بخش 03 - فصل 14

14

Hodges hangs up and opens Firefox. He types in zeetheend and finds himself looking at a cartoon man swinging a cartoon pickaxe. Clouds of dirt fly up, forming the same message over and over.

SORRY, WE’RE STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION

BUT KEEP CHECKING BACK!

“We are made to persist, that’s how we find out who we are.”

Tobias Wolfe

Another idea worthy of Reader’s Digest, Hodges thinks, and goes to his window. Morning traffic on Lower Marlborough is moving briskly. He realizes, with wonder and gratitude, that the pain in his side has entirely disappeared for the first time in days. He could almost believe nothing is wrong with him, but the bitter taste in his mouth contradicts that.

The bitter taste, he thinks. The residue.

His cell rings. It’s Norma Wilmer, her voice pitched so low he has to strain to hear. “If this is about the so-called visitors list, I haven’t had a chance to look for it yet. This place is crawling with police and cheap suits from the district attorney’s office. You’d think Hartsfield escaped instead of died.”

“It’s not about the list, although I still need that info, and if you can get it to me today, it’s worth another fifty dollars. Get it to me before noon, and I’ll make it a hundred.”

“Jesus, what’s the big deal with this? I asked Georgia ­Frederick—she’s been bouncing back and forth between Ortho and the Bucket for the last ten years—and she says the only person she ever saw visiting Hartsfield besides you was some ratty chick with tattoos and a Marine haircut.”

This rings no bells with Hodges, but there is a faint vibration. Which he doesn’t trust. He wants to put this thing together too badly, and that means he must step with special care.

“What do you want, Bill? I’m in a fucking linen closet, it’s hot, and I’ve got a headache.”

“My old partner called and told me Brady swallowed some shit and killed himself. What that says to me is he must have stockpiled enough dope over time to do it. Is that possible?”

“It is. It’s also possible I could land a 767 jumbo jet if the whole flight crew died of food poisoning, but both things are very fucking unlikely. I’ll tell you what I told the cops and the two most annoying yappers from the DA’s office. Brady got Anaprox-DS on PE days, one pill with food before, one late in the day if he asked, which he rarely did. Anaprox isn’t really much more powerful when it comes to controlling pain than Advil, which you can buy OTC. He also had Extra Strength Tylenol on his chart, but only asked for it on a few occasions.”

“How did the DA guys react to that?”

“Right now they’re operating under the theory that he swallowed a shitload of Anaprox.”

“But you don’t buy it?”

“Of course I don’t! Where would he hide that many pills, up his bony bedsored ass? I have to go. I’ll get back to you on the visitors list. If there ever was one, that is.”

“Thank you, Norma. Try some Anaprox for that headache of yours.”

“Fuck you, Bill.” But she says it with a laugh.