Settle gestured to Gonzo. “This is Detective Gonzales with the Metropolitan Police Department. He’d like to speak to you about this morning’s show.”

Hands on hips, Big Ben scowled as he glanced at Gonzo. “What about it?”

“Willie Vasquez was found murdered this morning.”

“Is that right? Probably had it coming after that piss-poor performance last night.”

Gonzo stared him down, incredulous. “So you think murder is an appropriate punishment for failing to catch a fly ball?”

“An easy fly ball.”

“Pardon me,” Gonzo said, his tone thick with sarcasm. “An easy fly ball.”

Ben shifted from one foot to the other. “Well, I’m not saying he deserved to die, but jeez, Detective, how could he miss that?”

“As I wasn’t on the field at the time the ball was hit, I couldn’t say. No one can really say what was going through his mind at that time, could they?”

“I guess not,” Ben said begrudgingly.

“A lot of your listeners had plenty to say this morning.”

“They’re pissed off—and rightfully so.”

“Any of them pissed off enough to commit murder?”

“How the hell should I know? I talk to a lot of them regularly on the show, but I don’t actually know most of them.”

“Have you met any of them in person?”

“Here and there at events, but what do I know about whether or not they killed him?”

“Are any of them regular callers who are familiar to you?”

“A lot of them are.”

Gonzo held out his notebook and pen. “I’d appreciate a list of any that seemed angry enough over the game to commit murder.”

Ben snatched the notebook out of his hand. “Hope you’ve got plenty of time because just about everyone who called this morning was pretty pissed off.”

“I’ve got all the time it takes.”

“Give him what he needs, Ben,” Settle said.

Ben took the notebook to the conference table and made a big production out of sitting down. “You may as well get Marcy up here too.” For Gonzo’s edification, Ben said, “She’s my producer.”

“I’ll call her,” Settle said.

Gonzo sat across from Ben, resigned to being there a while.

* * *

Since Garrett Collins lived somewhat close to Sam on Sixth Street, Avery decided to stop to talk to him on the way back to the ballpark. As general manager, Collins oversaw everything having to do with the players and their contracts as well as the coaching staff. The person in charge of fielding the team that had come so close to a championship season was probably angrier than most about the ball Willie had missed.

Was he angry enough to commit murder? That remained to be seen.