would come out, so you cut Stick loose in desperation. You knew the press here would buy anything
they were told. You could write the killing off as some kook slaying, or better still, you could let
Graves be the fall guy. As long as it couldn?t be proven, he didn?t give a damn. He never even denied
killing Cherry McGee, even though it was Tagliani who had the job done. And Stick cased that setup
by hijacking Graves? cocaine shipment. That provided the final motive, if one was needed at all.”
Doe stared at me, her expression changing from bewilderment to disbelief.
“That?s just plain crazy,” she said. “Isn?t that so, Mr. Stoney?”
Titan sneered at the idea.
“I?ll admit, it was a rather naive notion on your part,” I said. “It?s understandable, though. You
thought you were still playing by your rules; if you need to get rid of someone, do it the quickest way
possible, like framing Tony Lukatis because he was a potential threat to Raines. Or suggesting Stick
use him on the hijacking run and then get rid of him. Graves? people and Tony were both shot with
the same gun—Stick?s. Aw, hell, I guess when you?ve run a town for forty years, playing God comes
easy.”
Doe, still confused, looked at me and said, “Whose side are you on, Jake?”
“Nobody?s. I?m just a simple cop trying to do his job. It?s really none of my affair anyway, except I
contributed to it.”
“How?” she asked.
“By convincing myself that Nance was the killer because I wanted him to be. For awhile I even -tried
to build a case against Harry, because I wanted you.?
“You did that?” she said, moving away from me.
“Yeah,” I said, “we all did a little God playing. Stick certainly did his share. And you, Mr. Stoney.
“That?s good thinkin?, doughboy,? said Titan. “There?s only one thing wrong with it.”
“And what?s that?” I asked.
“It wasn?t my idea at all,” he said, pausing for effect, and then his lip curled up in a smile. “It was
Parver?s idea from the start.”
“Why?” I demanded. “What did he want out of it?”
“Not one damn thing,” Titan said. “Besides, if what you say?s true, how come he didn?t stop at just
Tagliani?”
I didn?t have an answer for that, arid still don?t. I shrugged my shoulders. “I don?t know. It?s moot,
anyway. None of this can ever be proven.”
Chief finally spoke up. “Then why bring it up?” he said sternly.
“Yes,” Doe said, moving closer to her father, “why bring it up?”
