Back C Is for Corpse
Chapters (28)
  1. "C" is for CORPSE
  2. Chapter 1
  3. Chapter 2
  4. Chapter 3
  5. Chapter 4
  6. Chapter 5
  7. Chapter 6
  8. Chapter 7
  9. Chapter 8
  10. Chapter 9
  11. Chapter 10
  12. Chapter 11
  13. Chapter 12
  14. Chapter 13
  15. Chapter 14
  16. Chapter 15
  17. Chapter 16
  18. Chapter 17
  19. Chapter 18
  20. Chapter 19
  21. Chapter 20
  22. Chapter 21
  23. Chapter 22
  24. Chapter 23
  25. Chapter 24
  26. Chapter 25
  27. Chapter 26
  28. Epilogue

I shook my head. "I'm looking into Bobby Callahan's death," I said. "I think he was murdered and I think it connects back to Dwight Costigan." I sketched the whole story out for him, avoiding his gaze. We were stretched out in the grass by then and I kept having these images of sexual misbehavior that I didn't think would serve. I plowed right ahead, talking more than I should have just to create a diversion.

"God, you come up with something on the Costigan killing and Lieutenant Dolans gonna' crochet you a watch," he said.

"What about Lila Sams?"

He held a finger up. "I was saving the best for last," he said. "I ran a field check on her and came up with a hit. This lady has a string of wants and warrants as long as your arm. Priors going back to 1968."

"What for?"

"Fraud, obtaining property by false pretenses, larceny by trick and device. She's been passing bad paper, too. She's got six outstanding warrants on her even as we speak. Well, wait. Take a look for yourself. I brought the print-out."

He held out the computer print-out and I took it. Why didn't I feel more elated at the notion of nailing her? Because it would break Henry's heart and I didn't want to take responsibility for that. I ran an eye down the sheet. "Can I keep this?"

"Sure, but don't jump up and down like that. Calm yourself," he said. "I take it you know where she is."

I looked over at him with a weak smile. "Probably sitting in my backyard drinking iced tea," I said. "My landlord is head over heels in love with her and I suspect she's on the verge of taking him for everything he's worth."

"Talk to Whiteside in Fraud and he'll have her picked up."

"I think I better talk to Rosie first."

"That old bag who runs the dive down the street from you? What's she got to do with it?"

"Oh, neither one of us can stand Lila. Rosie wanted me to do the background check for the aggravation if nothing else. We needed to know where she was coming from."

"So now you know. What's the problem?"

"I don't know. It just feels crummy somehow, but I'll figure it out. I don't want to rush into anything I'll regret."

There was a momentary silence and then Jonah gave my shirt a tug. "You been up to the shooting range lately?"

"Not since we were there together," I said.

"You want to go up there sometime?"

"Jonah, we can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because it might feel like a date and confuse us both."

"Come on. I thought we were friends."

"We are. We just can't hang out together."

"Why not?"

"Because you're too good-looking and I'm too smart," I said tartly.

"We're back to Camilla again, right?"

"Right. I'm not going to interfere with that. You've been with her a long time."