Страница 18 из 52
A
There was a most satisfying silence on the other end of the line. A
"When I told Mother and Dad I wanted a playmate, I was hinting for a kitten," Molly said. "I liked being an only child. Do you hear this?" There was a shushing sound, then Molly's voice again. "That was me pouring myself a medicinal scotch and soda. You have till I finish it to fill in the rest of the story. Then I'm going to bed. Ready? Go!"
A
"How?" Molly asked flatly when she had finished. "Lured her lover upstream like a demented salmon and coshed her with a cactus?"
"Maybe," A
"Work on 'how,' " Molly advised. "Take my professional word for it: everybody's got ten good reasons to do away with everybody else. It's just nobody knows how. Do 'how.' "
There was an odd little clink, like a tiny distant bell. "That," said Molly, "was the last ice-cube hitting my teeth. Goodnight."
"Goodnight," A
8
look at the bright side, Gideon," A
It was Thursday and Harland had his mule packer using Pesky and the mules to haul coolers full of food and beer into the trail crew where they were spiked out on the Tejas Trail in the high country.
Paul had sent A
Churches from all over Texas, New Mexico, and as far away as Oklahoma participated. Every year somebody got hurt, half a dozen people broke park rules, and nearly everybody littered.
A
The beauty of the Chihuahuan Desert had been smoothing the wrinkles from A
In the midst of all this spiritual plenty A
"Okay, Gideon," A
"Quick 'whys.' Maybe in New York everybody has ten good reasons for killing everybody else but in West Texas we are somewhat more civilized. We like the personal touch.
"Water bar, old buddy.
Gideon's hoof crashed into the stone set crosswise on the trail and A
"Okay. The 'whys' in short. Christina's still first with love, lust, and blackmail to her credit. Second, the mysterious Erik of legend and lore who kills with a Toyota. Karl coming in third with job envy. We'll squeeze Craig Eastern in fourth place because he's crazy and maybe crazy enough to kill to keep the moneylenders out of the temple-the developers out of Dog Canyon. Fourth and a half: Mrs. Drury with her insurance money. Rogelio fifth with his homeless prairie dogs." Gideon cocked one furry ear.
"What?" A
"Pretty slim pickins', Gideon, my little hay-burner. All my suspects are your basic Caspar Milquetoast types."
Gideon snorted, blowing the flies and dust from his nostrils.
"Right," A
For a while they rode without speaking, Gideon heaving great complaining sighs, A
"'How' for Christina." Gideon started as if he'd been goosed with a cattle prod. "Aha! Caught you napping," A
Gideon stopped, relieved himself in the trail, grunting with unselfconscious equine satisfaction.
"Fair enough," A
A
"Wouldn't I feel a total horse's ass. Nothing personal, Gideon." The scene she'd painted made A
Sometimes it was.
"So: Erik, in a jealous rage, talks Sheila into coming to this secluded spot and: one; breaks her neck. Is Erik a big man? Two; injects her with poison. Is the ex-Mr. Walters a chemist or pharmacist?" A
"Karl's next, Gideon. Maybe you want to tune out so you don't have to hear your buddy slandered." Gideon wouldn't dignify that with an answer and A