Buck reminded himself to keep his stories straight. “I don’t know about that.”
“What was in your safe?”
“Some cash, nothing significant. Well, some championship rings. The rest was legal stuff.”
“So you don’t think you were the target?” Terrence was studying him closely now.
“You mean the office breakin? No. Did the cops say that?”
“No, I’m just trying to get a general picture of what’s going on.”
“I’d say some pretty shitty coincidences, that’s what’s going on.”
“You’re probably right. You need some sleep, Mr. Dearmore. Which will happen when the doctor gets here. He’ll fix you up. We can go over all this later.”
Buck stared blankly at the wall.
“Mr. Dearmore?”
Buck started. “What?”
“Why did they cut off part of your finger?”
Buck looked dumbly at his right hand for a long moment. Then an idea presented itself. “I think maybe they planned to sell it?”
“Good God, that’s brutal,” Terrence said, shaking his head. “We’ll talk more when you’re rested.”
Buck stared grimly at his bandaged little finger. He wondered if he’d ever rest again.
Chapter 74
Erika paused on the stairs up to the Police Station and looked up. The crisp breeze was dying down as the sun climbed higher, and clouds the color of cement blocks seemed stuck, trapped in the sky. Her heart clogged up the same way as she forced herself up the last few steps into the Police Station.
Inside, the hum of the reception area felt surprisingly normal. She went up to the front desk and waited while the officer in charge, a portly good-old-boy, finished some paperwork. Then he turned to her. “Yes, ma’am, how can the Oklahoma City Police serve you today?”
Erika smiled at the greeting, unexpected for a police station. “I’m not sure exactly who I need to talk to.”
“Do you have a complaint?” the officer asked.
“No,” Erika said.
“Do you want to report a crime?”
“No, I have information about a crime.”
The officer’s eyebrows shot up with interest. “And what crime would that be?”
“From last night. The girl on the horse that got hit.”
“You mean Candy Myers? What kind of information?”
“I saw it,” she said.
“You witnessed the accident, ma’am?”
“I saw her get hit, yes.”
Obviously pleased with this information, the officer nodded to her. “If you’ll just take a seat over here,” indicating a bench close by, “I’ll call those detectives right away.”
Erika sat down. Things were finally in motion. After a few moments on the phone, the desk officer motioned her over. “They’re anxious to talk to you as soon as possible. They’re on their way back from an interview, if you could wait here for them.”
Erika shook her head. “No problem.” Now that she’d finally found her way here, she wasn’t going anywhere.
Chapter 75
Greg Chapman sat across from one of his favorite parolees. Favorite only because Boopy’s lies were so colorful and inventive that it afforded Chapman a few laughs in his dull schedule. At the moment he was hearing from the husky-voiced mother of two about how she had been in the Emergency Room all day yesterday when she was supposed to check in.
“I can’t wait to hear,” Chapman said. “What were you in the E.R. for?”
“Well,” Boopy said, inching closer to the desk and adopting a conspiratorial tone, “me and Dutch was goofing around, having sex yesterday, like we do. And we started playing this game.”
“A game.”
“You know, in between going at each other. So he could…you know. Get revived.”
“Are we getting to the part about the E.R.?” Chapman asked.
“Hold your horses. So, he come up with a game called ‘Who’s in Boopy’s box?’” She paused and saw he was more than curious, even though he still looked stern. Smiling, she continued.
“So little Mikey’s toys was right there in a basket next to the bed. So he’s picking up these little plastic soldiers—Dutch is, I mean, I wouldn’t let Mikey come in while we was fuckin’. So anyhow he says, ‘I think this little Marine wants in.’ And we’re laughing to beat the band—we’d had a few, I won’t deny it, and he says, ‘Well, maybe the whole brigade needs to get in the box.’ So he’s pushing these little green men up in…you know…and then he starts pulling ‘em out.”
