The Jugger

'He might have been looking for something to steal.'

This time Regan was surprised; he wasn't faking the look he gave Parker. He said, 'Steal? You mean Mr. Tiftus was a thief?'

'I wouldn't say that for sure. I heard rumours, around Miami.'

'I see. Then would you say…'

The door opened, and two cops came in, and between them Tiftus' woman, Rhonda. Regan looked up, irritated, and one of the cops started to say something, and Rhonda took one look at Parker and screamed, 'That's him! That's the bastard killed my husband! That's the one right there!'

Parker looked at her, and now he knew what Regan had gone away for: to set this up. He looked at Regan to see how it was supposed to play from here.

Regan was playing it to the hilt. He got to his feet and gave the cops stern looks and said, 'Don't you know better than to barge in like that? I told you men to wait outside.'

The woman kept hollering: 'That's him! That's him!'

Regan said, 'Get her out of here. What's the matter with you two?'

The cops didn't play their parts as well. They should have acted sheepish, or tried to apologize. Instead, they just turned the woman around and marched her back out again. She kept hollering till the door was shut.

Regan said, 'I'm sorry about that.'

Parker could play it open-face too, when he had to. He said, 'Am I a suspect? I didn't realize that.'

'No, I wouldn't exactly say you were a suspect, Mr. Willis. We are checking everything, of course, that's our job. By the way, do you mind? I don't mean to pry, but your face…'

Parker touched the side of his face where the shovel had hit him. It was still sensitive to the touch. 'I fell down some stairs,' he said. 'Cellar stairs.'

'I'm sorry to hear that. Recently?'

'This afternoon.'

'Is that so? Did you have a doctor for it?'

'Yes. Dr. Rayborn, he's a local man.'

Regan turned again to look at Younger, and said, 'You know this Dr. Rayborn?'

'I'm the one sent for him.'

Regan was surprised again, but he covered it better this time. He said, 'You were there?'

'Willis and I were in Joe Shardin's house when it happened.'

'I see. Was this man Tiftus with you?'

'Tiftus?' Younger packed incredulity into the name. 'What would he be doing with us?'

'I thought you all knew Shardin.'

Parker broke in, saying, 'I don't know about the captain, but I wasn't with Tiftus at all. He came to my room this morning, But I wouldn't waste any time on him and he went away.'

'That was the last time you saw him?'

'I saw him on the street a little while later. We just said hello to each other.'

'I see. That young lady seems to think you might have had a reason to kill Mr. Tiftus. Why would she think that, do you know?'

'No.'

Regan waited, but Parker had nothing else to say. Off to the side, Younger fidgeted like he wanted to start talking, but he had sense enough to keep his mouth shut. Finally, Regan said, 'Well, I suppose I'll find out when I hear her story.' He looked at Younger again and said, 'Have you known Mr. Willis long?'

'A couple of years,' Younger said. 'Joe Shardin introduced us, one time when Willis was up for a visit.'

'I see.' Regan tap-tap-tapped his fingers on Parker's wallet, still sitting on the desk. 'Well,' he said, 'I guess that's about it for now, Mr. Willis. If I want to talk to you again later, you will be around, won't you? You weren't planning on leaving for Miami again right away, were you?'

'No. I'll be around a day or two anyway.'

'That's fine. Thank you again for your co-operation.'

Parker got to his feet, and took the wallet from the desk. 'I won't be staying here at the hotel any more,' he said. 'If you want me, you can get in touch with me at Joe Shardin's house. The captain has the address.'

'Fine. Nice to have met you, Mr. Willis.' He smiled as he said it, polite and friendly, but his eyes were watching Parker with flat professional curiosity, and he didn't get to his feet, and he didn't offer to shake hands. Just as Parker could smell law on Regan, Regan obviously could smell outlaw on Parker. He hadn't yet figured the connection between Parker and Younger, or whether or not either of them had had anything to do with killing Tiftus, but he did know something was out of kilter, and he looked the kind of cop who'd hang on until he found out what he wanted to know.

Younger stood up, too, but Regan said to him, 'Why not stay for the rest of the interrogations, Abner? You can help me check the local details and whatnot, see I don't waste a lot of time on false trails.'

Younger didn't like it, but he didn't have any choice. Sullen, he sat down again, and watched mistrustfully as Parker walked out of the office.

The next room was a smaller office, usually occupied by the manager's secretary. Tiftus' woman was in it now, with the two cops. Parker went over to her and said, 'I didn't kill your man. I was with the fat cop when it happened. I'm clear.'

The cops watched, blank-faced. The woman studied Parker's face and said, 'I don't believe it. Who else around here would ease him the bump?'

Parker touched his face. 'Same one who did this. Same tool.'

One of the cops said, 'I don't think you two ought to be talking.'

'I'll be at Joe Shardin's place,' Parker said, ignoring the cop. 'When they're done with you, come over.'

'What about what you did before?'

Parker knew what she meant; how much had he told the law himself? He said, 'All I did before was tell your man to get lost when he came around to my room. I saw you with him in the lobby when he checked in, that's how come I knew who you were.'

She shook her head doubtfully. 'I'm not sure about you,' she said. 'I haven't made up my mind about you.'

The cop said, 'I think you two better quit now.'

Parker looked at him. 'You work for Regan or Younger?'

'Younger. It's Regan we're holding this lady for, but we're city officers.'

'You better check with Younger before you tell Regan I stopped here to talk with the lady.'

The cop frowned. 'How come?'

'You know what Younger thinks of Regan,' Parker said, because it couldn't be a secret. 'Younger wants to keep what he knows to himself this time.'

The cop shrugged. 'I'll check with him,' he said.

'That's good.' Parker nodded at the woman. 'See you later, Rhonda,' he said.

She seemed surprised he'd remembered her name.

FOUR

PARKER opened the door and said, 'Come on in, Rhonda.'

She came in with the belligerent air of a dumb woman afraid something's being put over on her. She said, 'What's with you and that Captain Younger? He's a cop, ain't he?'

'That's right.' He shut the door and led the way into the living-room. 'Sit down.'

'I want something to drink.'

'In the kitchen.'

'Oh, a real gentleman.'

Parker turned to look at her. 'We don't have much time before Younger gets here,' he said.

'So what's that to me?'