All the Pretty Hearses by Mary Daheim Read Free Book Online Page B

feet. Renie beckoned to the oldest of the trio. “You,” she said, pointing to the gray-haired man. “Two words. Don’t be scared. I won’t hurt you. But I have to whisper them.”
    Reluctantly, the man approached the counter. He looked wary, but bent down so that Renie could speak into his ear. Judith, Darcy, and everybody else in the area stared as the man listened. After a moment, he stood up, nodded at Renie, and grinned at Judith.
    “Let me check,” he said, turning to Darcy’s computer. “Take a left past the water fountain, then a right beyond the restrooms. Third door down just before the staff elevators. I’ll buzz you through.”
    “Thanks,” Renie said, grabbing Judith’s arm. “We appreciate it.”
    The automatic door swung open. The cousins were halfway down the first hallway before Judith could find her voice. “What on earth did you say to that guy?”
    “Two words,” Renie replied. “Al Grover.”
    “Oh, for . . . !” Judith had to stop and lean against the wall. “How did you know Uncle Al’s name would have that kind of clout?”
    “Because I recognized the older guy,” Renie replied. “He’s the spitting image of his dad, Pete ‘Shuffle Up and Deal’ Petersen. Uncle Al used to sneak young Pete into all kinds of events, including the racetrack and the cathouse owned by one of the ex-sheriffs.”
    Judith put a hand to her head. “And I thought I had a good memory for faces. I didn’t make the connection.”
    “You were too upset to make anything,” Renie said as the cousins continued on their way. “Your mother could’ve been behind that counter and you wouldn’t have noticed her.”
    “You’re right,” Judith admitted as they turned the first corner. “I was having a horrible time telling poor Darcy what I wanted. And how did you find a parking place so fast?”
    Renie shrugged. “I used the mayor’s. He’s out of town this week. Or don’t you read the newspaper?”
    “You could still get a ticket or towed away.”
    “Then Uncle Al will have to fix that, too.”
    “Maybe Uncle Al should’ve come with us.”
    Renie frowned as they passed the restrooms. “Did you forget he’s in Vegas? He and Tess of the Timbervilles flew down Monday night.”
    Judith sighed. “I did forget. I wonder why Uncle Al and Tess have never gotten married.”
    “Maybe they have,” Renie said. “It’s more exciting at their age if they pretend they didn’t. Besides, he told me once he’d never marry Tess because she had too much money. Timber heiresses like to hang on to their loot in these days of curtailed logging, and Uncle Al would never want to be a kept man. It’d kill his incentive to make money in more exciting, if risky, ventures.”
    “Sounds like Uncle Al,” Judith murmured, stopping at the door by the staff elevators. The door’s small window appeared to be one-way glass, preventing outsiders from seeing inside. “It says this is an interrogation room. We can’t just walk in.”
    “Why not? We can interrogate them about their interrogation.”
    “Coz . . .” Judith spotted a buzzer on the wall. “Let’s try this.”
    It seemed like a long time before the door opened a few inches. A dark-haired young man in a pale blue shirt and loosened navy tie peered out at the cousins. “Yes?” he said, puzzled. “Who are you?”
    “Mrs. Joe Flynn,” Judith replied in what didn’t sound like her usual confident voice. “Is my husband here?”
    “Are you his attorney as well as his wife?” he asked.
    “No, but . . .” Judith tried to peer over the young man but she couldn’t see anything but a wall. “Are you Detective Delemetrios?”
    He nodded. “I’m in charge here and you have no right to be in this area. Please leave the same way you came in.”
    He started to close the door, but Renie reached out and grabbed the detective’s tie. “Not so fast. Where’s Woody Price?”
    Delemetrios tried to pull free, but Renie’s feet were planted firmly