'I still don't see it, sir. Did you call ahead?'
'I certainly did.'
'And who'd you speak with?'
'Some guy said his name was Duane.'
'I can check with him, sir.'
'Sure,' I said.
He walked a few steps away, reached down and adjusted his radio, and spoke into a microphone clipped to his epaulet. Then he listened, readjusted his radio, and walked back to me.
'Duane says he informed you already that you're not welcome,' the security guy said. He was a little less respectful when he said it. The other security guy, still on the veranda, came a couple of steps closer, though still in the shade, and let his hand rest on his holstered weapon.
'I know,' I said. 'But I'm sure he didn't mean it.'
'He meant it.'
'Does Penny know I'm here?'
'Miss Clive doesn't want to see you.'
'How disheartening,' I said. 'Stonie? SueSue?'
'Nobody wants to see you, pal. Including me. I'm sick of talking to you.'
'I knew you were trouble,' I said, 'the minute I saw your clipboard.'
'Beat it.'
He pointed a finger at my car. I nodded and got in and started up.
'There's more than one way to skin a cat,' I said.
Unfortunately I couldn't think what it was, so I rolled up my window, turned the a/c up, backed slowly down the long driveway to the street, and drove back into town to talk with Becker.
He was at his desk in the sheriff's substation in Lamarr, drinking Coca-Cola from one of those twenty-ounce plastic bottles shaped like the original glass ones.
'You remember the original bottles,' I said when I sat down.
'Yep. Glass, six ounces.'
'And then Pepsi came along and doubled the amount for the same price.'
Becker grinned.
'Twice as much,' he said, 'for a nickel too, Pepsi-Cola is the drink for you.'
'And nothing's been the same since,' I said.
Becker shrugged.
'Shit happens,' he said. 'What are you doing back in town?'
'I have a client.'
'Really?'
'Yep.'
'Who?'
'Dolly Hartman.'
'She want you to find out who killed Walter?'
'Yep.'
'Thinks we can't?'
'Notices you haven't,' I said.
Becker nodded, sipped some Coke.
'Not much to go on,' he said. 'Plus the Clives have buttoned up tight.'
'I know. I went out there. Couldn't get in.'
'Well, I can get in, but it doesn't do me any good. Nobody says anything.'
'Dolly implied that you might be walking a little light around the Clives because they're connected.'
'Dolly's right. I'm appointed by the sheriff. But the sheriff ain't appointed by anyone. He gets elected, and that takes money.'
'And the Clives have a lot of it.'
'You bet,' Becker said.
'You getting some pressure?'
'Un-huh.'