Chapman had blushed and was ready to shut her up, but she was wound up now.
“No, now,” she promised, “I’m almost there. So we’re cracking up, singing battle marches and I’m forgetting how many soldiers is in and out of there by now. So, when we was finished playing around and he was ready enough to go at it again, I come to realize that they was one left.”
Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Chapman cleared his throat, asking, “One of the Marines didn’t make it out?”
“So, see?” Boopy spread her arms in full disclosure. “That’s why I made Dutch take me to the Emergency Room and that’s why I couldn’t come check in. That little soldier was not gonna surrender on his own.”
A rap on Chapman’s glass cubicle wall whirled him around with a guilty look to see who was there.
Two suited men who looked like detectives stood there. They looked almost startled, as if they had walked in on a love tryst.
“Sorry,” the older one said, flashing his badge. “We told the receptionist it was urgent and she said come on back.”
“Oh, sure. Fine,” Chapman said, recovering somewhat. “One of my cases was just checking in.”
He grabbed Boopy’s papers and initialed them quickly and scooted her out of the office, her looking back and grinning the whole way.
“I’ll finish telling you next week, okay?” she said.
Still red faced, he whisked her off and turned to his visitors. “Sorry, one of my more colorful cases.”
“Indeed,” the younger one said with a grin. He introduced himself as Edgars and the older one as Douglas, both from Homicide.
Chapman indicated the two folding chairs opposite his desk and they sat down. Detective Douglas dropped a picture of Tony Bonner on Chapman’s desk.
“I believe he’s one of your cases, correct?”
“Yeah, I got Tony,” Chapman confirmed.
“What can you tell us about him?” Edgars asked.
“He’s in trouble, isn’t he? This kid…he’s a mess, but I don’t know. Never really had a chance. Spent half his life in jail for killing his father, who constantly beat the shit out his whole family. Probably needed killing. Bonner’s hard as they come now, though. Prison took whatever little bit was left inside and ruined even that. Probably somebody’s bitch the whole time. Scars all over his body. What did he do?”
Horse said, “We think he was the one driving the car that nearly killed Candy Myers.”
“Oh shit.” Chapman felt genuinely distressed. “No, Tony, God O’Mighty.”
“We’ve got his fingerprints in the car, so we’re looking to pick him up. You got an address?” Edgars asked.
“Yeah,” Chapman said, turning to his file cabinet. “A temporary one anyway. Like everything else with him. Living with a girlfriend who he says is giving him trouble.”
“You ever meet her?” Edgars asked.
“No, she never came with him, but I’m sure I would have checked her record to see if her place was okay,” Chapman said. He found the address and wrote it down on a yellow Post-it for them.
“When did you last see Mr. Bonner?” Horse asked.
“This morning. Not even two hours ago.”
Both detectives perked up. “How did he seem?” Edgars asked.
“Not much different. Looked like he’d been up all night, but that’s nothing new. He’d been skipping work…his boss reported that to me so he knew he couldn’t l
ie about that.”
“Where’s he work?” Horse said.
“Warehouse downtown, cleaning floors. He hated it.”
“Did you sign off on him?” Edgars asked.
“Yeah, with a warning that he was on thin ice.” Chapman was flipping through the file to give them a work address. He jotted it down on another Post-it and handed it to them. “I could have violated him. I could’ve backed it up easy. I was trying to cut him a break. Hope I won’t be sorry about that.”
Edgars cocked his head. “We’ll find out, won’t we?” The detectives headed toward the door. Then Edgars turned back with a shit-eating grin. “You think your lady ever found that dead soldier?”
Chapman laughed. “Oh, she’s had a lot worse than that up there.”
Chapter 76
Vivian sipped a Bloody Mary as Dell guided the Safari down State Highway 152. They both preferred to travel on small, lesser used roads, in spite of their behemoth-sized motor home. The trucks bearing down on the interstates only annoyed them, constantly interrupting any ability to hang loose, have a drink or two, and relax.
