Read Dirty Harry 05 - Family Skeletons for Free Online Page A

Francisco inspector emptied his mind of the dour thoughts. It must be jet lag, Harry reasoned about his depressive state of mind. That, or he was fighting against the feeling that he still cared. He had always known that he cared for some things. Things like justice. But he hadn’t felt like he cared for some body for years. There were people he was concerned about, people he liked and had faith in, but no one he really let himself care for. He already knew full well the dangers in caring. Then Shanna had to enter his life again.
    Linda had said that her daughter was confused. She was trying to “find herself” almost any way she could. She was striking off in all directions at once, trying to find a suitable solution to “who she was.” Linda thought she was making some mistakes along the way.
    That was mother talk, Harry decided. He translated to himself that Shanna was going too fast, weaving across too many lanes for her own good. She was trying things that she shouldn’t simply for the sake of experience. On the plus side, she was helping at the Unitarian Headquarters in many capacities. On the minus side, she was discovering new means of worship from other people there.
    “It is some sort of Fellowship group unconnected to the church,” Linda had said. “Shanna says it’s based on many American Indian precepts of honor. But all I know, Harry, is that she comes over late at night sometimes and doesn’t know who she is. We sit in the kitchen and talk about the strangest things, and she doesn’t know who she is. And the scary thing is she doesn’t care.
    “I try to keep her there until she remembers her name, but she still usually goes back to her apartment. One night though, she slept over. We still keep her room available. So I took her clothes to the laundry room downstairs. They were a mess. Her nice blue skirt and a white shirt. There were brown and deep red spots all over the shirt, Harry. I’m sure they were bloodstains.”
    Callahan stopped in front of the Unitarian Headquarters. He had come to the end of the block along the north side of the Common. He had crossed the street in front of the gold-topped Statehouse. The building right next door, to the left as you looked at it, was the Unitarian facilities.
    It was a big, multistoried place of handsome design. There was a small portico. and stone stairway up to a handsome wood door. On the second floor was a large window made up of many small panes of clear, bright glass that almost looked like crystal. On either side of this window were several hanging flags. One was the American flag, one was the Massachusetts state flag, and the last was the Unitarian flag.
    Farther down the street were more handsome buildings looking out onto the west side of the Common. Harry trotted up the stone steps and tried the door. It was unlocked. He opened it onto a handsome wood hall with an office to the right—connected by a box-office-like window to the foyer—a wide stairway up on the left, and a lobby in front of him.
    It was after working hours so the office and lobby were empty. But there were still signs of activity upstairs. Harry did not stand on ceremony. He walked right up the steps, keeping his eyes and ears open. He heard a boisterous discussion coming from somewhere above him. At first he couldn’t make out the words. They were just loud and obviously spoken by a male. The higher he climbed, the clearer the words became.
    “You don’t understand . . . ,” he heard at first.
    “Don’t worry . . . complete control . . .” Harry became aware of some soft mumbles in between the male ragings. It sounded as if a girl and boy were talking—the girl being the calm one in the situation.
    “I tell you no!” the male voice shouted. “You can’t! I won’t let you! Who is the boss here anyway?”
    The words were coming from a single doorway near the front of the building on the second floor. When Harry reached the top of the stairs he could begin to hear