Robert B. Parker Read Online Free Page A

on.”
    Newman half turned away from the window and hit the bedroom door with his right fist. The door didn’t break but his hand hurt badly.

4
    Lieutenant Vincent stood with his hips resting against his desk and his arms folded across his chest. Croft sat on one straight chair and Newman on the other.
    Croft shrugged. “So that’s it, Lieutenant. He says he can’t make the ID in court. Says he was mistaken.”
    “Has anyone threatened you, Mr. Newman?”
    Newman shook his head.
    “No one has said or done anything to change your mind?”
    Newman shook his head again. Vincent looked at Croft. They were silent.
    Newman said, “I’m sorry, but …”
    Without looking at him Vincent said, “Shut up.”
    Croft said to Vincent, “Who knew?”
    Vincent said, “You tell me, Bobby. Who knew we had a witness and what his name was?”
    “You, me, people in the squadroom. People in Smithfield. Valences from Essex County DA’s office.” He spread his hands. “Too many, Murray. Got no way to know who they talked to.”
    “We better try, Bobby. They knew before Newman left this fucking office. You hear what I’m saying?”
    Croft nodded.
    Newman said, “Wait a minute. Nobody …”
    Vincent turned toward him. He unfolded his arms and placed his hands palm down on the edge of the desk behind him. “You close it up, scum bag. I got no use for you. You tucked your fucking tail between your fucking legs and hauled ass at the first sign of trouble.”
    “The hell I …”
    “Shut up.” Vincent straightened from his desk and shoved his face toward Newman, bending forward slightly. “I know somebody threatened you, and I know you’re not going to say shit because you think if you’re quiet it’ll all go away. Maybe it will and maybe Dolph Karl will blast somebody else and it won’t be you and you’ll shake your head and say ‘My my ain’t that awful. Why don’t those stupid cops do something about it?’ Or maybe Dolph will worry about you and maybe he’ll send somebody around to make double sure you stay scared and stay quiet.”
    Newman was silent. The fear twitched and tickled in his stomach.
    “You can end it here and now, you got the guts. Or you can be scared and jump at shadows the rest of your life. Or maybe you and your wife and who knows who else can be dead.”
    Newman could hear that flat uneducated Boston voice on the phone. He shook his head again. “I made an honest mistake, Lieutenant,” he said. “I simply made an honest mistake.”
    Vincent said, “Bobby, get him the fuck away from me.” He turned his back and stood looking down at the picture of his family on his desk.
    Croft jerked his head and he and Newman got up and left.
    “Lieutenant’s pissed,” Croft said in the hall.
    “Corporal Croft, I tell you it was simply a mistake. He wouldn’t want me to put an innocent man in jail, would he?”
    “Aw, don’t bullshit me, Mr. Newman. I know you were threatened or bribed. Lieutenant knows it. You know it. So, I don’t know, maybe I don’t blame you. Maybe they leaned hard. Maybe they got your wife or kids, it happens. But don’t bullshit me.”
    “Vincent got family?” Newman said.
    “Sure,” Croft said. “Wife, five kids, I think.”
    “I suppose he wouldn’t back off if they were threatened.”
    “Vincent? Hell no. He wouldn’t back off for anything.”
    “So what would he do, risk their lives?”
    Croft smiled a little. “No, you haven’t seen Murray work. I have. He wouldn’t back off, and if somebody threatened his family he’d blow him away.”
    “If he could,” Newman said.
    Croft was still smiling. “He could,” Croft said. “I’ve seen him work.”
    They walked down the corridor toward the parking lot.
    “The thing is,” Croft said, “Murray’s probably right. You’re making a mistake. You let them do this and they’ll be around for the rest of your life. It won’t be done like you think it will be. Remember, I told you before. Dolph Karl is a