I was beginning to wonder how Tagliani ft into the picture. Killing a police chief was not exactly his
way of doing things.
Anger crept hack into Dutch?s tone. „The way it was, the case went to the homicide boys. You lump
that whole bunch together, what you end up with is a bigger lump. Not a one of „em can count to
eleven without takin? off his shoes.” Pause. “It went down as an accident, period, end, of course.”
“Who took Leadbetter?s place?”
“Herb Walters.”
“What?s the score with him?”
“Old-timer. Up through the ranks. Scared for his job. He don?t swim upstream, if that?s what you
mean. Herb likes calm waters.”
“Is he honest?”
“That?s an excellent question. I just don?t know. I guess old Herb?s okay; he just hasn?t had an
original thought since the first time he went to the john by himself.” He stopped, then after a moment
added: “Actually he?s just a kiss-ass to the people on the green side of town.”
I laughed. “I gather you don?t like him.”
“That?s very smart gathering.”
“Why would anybody want to blitz Leadbetter?”
“Why would a lotta people not want to? A smart, tough, no-nonsense cop, honest as the Old
Testament, in a town going to hell. When Leadbetter was running the show, you couldn?t find a
pimpmobile anywhere on Front Street. Now every other vehicle you see?s either a pink Caddy or a
purple Rolls-Royce.”
“How does your outfit fit into all this?”
“It?s borderline. We try to monitor the out-of-towners, but local stuff is handled by vice. Don?t even
ask me about them.”
I slid down in my seat and shook my head.
“Wonderful,” I said. “Maybe I?ll just take some sick leave and sleep this one out.”
“Stick around and watch the fireworks,” he said.
“You think that?s going to happen, eh?”
“Well, what I don?t think is that Turner and his pistol and his wife had a suicide pact.”
I laughed. “His name?s Tagliani,” I said.
“Whatever.”
“1 agree,” I said. “It?s my experience that when a Mafioso capo di tutti capi gets wasted, it doesn?t
just quietly blow over.”
