'And he was always talking about fighting and guns,' Janey said, 'and, you know, like, how tough he was.'
'Was he?'
Again, the girls deferred to Carly. He shrugged.
'He's big, but, like, he's a fucking buffoon, you know? Nobody was scared of him, 'cept a few pussies he could pick on. Guys on the team told him fuck off.'
'Did he pick on Jared?' I said.
'Not that I seen,' Carly said.
'He hung out at the Rocks?'
'Yeah,' Carly said. 'Animal was his freaking hero.'
'You surprised he shot up the school?' I said.
'Hell, yes,' Carly said. 'I didn't think he had the balls, you know?'
'How about Jared,' I said.
Carly shrugged. He looked at the two girls. They shook their heads. He shook his head.
'He didn't seem the type,' Carly said.
'He was just like going about his business,' Janey said.
'He tight with Grant?'
'Him and Dell? No,' Janey said. 'I never saw them hanging, you?'
Erika said, 'No.'
Carly shook his head.
'Jared get along with the faculty?' I said.
'I don't know,' Carly said.
'I never heard about him getting in trouble,' Erika said. 'I think he's seen Miss Blair a couple times. She's, you know, the guidance lady.'
'I know,' I said. 'You know why he saw her?'
'Oh, Christ,' Janey said. 'They send you to see Blair if you're late twice. Make sure you don't have, like, a fucking emotional problem.'
'You've seen her?'
'Sure. I told her I didn't have a problem. The school had a problem, it was fucking borrrrrring.'
We all laughed.
'I remember it well,' I said.
Chapter 35
I WENT TO SEE Chief Cromwell in his office at Dowling Police headquarters. DiBella had called ahead for me, so they wouldn't open fire when I arrived. But I still had to wait a long time at the front desk. I was willing to. And finally, they sent me on in.
Cromwell mad-dogged me for a while, giving me the deadeye cop stare he was working on. I moved a chair a little closer to his desk and sat down and crossed my legs.
'Hi,' I said.
Cromwell stared some more.
'How ya doin'?' I said.
More staring. Then, when he had me softened up, he spoke.
'You just won't learn,' Cromwell said.
'I can't,' I said. 'Nobody tells me anything.'
'What do you want to know, for crissake. We got the killers. They've confessed. What the fuck are you after?'
'I know where they got the guns,' I said.
'Yeah?'
'And how they got the money to buy them.'
'Yeah?'
'You ever have any complaints about either of them?' I said. 'Clark or Grant?'
'Yes.'
Cromwell leaned back in his chair. I noticed the pearlhandled .45 was back in its shiny holster on the corner of his desk. Looked good there.
'Well,' Cromwell said after a while. 'I can't talk you out of this, and I can't seem to scare you off.'