Hurrying was now something of the past. Back when they jetted all over the world to any place they dreamed of visiting, they always felt like they were in a rush. Vivian’s ample trust fund allowed them destinations most people could only dream of, but gradually the long airport waits and their tour guides’ heavy scheduling got in the way of their drinking and using. And especially partying. Now they were exploring North America—their way.
“After you finish up this court case, let’s head farther north,” Vivian suggested.
“Where are you thinking?”
“How about Canada?”
“Then on up into Alaska? As long as we’re in the area?” When she didn’t reply, Dell looked over at her. “You okay, sugar?”
In the space of a few seconds, Vivian’s mood swung from restless to anxious. She took a big slug of her drink. Then, as she was about to answer, a choking urge to cry took over. Finally, she nodded her head.
“Come on, honey, what’s the matter?”
After a few moments, she was composed enough to speak. “That girl last night.”
“Oh, yeah. I’m so sorry she threw up on…”
“No.” Vivian’s reply was sharp. He was always jumping in without first hearing her out.
“Well. Sorry,” Dell said, a little defensive.
Vivian reached for his arm and stroked it. “No, I’m sorry. It’s just that I was trying to tell you something…”
“And I finished it before you had a chance,” Dell said.
Vivian nodded. “It’s alright. I do it to you, too.”
After a minute of riding in silence, Dell said, “So tell me.”
“What was it about her? She was different than most of them. I don’t think she was into it.”
“You overdid the drugs a little, maybe. She was too out of it by the time we got going,” Dell suggested.
“It’s not how we handled it that bothers me. It was after I passed out, I woke up two hours later feeling bad about it. Really bad. I never feel that way about our fun stuff.” Vivian took another long drink of her Bloody Mary.
Dell turned to her, puzzled. “You mean…guilty?” After a moment. “I thought we weren’t ever going to do that.”
“I know, I know,” Vivian said. “It’s silly, isn’t it?” She finished off her drink, unhooked her seatbelt, and headed toward the back. “I’m going to top this off. You want one?”
“Okay. Why not?”
A sudden horn blast from the left side of the Safari disrupted the morning air. Dell glanced in his side view mirror and saw a Kawasaki motorcycle in the midst of passing them. “Pass if you’re passing, buddy.”
It honked again as the bike pulled alongside them and then rode parallel with them, going the wrong way into oncoming traffic. The rider kept honking every few seconds.
“What the hell?” Dell said.
“What is it, hon?” Vivian asked from the bar.
“Some asshole.” Dell was watching closely in his sideview mirror.
“I’ll look,” Vivian said and peeked through the left side picture window curtains.
“Can you see him?” Dell asked.
“Yeah. Some kid.” Then she recognized him. “Dell, I don’t believe it. It’s that kid from last night.”
“Are you sure? Tony?”
“It’s him. What should we do?” Vivian asked.
“Little bastard,” Dell said after a moment. “Get the gun, just in case.”
Vivian opened a drawer in an end table and retrieved a .32. As she was heading back to the front she heard the first metallic ping.
“He’s shooting at my Porsche.” No sooner had Dell spoken than two more quick shots ricocheted off the sports car. “That fucker.”
He saw Vivian coming up to him. “Stay down, Viv. You got it?”
She held up the .32. “What should I do?”
“Shake him up. Make him fall back behind us.”
Vivian opened a small sliding window that left only a nylon screen between her and the motorcycle riding alongside. She shot through it, trying to scare him off.
The motorcycle swerved, then began to brake and accelerate in quick succession, making it an impossible target. One thing was clear. Her bullets were inflaming and energizing Tony.
“Stop that bus and talk to me, you pervs.” Tony fired off another couple of rounds, which pinged off the motor home’s smooth bronze surface.
“Do you see what that bastard’s doing to the R.V.?” Vivian cried. Then she saw Tony swing around and aim directly through her window.
