least he could do.
We walked awhile in silence, past the historic Candle House with its
ship's prow over the door, and then I suggested we go up to our room
in Swope Dormitory.
"I wanted to get you out of there before he
painted you into a corner," I explained. Jack was stretched out
on the bed, leaning up against the headboard, staring at his hands.
"I don't think you ought to answer any more questions, for
anyone, until we get a lawyer."
"Charlie! Is it that bad?"
"Hell yes it's bad. First degree murder has a
tendency to be serious business. Listen, Jack, I have the distinct
feeling that Alice Henderson has told Paul Keegan something that's
important and perhaps damaging. Right?"
He nodded his head without hesitation. Great. just
great.
"Well?" Mary said.
"Well, what happened was, Andy and I got into a
fist fight on July Fourth weekend. I'm sure that's one of the things
she told him."
"Fist fight?" said Mary, getting out of her
chair and walking over to the bed. "Why didn't you tell us
this?"
"Why? For one thing, it was over a month ago and
we'd both just about forgotten about it. Except that the side of my
face still hurts sometimes, and Andy told me he had a ringing in his
left ear.”
I slumped over the table and let out a low groan,
" Sweet Jesus," Mary whispered. "Now
listen: you're going to tell us everything—right here, right now."
"There's not much else to tell—"
"Who saw this fight?" I asked.
"Well, Alice did. It was kinda about her. Andy
was like teasing me privately about it, and I lost my temper. Terry,
Alice's brother, was there, too. Along with a few other people."
Great, I thought. Witnesses galore for the bad scenes
. . . no "impartial" witnesses when we neeeded them. Great.
"So who won?" asked Mary.
"Nobody. They broke it up. For a while
afterwards, Andy didn't stay at the house."
"Don't you see the position that this puts you
in?" I asked. Jack lowered his head again, as if about to cry,
and Mary jumped all over me for being harsh with him. I went over and
joined them on the bed, putting my arm around Jack's shoulder. Then
he did break down crying. He was plenty scared. Frankly, I was scared
myself, and doing my damnedest not to show it.
"Seems to me that you and Andy weren't really
friends," said Mary.
"That's not true. We were friends, deep down.
But the thing with Alice came between us, and Andy was, you know,
volatile. Sometimes he was real hard to get along with. I'm sure
Alice would admit that."
"Okay," I sighed, "the first step is
to get Joe down here for a day or two. I'll feel better once he's
here. Also, Mary, I'm accepting the medical examiner job, at least
for a while. It'll give me some clout. The best way to deal with this
is to fight back. Know what I mean?"
"You? Medical examiner?" she said. "You
nuts, or what?"
"Or what," I said. "Now can you try to
get your brother on the phone?"
NINE
"No, Doc. Keegan's not trying to blow you guys
out of the water. Believe me. It's just that he doesn't want you to
get an unrealistic view of the situation, is all."
"But why does he have to paint the bleakest
possible picture, for Chrissakes?"
"Look, take the alibi thing. You say you were
with Jack for two days aboard the boat. Fine. But you're his father;
you're an interested party, a biased witness. A jury could be
persuaded you're lying to protect your son. I mean, Pocassett's just
a hop and a skip from
inhaling burgers, paid no attention to our taut little group.
Mary couldn't stand it any longer.
"What is it Jackie? For God's sake, tell us!"
Jack looked back at Paul, biting his lip.
" What did she say?"
"What do you think she said?” asked Keegan. At
that point I sensed danger. I don't know much about the law, but I've
learned from Brady Cone that when the water turns murky, clam up and
wait for good advice. I told Keegan that the "interview"
was over. The three of us got up and left him sitting at the table
alone, presumably to pick up the tab. It was the least he could do.
We walked awhile in silence, past the historic Candle House with its
ship's prow over the door, and then I suggested we go up to our room
in Swope Dormitory.
"I wanted to get you out of there before he
painted you into a corner," I explained. Jack was stretched out
on the bed, leaning up against the headboard, staring at his hands.
"I don't think you ought to answer any more questions, for
anyone, until we get a lawyer."
"Charlie! Is it that bad?"
"Hell yes it's bad. First degree murder has a
tendency to be serious business. Listen, Jack, I have the distinct
feeling that Alice Henderson has told Paul Keegan something that's
important and perhaps damaging. Right?"
He nodded his head without hesitation. Great. just
great.
"Well?" Mary said.
"Well, what happened was, Andy and I got into a
fist fight on July Fourth weekend. I'm sure that's one of the things
she told him."
"Fist fight?" said Mary, getting out of her
chair and walking over to the bed. "Why didn't you tell us
this?"
"Why? For one thing, it was over a month ago and
we'd both just about forgotten about it. Except that the side of my
face still hurts sometimes, and Andy told me he had a ringing in his
left ear.”
I slumped over the table and let out a low groan,
" Sweet Jesus," Mary whispered. "Now
listen: you're going to tell us everything—right here, right now."
"There's not much else to tell—"
"Who saw this fight?" I asked.
"Well, Alice did. It was kinda about her. Andy
was like teasing me privately about it, and I lost my temper. Terry,
Alice's brother, was there, too. Along with a few other people."
Great, I thought. Witnesses galore for the bad scenes
. . . no "impartial" witnesses when we neeeded them. Great.
"So who won?" asked Mary.
"Nobody. They broke it up. For a while
afterwards, Andy didn't stay at the house."
"Don't you see the position that this puts you
in?" I asked. Jack lowered his head again, as if about to cry,
and Mary jumped all over me for being harsh with him. I went over and
joined them on the bed, putting my arm around Jack's shoulder. Then
he did break down crying. He was plenty scared. Frankly, I was scared
myself, and doing my damnedest not to show it.
"Seems to me that you and Andy weren't really
friends," said Mary.
"That's not true. We were friends, deep down.
But the thing with Alice came between us, and Andy was, you know,
volatile. Sometimes he was real hard to get along with. I'm sure
Alice would admit that."
"Okay," I sighed, "the first step is
to get Joe down here for a day or two. I'll feel better once he's
here. Also, Mary, I'm accepting the medical examiner job, at least
for a while. It'll give me some clout. The best way to deal with this
is to fight back. Know what I mean?"
"You? Medical examiner?" she said. "You
nuts, or what?"
"Or what," I said. "Now can you try to
get your brother on the phone?"
NINE
"No, Doc. Keegan's not trying to blow you guys
out of the water. Believe me. It's just that he doesn't want you to
get an unrealistic view of the situation, is all."
"But why does he have to paint the bleakest
possible picture, for Chrissakes?"
"Look, take the alibi thing. You say you were
with Jack for two days aboard the boat. Fine. But you're his father;
you're an interested party, a biased witness. A jury could be
persuaded you're lying to protect your son. I mean, Pocassett's just
a hop and a skip from
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