Read Online Privy to the Dead by Sheila Connolly - Free Book Online Page B

the house—the parlor was gorgeous, but I felt like an interloper sprawling on a couch watching television in there. There was a nice sunroom at the rear, but it wasn’t heated and the old windows weren’t double glazed or even airtight (note to self: buy some putty before winter sets in!). If we wanted to spend serious time there, we’d have to make some changes. For that matter, the couch we were using was both ugly and too uncomfortable for two, plus it sullied the majesty of the parlor. But I didn’t want to relegate either of us to one of the overstuffed chairs we’d brought along; I liked the physical closeness of sitting next to James.
    â€œJames, are we looking at furniture this weekend?”
    â€œHuh?” he said, half dozing. “Furniture? Sure, I guess. Where? Auction? Department store?”
    â€œI don’t know. But we’re intelligent people—we should be able to figure that out, right?”
    â€œOkay,” he said agreeably. I’m not sure he had heard me.
    â€”
    The next day started normally enough—the new normal, that is—but when I arrived at the Society, Bob nodded toward the corner of the lobby, where once again Detective Hrivnak graced our premises—the second day in a row. She did not look happy.
    â€œGood morning, Detective. Did you want to see me again, or were you just browsing?”
    â€œHa!” she barked. “I need to talk to you. We’ve found out some new stuff.”
    Of course. “My office? We can have coffee.” Of course, if I took her upstairs it might be harder to get rid of her again,but on the other hand, she might be more relaxed and forthcoming.
    â€œSure, sounds good.” She followed me to the elevator.
    While we waited for it, I said, “This investigation is really moving fast, isn’t it?”
    She looked around before answering, but there were no staff members in sight. “Yeah, but we only had to look a few blocks in any direction. Not like you—you seem to find trouble spread over a couple of counties.”
    â€œAnd don’t forget New Jersey,” I added with forced cheerfulness. She was right, but she should be glad, since that put a lot of the Society’s issues outside of her jurisdiction, thus saving her work.
    Eric had already arrived and looked startled to see my companion. “Eric, could you please get us some coffee? How do you like yours, Detective?”
    â€œBlack’s good.”
    Eric raced off toward the staff room, and I escorted Detective Hrivnak into my office. “So, are you asking me questions or telling me something?” I began.
    â€œBoth. Like I told you yesterday, we know who the guy was. You still don’t remember him?” When I shook my head, she went on, “Okay, so you said everyone had cleared out of this building by, what, six? Nobody saw him go home—he lived over past Spruce—not that that means anything for sure. But say he didn’t go straight home after work. The guy didn’t look like the fancy-restaurant type, and he was still wearing his work clothes, so where did he go? Had to be either a cheap restaurant or a bar—no shortage of either within a coupla blocks. So that’s where I had my people look first, talking to people, seeing if anybody remembered our vic.”
    â€œOkay,” I said cautiously. “And?”
    â€œFound him. Bar over on Chestnut, the opposite direction from his house, and apparently his favorite, because the bartender knew him. Scruggs sat at the bar and had a burger and fries. Alone, which was normal for him. Or at least alone at first.”
    Was she actually spinning out the story? I didn’t think she had it in her. “And?” I prompted again.
    â€œOkay, so he spent an hour, maybe even two hours there. Kept nursing his beer, then ordered a second one. He wasn’t drunk. After a while, when he was paying for one or the other of his