irritated Deborah. “So what’s up?”
“It’s—” She paused, then gave an exasperated, “Look,
something odd happened yesterday. I didn’t give it a
second thought at the time, but it must have registered
on my subconscious and talking about the murder with
Luther just now made me remember, which is why I
called you. And I know we said I wouldn’t stick my
nose in your work and you wouldn’t complicate mine,
but— Oh God! Sorry. I’m babbling, aren’t I? Here,
have the rest of my soup.”
“Why don’t I just get my own?” he said, amused that
she was taking their agreement so seriously.
“Because you might not want to wait on the line.
Because maybe I’m seeing mountains where there’s not
even an anthill, but I had a migrant in court yesterday
for a first appearance. Simple possession. He lives at the
camp out there at the old Buckley place. One of the
Harris Farms workers.”
“And?”
“And I asked him through the interpreter if he knew
Buck Harris. He said he did, but only by sight. Then
he said,
didn’t think twice about it because you’d just told me
that the torso belonged to his boss, and besides, I got
distracted by a screaming woman and a crying baby.”
“Well, damn!” said Dwight, immediately recognizing
the significance of what she was saying.
“Right. How did he know Harris was dead? He’d
216
HARD ROW
been in jail since Saturday night. Even you didn’t know
it was Harris till yesterday.”
“Where’s this guy now?”
“Still over there in your jail so far as I know. I set his
bond, appointed him an attorney, but unless he made
bail, he’s still there. His name is Rafael Sanaugustin,”
she said and scribbled it on a napkin. “And for what
it’s worth, I got the impression that he wasn’t really in-
volved, that it was more like something he’d heard and
wanted confirmed.”
After reading the name, Dwight tucked the napkin in
his shirt pocket. “Who’d you appoint?”
“Millard King.”
He finished the rest of her vegetable soup in three
spoonfuls and pushed back in the chair. “Thanks, shug.
And I’m probably going to regret saying it, but any
time your subconscious throws up something like this,
nose away, okay?”
She cut her eyes at him as he stood. “Really?”
