Sam McCain - 05 - Everybody's Somebody's Fool by Ed Gorman Read Free Book Online Page A

them.”
    “C’mon, Sam. Don’t try and shit a
    shitter. We’re both defense lawyers. We know how it all works and what it all means.”
    I leaned back in my comfortable leather armchair, drained the last of the Pepsi in the tall glass with the little pink terrycloth cover on it, and said, “So did either of you know her well, Jack?”
    He stood up. He was so tall he looked like a totem pole, an upper-class totem
    pole. He said, “I admire you for asking it, Sam. That’s what you want in a lawyer and an investigator.” He put a hard hand on my shoulder and began to pull me up. “Now, I hope you’ll admire me for defending the sanctity of my home and asking you to leave.”
    He was still very much in control.
     
Seven
     
    “You mean you didn’t go to the Hawkeye game?”
    “I’m not much of a sports fan, Sam. Never was, actually.”
    “You could get deported to Missouri for saying that.”
    Hesitation. “I’m sorry about last night.”
    I was in jeans and a sweatshirt and a beer, sitting in my apartment with my feet on the coffee table and thinking about how stupid-looking toes are.
    “Sorry? For what?”
    “Oh, you know. Telling you about—everything.”
    “I had a very nice time last night.”
    “I’m kind of screwed up now.”
    “I’ve been kinda screwed up my whole life. Not to pull rank on you, you understand.”
    She laughed. “I had a good time, too, but I don’t think it was fair to you. You know, you should have certain expectations and all.”
    “You let me worry about my expectations.
    Really, Linda, I want to see you again.”
    “Sam, it’s just—it’s not a good time.”
    “You could make it a good time.”
    “You really think so?”
    “Sure. We could go have some dinner someplace and then just go for a ride the way we did last night.”
    “But—what happens when the night’s over?”
    “I come home and take a cold shower and sit in an ice bath and read the Bible. Same thing I do every night.”
    Her laugh again. It was a small, shy, affecting laugh. “You clown.”
    “You know you want to go.”
    “And how do you know that?”
    “I can just tell. I have these powers.”
    “It’ll get awful frustrating for both of us at some point.”
    “We’ll worry about that when we get to that point. How’s that?”
    “I really appreciate this, Sam.”
    “What the hell are you talking about? Listen, and I’m being serious now. I’m not doing you a favor. This isn’t some kind of pity date. I like you. Last night I had a good time—if you discount the underlying existential dread that’s always with me, I mean.”
    This time she giggled. “I think that’s what I h. Existential dread. And that sounds a lot more impressive than telling people you’re depressed.
    Just about everybody’s depressed. But not all that many people have existential dread. I’m not even sure what it means and I’m impressed.”
    “Maybe we’ll fall in love.”
    “Oh, Sam, c’mon.”
    “Why not? You’re lonely and I’m lonely and you’re short and I’m short.”
    “And you have existential dread and I have existential dread.”
    “See, what did I tell you? Sounds like love to me.”
    “So what time are you planning on picking me up?”
    “How about seven?”
    “I’m staying here at my mom’s. Not in Iowa City.”
    “I’m looking forward to it.”
    “So am I.”
    “Oh,” she said. “I almost forgot. I was working in the emergency ward one night about six
    months ago. I had to substitute because there was a very bad virus going around and a lot of staff were home sick. Anyway, this woman came in.
    She’d cut her wrists. She was in pretty bad shape. We got her fixed up and then she took off. You’re probably wondering what the point of this is.”
    “I’m getting a little curious.”
    “The woman was Brenda Carlyle.”
    “Mike Carlyle’s wife?” Mike
    Carlyle being the owner of the most successful local lumberyard, and a former All-Big Ten running