Read The Staked Goat - Jeremiah Healy for Free Online Page B

She
just keeps writing on a list."
    "A list?"
    "Yes. A list of things to do. About Al." He
stifled a sob. "I tell you, it's like she was morosely planning
a vacation. It's breaking my heart."
    He sounded sincere, and I found myself clamping my
jaw again. "Listen, Dale, I'll take care of claiming the body
and transporting it to Pittsburgh. Is there a funeral home there
Martha would want to use?"
    "I don't know, but I'll find out."
    "Good. How can I reach you?"
    "Well, one of us, Larry or I, will be here until
Carol, who's really Martha's best friend, gets off work. I'll give
you our home number and Carol's, since I'll be either here, at
Carol's watching her son, Kenny, or at home."
    Dale sounded like he had an orderly mind and reeled
off the numbers, one of which I already had. "I'll call you when
I have more information," I said.
    "Thanks, Mr. Cuddy."
    "John."
    "John, thanks for your help and . . ."
    "Forget it. He was my friend before he was
yours."
    "Good-bye."
    I felt like having a good drink and a good cry. But I
had a lot yet to do. I called a college classmate named George who
had gone into the funeral business with his father. George said he
would take care of the arrangements and call me with the details.
    I then bundled up and
headed back to the Midtown.
    * * *
    The same kid was behind the desk. Same blazer, same
tie, too. I gave him the benefit of the doubt on shirt and underwear.
He saw me coming and frowned.
    "I wasn't quite straight with you last night,
Mr. Bell," I said, using the first name Cross had mentioned.
"I'm a detective. I was here this morning with Lieutenant Murphy
and Detective Cross." Never tell a direct lie when a misleading
truth carries you as far.
    "I assume she spoke with you today at home?"
    "Yeah," he said. "My landlord didn't
appreciate cops coming looking for me."
    "I'm sorry, but we are talking murder here."
    "I know that."
    "Listen," I said, "Cross is on kind of
a probationary period. I'm supposed to find out if she asked you
certain questions. It's like a check-up on her detecting ability. I
didn't want to disturb you at home, so I thought I'd drop by here
when I figured you wouldn't be too busy."
    "Well," he said, buying it, "she asked
me a hell of a lot of questions. I sure wouldn't remember all of
them."
    "Did she ask you how long you were working last
night?"
    "Yeah."
    "And what was your answer?"
    "Same as I always work. It's a school-year job.
I work four P.M. to twelve, Monday through Thursday."
    "Did she ask you if anyone else asked for Mr.
Sachs or his room number?"
    "Yeah."
    "And what was your answer?"
    "I told her no." He cocked his head at me.
"How come you need my answers, anyways?"
    Sharp kid, Bell. "Well, unless I know what
answer you gave to Question A, I won't know whether her Question B
was a good one."
    "You sound like one of my professors." He
smiled. "Except you make more sense."
    I laughed at his joke. "Thanks."
    We continued through everything else I could think
of, including whether any maintenance work had been done recently on
Room 304 (no) and whether anything else odd had happened that night
(no, again).
    "Last1y," I said, "did she ask who
followed you at midnight?”
    "No, she already knew that."
    I called back the other name Cross had mentioned
yesterday.
    "Teevens? Douglas Teevens?"
    "Yeah. He'll be in tonight."
    "Good," I said. I nodded to the bar. "Let
me know when he comes in."
    He nodded and said, "Well?"
    I looked at him. "Well, what?"
    "Well, did she pass?"
    "Pass? Oh, Cross, yeah, she did just fine."
    "I'm glad," said the kid. "She was
angry about something when she talked to me, but I got the
impression it wasn't me she was angry at."
    "Yeah," I said,
and hoped Cross never found out about her probationary check-up.
    * * *
    Bell looked in the cocktail lounge and gestured that
Teevens was here. My watch said 12:05 A.M., and I had nursed three
screwdrivers for the past three hours. The place had been quiet, the
salesmen from Wichita apparently taking