Sam McCain - 05 - Everybody's Somebody's Fool Read Online Free

“hunches.” Ah, those good old hunches.
    Cliffie said, “Now I gotta go call the Griffins and tell them what happened. I’ll just patch in through my two-way.”
    “Sort of the personal touch, huh, Chief?”
    “You want to call them for me, Counselor?
    You think you’d like to make a call like that?”
    He went away and came back within a few minutes. I spent the time talking to one of his deputies, who actually sounded intelligent.
    For a minute or so I was alone. I took in the summer moon-drift sky and the scent of grass and flowers from the nearby garden. It was a night to be twelve again, catch fireflies, and read comic books under the covers with a flashlight and dream of the girl you hope to walk home from school with some lucky day.
    Cliffie said, “Well, well, Counselor, looks like you and me may be buttin’ heads on this dead girl after all.”
    “How would that be?”
    “One of my least favorite people sounds like he’s in a lot of trouble.”
    “How does that affect me?”
    “He’s one of your clients. One of
    those punks we’re always haulin’ in and you’re always bailin’ out. Mrs. Griffin told me that her daughter and him had a terrible argument just this afternoon and that he slapped her.”
    I knew the name he was going to say. And I dreaded hearing it. A lot of people had predicted that he would kill somebody someday. Maybe that day had come around at last.
    “David Egan, Counselor.” Cliffie
    smirked. “He is a client of yours, isn’t he?”
     
Three
     
    Over the next half hour, I got curious about why Cliffie was spending so much time talking to Linda Dennehy. She was pretty, maybe that was why. But after the third time he walked over to his men and then came right back to Linda, I wondered what was going on.
    I stood on the lawn with everybody else. As soon as Cliffie’s men finished with them, the guests left. They all looked tired. They’d talked it all out for now; tomorrow, over breakfast coffee, they’d start talking about it again. And for days after that.
    Linda drifted over after a time. “You about ready for that car ride, Sam?”
    “Been ready.”
    “I think Cliffie’s done questioning me.”
    “What was that all about?”
    “The party—I came with Jane Daly. I’d left my purse in her car and needed to get it.
    He wanted to know if I saw anything or anybody. I didn’t. Cliffie seems to think I’m hiding something because I’m afraid to be a witness. No matter how many times I told him otherwise, he’d keep coming back and telling me how he’d protect me and I shouldn’t be afraid to tell him who I saw in the garage. He really thinks I saw the killer.”
    “That’s our Cliffie. He never lets reality get in his way.”
    “I almost feel guilty for not having seen the killer, you know?”
    “You did what you could. You told him the truth.
    From now on it’s his problem.”
    I was just about to ask if she wanted to go when Cliffie appeared.
    “Counselor, you could do me and this town
    a favor by convincing your frightened little friend that she should tell me everything she knows.”
    “She’s told you everything she knows.”
    He smirked. “I see she’s already told you I’ve been asking her for the truth.”
    “You want her to make up something? Maybe draw a name out of a hat?”
    He looked at her and said, “You ever gone out with this David Egan, Linda?”
    “I don’t usually date high school
    boys.”
    “This day and age, anything’s possible.”
    “Well, I’ve never dated him, Chief.
    I’m not sure I’ve ever even spoken to him.”
    “Pretty gal like you, maybe he’s spoken to you.”
    “I’m afraid not.”
    Cliffie started to ask another question but I interrupted him. “She’s told you what she knows.
    She’s willing to sign a statement to the effect that everything’s she’s told you is the truth. How’s that?”
    “You her lawyer now, are you, Counselor?”
    “I am if she needs one. Does she need one, Chief?”
    He