She stared straight into the barrel for a split-second then hit the floor. “Shit, he’s crazy,” she screamed up to Dell.
“Stay down,” Dell yelled back. “Where is he now?”
Vivian sneaked a look over the top of a chair and saw the motorcycle pulling back. It trailed alongside at the rear of the bus, still honking wildly. “He’s behind us for now.”
“Keep your head down and come up here,” Dell said. When she was beside him, he noticed how flushed she was. “Are you okay?”
“He was shooting right at me,” Vivian said between quick pants.
“I know, but listen to me now. We don’t want to hurt him if we can help it.”
“I’d like to blow his smug little head off.”
“Don’t go crazy on me now. We don’t need any grief.”
She knew he was right. Any exposure for them could potentially uncover a can of worms. “What then?”
“Think you can take a good aim?”
“I think so, yeah.” Her hands were surprisingly steady.
“Try to blow out one of his tires.”
“He’s way back now. I don’t think I can,” Vivian said.
“He’ll come back up alongside again. He’s just recharging.” Dell checked the side view. “Get back by that window again and see if you can hit one of his tires.”
“Okay.” She scuttled back to the side window. Sure enough, he started inching up the side of the Safari again.
“Here he comes. Can you see him?” Dell asked from the front.
“I see him,” she said and rested the barrel of the .32 on her left wrist. In spite of the seriousness of the situation, her entire body was turned on, throbbing with excitement. It reminded her of the delicious hum just before sex.
Then she was pulling the trigger. Once, twice. It was like watching someone else fire the gun…until she smelled the acrid smoke from the barrel.
Vivian got so excited she barely heard the scream of the motorcycle’s brakes as its back tire blew and sent the bike bumping over into the far shoulder.
She heard Dell yell from the driver’s seat. “You did it. You did it, baby. He’s veering all over the highway.”
She looked out the window and saw Tony struggling to get control of the bike. Now he didn’t look so smug. Vivian couldn’t take her eyes off him, watching him fight in vain t
o control the bike.
She felt her entire body vibrate and tingle as the motorcycle shuddered off the road and rolled into a fence.
It fell with a thud, pinning Tony under it.
Vivian heard a cheer from Dell. Heat raced through her as she hurried up to Dell and stood next to him between the driver and passenger seats. “That’ll teach him to wear a helmet,” she said, laughing and striking a pose like a cool femme fatale blowing across the barrel of the .32.
Dell reared his head back and laughed. She hugged him and kissed his neck.
“You did it. You are one hot Annie Oakley, sugar.” Dell reached under her blouse and pinched her nipple.
She was breathing so hard she felt high. Vivian unbuttoned the top of her dress and pulled his hand to her breast. “Pull over. You want it, too. I can tell.”
“I do, we just can’t stop yet. Not so close to where it happened.”
She moaned. “I don’t think I can wait.”
Dell was panting as well, rubbing her breasts, feeding off her rush.
Balancing herself between the driver and passenger seats, she pulled her dress open. She turned full on to the windshield so any oncoming cars could glimpse her nakedness. That turned her on even more.
Her body was throbbing. Then Dell moved his hand up between her thighs. He had barely touched her before she climaxed. She dropped to her knees, trying to catch her breath.
Chapter 77
Angie hadn’t wolfed down food this way since she’d been a kid and had to eat fast so one of her brothers wouldn’t take it. She couldn’t get enough of the sticky goat cheese or the salty butter used to cook the omelet, a treat she never allowed herself. A few minutes later, finishing off the mango juice, her eyelids started to feel heavy.
The wired feeling she’d had for well over 24 hours gave way to the warmth of a full stomach. She left her empty plate and crawled into her recliner, pulling a throw over her legs. She fell asleep within minutes.
She was awakened by Juanita’s timid voice. “Mrs. Wesner?”
Startled, Angie’s eyes popped open.
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