“Having a drink. I ordered one for you, too.”
“We don’t have time for this.” I look down at the shot glass and resist the temptation to splash it in his face. “Take me back to the station.”
“We need to talk.”
“We can talk at the station.”
“More private here.”
“Goddamn you, Tomasetti.”
“Sit down. You’re drawing attention to yourself.”
Despite my efforts not to, I’ve raised my voice. A combination of stress, lack of sleep, and a subtle, crawling fear have gotten the best of me. “Take me back to the station. Right fucking now.”
He picks up the shot glass and hands it to me.
I ignore it. “I swear to God I’ll call your superiors. I’ll file a complaint. You and your bad attitude will be out the door so fast you won’t know which end is up.”
“Calm down,” he says, “I ordered a couple of sandwiches. If you want to get them to go, that’s fine.”
I walk to the bar and lean toward the saloon doors that lead to the kitchen. “We’d like those sandwiches to go!” I call out.
A young man who looks too dirty to be anywhere near food comes out and gives me a nod. I go back to the booth and slide in across from Tomasetti.
“You like riddles, Chief?”
“Not particularly.”
“I’ve got one I could use your help with.”
I look at my watch.
“There’s this cop,” he says. “Pete.”
I ignore him.
“Pete’s a good cop. Experienced. Smart. Anyway, there’s this killer loose in the town where he’s a cop. This killer has already murdered two people. Pete knows he’s going to do it again.”
I glare at him. “Are you going somewhere with this?”
“I’m getting to the riddle part.” He picks up the shot glass, drinks it down, and eyes me over the rim. “The twist is that sixteen years ago there were four murders with exactly the same MO committed in this town. And then, bam! the killer disappeared off the face of the earth. Why would this cop, Pete, refuse to believe the killer from sixteen years ago is back? He’s a reasonable guy. What are the odds that two killers with exactly the same MO would haunt this same town? Why would Pete be reluctant to ask for assistance from other law enforcement?”
I want to give him a smart-assed reply, but for the life of me I can’t think of one. “Maybe Pete thinks the killer is a copycat.”
He nods as if considering, but I know he’s not. “When I tell this riddle, most people think Pete’s hiding something.”
“Like what?”
“That’s what makes this such a good riddle.” He shrugs. “I was hoping you could help me get inside his head and figure it out.”
I feel my pulse throbbing at my temples. I remind myself there’s no way he could know what happened, but the reassurance is little comfort. I’ve underestimated John Tomasetti. He isn’t just a figurehead with a badge. He’s a cop with a cop’s suspicions and the resolve to get to the bottom of those suspicions no matter what it takes.
“I’m not very good at riddles,” I say.
“I think Pete’s hiding something.” He shrugs. “I thought he might come clean if the right person asked.”
All I can think is How does he know? “You’re full of shit, Tomasetti.”
He smiles, but it’s the cunning smile of a shark. A big one with bottomless black eyes, sharp teeth and an unfailing killer instinct. Leaning back in the booth, he studies me as if I’m some lab experiment gone wrong. “So how did you go from being an Amish farm girl to a cop? That’s one hell of a leap.”
The quick change of topic throws me, but only for an instant. “Just trying to buck the system, I guess.”
“Anything in particular inspire you?”
I’m saved from having to answer when my phone chirps. “I gotta take this,” I say and hit the Talk button.
“We-got-another-body!” Lois’s voice blasts over the line like a foghorn.
I stand so abruptly, I bump the table and knock over a glass. “Where?”
“Miller’s Pond. Petra Srinvassen’s girl was skating out there and found it.”
I’m out of the booth and running toward the door. I hear Tomasetti behind me, his boots heavy against the floor.
“Are they still at the pond?” I hit the door with both hands. I barely notice the dark sky or the cold as I run toward the Tahoe.
“I think so.”
“Tell them to be careful. Tell them not to touch anything or disturb any tracks. I’m on my way.”
CHAPTER 22