dollar out of my wallet and forced it into one of the cans on his desk. He eyed that, said, 'You're not thinking you're softening me up with that, are you?'
I sat down. Cantuck said, 'If ever there were a couple of idiots, it's you two.'
'But we're your idiots,' I said.
Cantuck rubbed the back of his neck and ran a hand through his hair. 'You know, you could cause some problems showin' up here. I could have you run out of town. I could lock you up.'
'But you wouldn't do that,' I said. 'Because we're your idiots.'
'Don't think 'cause you got me to a hospital I owe you some favors,' Cantuck said.
'We'd never capitalize on a thing like that,' Leonard said. 'But we did save your life.'
'I'd have been all right,' Cantuck said.
'You'd have bled to death,' Leonard said.
'You didn't do shit,' Cantuck said. 'You were in the back seat, passed out.'
'Hap saved us both,' Leonard said. 'So you owe him.'
Cantuck clasped his hands together, leaned his elbows on his desk, pushed his face against his hands. He said, 'What is it you want? You want to know Brown is guilty? I can't tell you. Being how he's the Exalted Cyclops of the Klan here—or whatever they're calling themselves these days—I figure he had to have known something. No one's pinning him to it because he wasn't there, and the boys are keeping the Klan pledge of silence. Now you know what I know, unless you don't know we're having some serious bad weather here and I think I'm going to send everyone home, along with myself, before we drown.'
'What about Reynolds?' I said. 'He involved?'
'He's a worthless piece of shit,' Cantuck said, 'and I figure he'll get my job. Brown starts enough grassroots unrest, makes people feel their jobs at the lumber mill, the Christmas tree farm are in jeopardy, the Mayor might see his way to appoint Reynolds. I don't know. Maybe I want that. I'm tired of all this shit. I got one eye, a swollen nut, and more grief than I need. I been thinking about opening an antique store.'
'Lots of guys with one eye and a swollen nut do that,' Leonard said.
Cantuck actually grinned at him.
'We don't want any trouble,' I said. 'We just think we might find a lead somewhere. Something to help us figure what happened to Florida.'
'Oh yeah?' Cantuck said. 'Couple of detectives, just like on the TV, huh? Seen some Matlock, have you? A few Perry Mason reruns. That's good, and it's good of you two to offer your vast experience in our hour of need. Way I've seen you guys operate, I don't think you could find your dick with both hands, let alone figure out who did what to who and why.'
'I just want who,' I said. 'I don't give a damn about why.'
'And that's why you'll never figure the who,' Cantuck said. 'It's the why that counts.'
'The why in this case is damn easy,' I said. 'A black man killed a white man and a black woman started messing with it.'
The Chief's door opened then. I turned in my chair. It was Reynolds. He had a plastic hat cover over his hat and the water beaded on it like balls of Vaseline. From his feet to his knees was soaked. 'Well,' he said. 'My little buddies.'
Leonard stood up as if to confront Reynolds.
'Man, you look rough,' Reynolds said. 'What happened? Get beat up in a cafe?'
'Don't think because a roomful of people whipped my ass, you can,' Leonard said.
'I don't have to think nothing,' Reynolds said. '
'Get started on me,' Leonard said, 'hope you brought yourself a sack lunch, 'cause you gonna be here all night.'
Reynolds finally decided to notice me. 'What about you, shit-head? You want me after I finish him?'
'Naw,' I said. 'Actually, just seeing how tough you are is making my bowels loose. Besides, Leonard gets through with you, what's left for me?'
'That's enough,' Cantuck said.
'Chief,' Leonard said. 'All I ask is you give us fifteen minutes. Anywhere you say. Me and him, assholes and elbows.'
'You heard me,' Cantuck said, 'put the brakes on.' He stood up from his desk and leaned his hands on it. 'Reynolds. You still work for me, and you knock on my fuckin' door, you want to come in. And, I'll tell you another little thing . . . close the door.'
Reynolds, who was still holding the knob in his hand, gently closed it. Cantuck said, 'Quit fuckin' my secretary. She has a family.'
Reynolds turned beet red. 'Chief, I—'
'Just shut up,' Cantuck said. 'Now what the fuck did you want anyway?'
'Charlene told me they was in here,' Reynolds said. 'I wanted to know why.'
'They come to donate a dollar to one of my charity cans,' Cantuck said. 'Now pack your ass on out of here. I thought it was your business, I'd leave you a note or somethin'. Go on.'
Reynolds went out and started to close the door. Cantuck said, 'Tell Charlene to go on home. And you go on
