“Well, Mr. Stoney, it?s been your county for so long I guess you can run it any way you want to.”
He looked over at me finally, a smile flirting with the corners of his mouth, his eyes still gleaming
under shaggy white brows.
“You probably got a little more brains than I gave you credit for,” Titan said. “Now I?ll ask you a
question. Did you kill „em, doughboy?”
“Did I kill them?”
I had to laugh at that one. But I stopped when I realized he wasn?t kidding. It was definitely
something he had considered.
“I can get off right down there,” I said. “That blue Ford.”
Titan?s man was still leaning on the hood.
“You avoidin? my question?”
“It?s an instilling question, Sheriff. Besides I was with half a dozen other cops when two of the
slayings took place and I was on an airplane flying down here when Tagliani and his party got iced.
And besides that, I?m not in the killing business. Thanks for calling off the dogs, if you?ll pardon the
pun.”
I started to get out of the car.
“Just don?t go around here actin? like Buffalo Bill or Pat Garrett or something. I got enough problems
on my hands.”
I got out of the limo and leaned back in and offered him my hand. He kept his folded over the gold
handle of his cane.
“Thanks for the ride,” I said.
“Take my advice about Doe Raines, one law officer to another,” he said, without looking at me. He
pressed a button and the window slid up. The conversation was over.
48
SO...LONG..
The Kid was sitting in the front seat when I got in my car. As I was about to find out, he was the
philosopher of the outfit.
“Okay I hop a ride back to town with you?” he said. “We don?t want you to get lost or something”
“Where?s your pickup?” I asked.
“I gave it to Zapata,” he answered. „He put his bike in the hack.”
“My pleasure,” I said, cranking up.
“Well,” he said, “I didn?t hear no shootin? so I guess you two got along.”
“More or less,” I said.
