Read Killing the Blues for Free Online Page A

you attend to your dishabille,” Healy said. “I’ll see myself in.”
    When Jesse returned, wearing jeans and a sweater, he found Healy on the top step of the porch, holding a piece of Jesse’s sliced chicken.
    The black-and-white cat was standing directly in front of him, tentatively eating the chicken from his hand.
    When Jesse stepped outside, the cat bolted. It leapt from the porch and dashed headlong into the bushes.
    â€œI’m a cat person,” Healy said. “Always have been. We currently have six. My wife calls me the Cat Whisperer.”
    â€œThe Cat Whisperer,” Jesse said.
    â€œUnlikely, isn’t it? I’m an anomaly.”
    â€œThat’s only the half of it.”
    â€œSo what do you know,” Healy said.
    â€œHad to have been a newbie. Some low-life wannabe who came aboard when the operation expanded. Not a professional.”
    â€œOkay,” Healy said.
    â€œSo he botches it. Dickwad thinks he’s hit himself a home run. Gets rattled when the owner discovers him. Goes ballistic and kills the guy. Mob boys won’t have been happy. Car theft isn’t meant to be lethal.”
    â€œHow do you know this?”
    â€œIt’s what my gut tells me.”
    â€œWhat about the killer?”
    â€œMost likely pushing up daisies in Paradise Gardens.”
    â€œSo what are you gonna do?”
    â€œI’m gonna run a break tomorrow. I’ve convinced Hansen to buy me a couple of Hondas. I’m gonna station them at critical locations and surveil them.”
    â€œAnd?”
    â€œI’m gonna tail whoever shows up.”
    â€œDon’t you mean ‘whomever’?”
    â€œTry not to parade your ignorance. I wanna spot them. See what happens.”
    â€œTo what end?”
    â€œInformation-gathering. I don’t really care about the small potatoes. What interests me is the big fish,” Jesse said.
    â€œWhich reminds me, we’re having snapper for dinner,” Healy said. “I gotta go.”
    Once at the door, he turned back to Jesse.
    â€œThis could lead to some unpleasantness, Jesse,” Healy said. “You’re gonna want to be careful.”
    â€œI’m always careful.”
    â€œLike hell you are,” Healy said.
    After Healy had gone, Jesse went to the kitchen and got a couple of slices of chicken. He took them outside. He held a slice in his outstretched hand and called to the cat.
    It didn’t appear.
    His arm began to tire. At last he placed the chicken on the step, stood up, and went inside.
    â€œCat Whisperer,” he said.
    He turned off the lights and went to bed.

13
    J esse collected the Hondas at noon. He brought Molly and Suitcase along, both of them in civilian clothing.
    Suitcase drove the Accord directly to the police station and parked behind the building.
    Molly drove the Civic to Paradise Mall, parking in a prearranged location. She got out of the car, made a show of gathering her belongings, then entered the mall.
    She walked straight through and exited via a side door, where she was met by Rich Bauer. She got into his cruiser, and together they returned to the station.
    The Civic remained where Molly had left it.
    Three rows away, Peter Perkins sat low in the driver’s seat of an unmarked Chevy, watching the Civic.
    From a different vantage point, Jesse sat in his Ford Explorer, sipping coffee, also watching.
    The hours passed and no one paid any attention to the Civic.
    On cue, Peter Perkins drove away from the mall and was replaced by Arthur Angstrom, driving his Jeep Wrangler. Jesse remained in the Explorer.
    When darkness began to settle, Bauer dropped Molly off at the mall. She backtracked through it on her way to the Civic, which she unlocked, got into, and drove away.
    At the same time that Molly was leaving the mall, Suitcase was parking the Accord in front of the Cineplex Odeon Twelve. He got out of the car and went inside.
    Arthur Angstrom drove his