MemoriesErasedTreachery by Charlie Richards Read Free Book Online Page B

has to be grieving, too, and maybe it was his way of getting through the trauma."
    "Yeah, you could be right. Who am I to judge how he deals with his grief. Besides, I'm not positive it was Greg. No one else seemed to notice."
    Ewyn turned off Waterman onto Third Street, slowed down in front of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office and pulled into the parking lot. He climbed out of his car and looked around. It had been years since he'd been on this side of town, and didn't it bring back memories.
    Looking east on Third, Norton Air Force base used to be down that way. As a kid, he could remember riding by and gawking in fascination at all of those big transport planes. Turning, he looked across the street. He'd forgotten about the Goodwill complex located there. He had been with Gemma, a few times, when she had dropped off things at the donation trailer.
    To the west, he could see where the street came to a dead end. If he remembered correctly, there used to be a hotel down there. After a morning of shopping with Gemma at the Central City Mall across the street from the hotel, his aunt used to take him there for lunch--the Maruko! That was the name, but the last time they went there for lunch, the hotel had changed hands. Damn if he could recall which hotel chain had taken over. Hell. Even the mall's name had changed from Central City Mall to Carousel Mall.
    Being away at college, and then living in Rancho Cucamonga, Ewyn had spent his adult life hanging out on the Westside of San Bernardino County. Except for the Silver Fox, he didn't know this part of town any more.
    "Brings back memories, huh," Mick said as he and Ewyn strolled across the parking lot.
    "Oh yeah. Old stomping grounds. Spent a lot of time cruising the mall as a teen. Didn't have a clue as to what I was looking for back then."
    Ewyn and Mick entered the Sheriff's building and checked in at the reception desk. The young woman said Detective Patterson would be with them shortly and directed them to the waiting area. Ewyn removed his sunglasses, slipped them into his inside breast pocket, and sat down. "We're on time, right?"
    Mick grunted. "You've got it."
    "So Patterson is still trying to play me."
    "It would seem so. What do you want to do?"
    "Wait until they call me, then leave."
    "I hear you."
    Ewyn watched Patterson saunter up to reception, stop to chat with a few of the officers milling about, before he turned in Ewyn's direction. Their gazes met. Ewyn stood and moved to the reception desk.
    "Mister Kelley." Patterson extended his hand.
    Ignoring Patterson, Ewyn looked at his watch, then reached into the inside breast pocket of his sport coat and retrieved his pen. Refusing to waste a business card on the man, he asked the receptionist for a piece of paper. He jotted down his name and office phone number, and returned the paper to the young woman.
    "Please make sure Detective Patterson gets this," he told her. "Tell him I had business to take care of and couldn't wait." He smiled at the stunned look on the woman's face and said, "Thank you." Turning to Mick, he said, "Let's go."
    "Now wait a minute," Patterson blustered.
    Ewyn continued out the door and never looked back. He had reached his car before he spoke again. "As much as I need closure, I'm not feeding into his BS."
    "You shouldn't have to. I'll talk to MacGregor. He can go over Patterson's head."
    "Uh-uh, don't bother. Let's wait and see how long it takes the asshole to contact me. When he does, we'll meet on my terms, on my turf. If Devin isn't back by then, I'll handle Patterson."
    "Are you sure? I can be there."
    "No, Mick. I need to do this myself. The dumb shit needs to understand I won't be intimidated. As a member of the victims' family, I deserve as much respect as any other citizen who pays his salary. I intend being the idiot's wake up call." Ewyn grinned. "I'm the new look of the Calderone family and he'd better get used to it. If he continues to diss me, he's in for a rude