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Shit, she was quick-shaving years off her age without pausing to count on her fingers or anything I’m not that fast at subtraction so it’s probably fortunate that I don’t lie about how old I a e doesn’t matter Bobby’s dead now He’s older than God He’s as old as anybody’s ever going to get"
She stared atin to the fact that I was et nasty about it I can’t help it if Bobby Callahan decided he was in love with me So the kid had a crush on me So what?"
"So the kid had an affair with you, Nola That’s what You got your tit in a wringer and the kid was helping you out The kid was murdered because of you, ass eyes Now, shall we quit bullshitting each other and get down to business on this or shall I call Lieutenant Dolan down at Homicide and let him have a chat with you?"
"I don’t knohat you’re talking about," she snapped She got up, but I was already on my feet and I claave a little jerk and I released her, but I could feel er like a hot-air balloon
"I’ot a choice You tellon you In fact, I may do that anyway I’ll whip on down to the courthouse and I’ll start going through public records and newspaper accounts and police files until I get a little background inforure out what you’re hiding and then I’ to find a way to stick it to you so bad you’ll wish you’d blabbed the whole sfbry out right here"
That’s when I got the jolt In the back ofair Thwunk… it opened up It Was one of those extraordinary moments when automatic recall clicks in and a piece of information pops up like a flash card It h my head because I suddenly retrieved some data from my memory bank and it appeared on my mental screen just as clear as could be… not the whole of it, but enough "Wait a an I knew I’d seen you somewhere Your picture was in all the papers"
Her face drained of color "That has nothing to do with this," she said
I laughed, primarily because sudden recollection does that to ives a quick rush
"Oh come on," I said "It does connect I don’t kno yet, but it’s all the same tale, isn’t it?"
She sank back down on the love seat, one hand reaching for the glass tabletop to steady herself She breathed deeply, trying to relax "You would do well to let this pass," she said, not looking at me
"Are you nuts?" I said "Are you out of your tiny ht soht He’s dead now and he’s got no way to rectify the situation, but / do and if you think I’ll back off this sucker, you don’t know one and what remained seemed drab She looked, then, like we all look in fluorescent lighting-tired, sallow, shopworn Her voice was low "I’ll tell you what I can And then I beg you to drop the investigation I ood I did have an affair with Bobby" She paused, searching for the path she wanted to take "He was a wonderful person He really was I was crazy about him He was so unco and healthy, vigorous God He enty-three Even the sight of his skin He was like a-" Her eyes came up toand faltering, this time from some emotion I couldn’t read… pain or tenderness, perhaps
I eased into the chair carefully, hoping I wouldn’t spoil the e," she said, "you still think things can beyou want You think life’s sis and it will all turn around I told hiallantry in hi time
’"Sweet fool,’ what?" I said quietly
"Well, he died for it, of course I can’t tell you the guilt I’ve felt…" She trailed off and she looked away
"Tell ht?"
"Dwight was much older than I Forty-five ere e… up to a point at any rate He adored s for this town"