Read Book 03 - Cold Copper Tears for Free Online

good. “Nothing but
blood spots, Morley.”
    “Didn’t think there would be. Thanks for
going.” Morley looked at me. “When are you going to
learn? Now Snowball has his ego tied up in it.”
    “Maybe if I’d known who he was and his
reputation—”
    “Crap! That hasn’t got anything to do with giving
him a second chance. You going to ask for references? Even Snowball
probably has a mother who loves him.
That won’t keep him from setting your balls on fire if he
gets the chance. I’m amazed that you’ve stayed alive as
long as you have.”
    He had a point. The world sure as hell doesn’t care about
one man’s moral parameters. But I have to live with myself,
too. “Might be because I have friends who look out for me.
Come on downstairs. My treat.”
    “I’ll pass. Buy yourself one. Carrot juice. Carrots
are good for your eyes. You could stand to be a little more
clear-sighted. Eat some fish, too. It’s supposed to be brain
food.”
     
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9
    I got a drink, but I did it after I got home, after I sent Dean
off and got the place locked up. I drew a pitcher off the keg in
the cold well, took it to the office, put my feet up and tried to
brainstorm.
    I had a tempest in a beer mug.
    I came up with no angles at all.
    I considered a connection with Jill Craight’s visit. I
considered one with the holy terror. If the connection was there,
nothing betrayed it.
    In any case, Snowball’s bunch would have started from the
North End before Peridont reached my place.
    I reflected on old cases, trying to recall individuals who might
be vindictive enough to want me smoked. There could be some out
there, but I couldn’t come up with any names.
    What if Snowball had simply picked the wrong target? Suppose he
was after somebody else?
    Pure reason liked that hypothesis. Intuition screamed,
“Bullshit!”
    Somebody wanted me dead. And I didn’t have a notion why,
let alone who.
    Maybe the Dead Man could spot a fact I’d overlooked. I
wandered across the hall. No good. He was out of it. I worked off
some nervous energy cleaning, then went back to the office to
settle down and think it all through again.
    I was still there when Dean pounded on the door in the morning.
I was so stiff it was a task getting down the hall to the door.
Morley wasn’t all wrong when he talked about me abusing
myself. I’m not seventeen anymore. The body won’t stay
in tune by itself. I pinched a few pounds of muscle that had
drifted south. I needed to get more selective about my loafing.
    I would start exercising first thing tomorrow. I didn’t
feel up to it today. My schedule was full, anyway.
    I went upstairs and napped in a real bed while Dean started in
the kitchen. He woke me when he had breakfast ready.
    “You sure you’re all right?” he asked when he
brought my hotcakes. I hadn’t told him much. “You look
like hell.”
    “Thanks. You’re one of Nature’s great beauties
yourself. “ I knew what he meant. But I have to ride him or
he thinks I don’t appreciate him. “You should’ve
seen the other guys.”
    “I expect it’s just as well I didn’t.”
Someone rapped at the door. “I’ll get it.”
    I grunted around a mouthful of hotcakes smothered in blueberry
preserves.
    Our visitor was Jill Craight. Dean brought her into the kitchen.
Remarkable. She really had him whammied.
    She didn’t have as much impact this morning. She
hadn’t fixed herself up for it. She looked like she’d
had a bad night. And she was spoiling for a fight.
    “Good morning, Miss Craight. Won’t you join
me?”
    She sat. She took tea when Dean offered it but declined anything
more substantial. She had fire in her eyes. Too bad it wasn’t
for me. “I had a visit from a man named Waldo
Tharpe.”
    “Saucerhead? Good man. Though sometimes his manners lack
polish.”
    “His manners were adequate. He told me he was supposed to
find out who was giving me trouble. He told me you sent
him.”
    “I did. Anybody ever tell you you’re