Still Life With Crows

“I’m—” She glanced at Pendergast, waiting for him to say something, but he remained silent.

“I’m with him,” she said.

Ridder cast a querying glance at Pendergast, but the agent was now absorbed in examining a variety of strange equipment that hung from the ceiling.

“I’m his assistant,” said Corrie finally.

Ridder exhaled loudly. Pendergast turned and strolled over to where Jimmy Breen was working—he had shut up when the boss arrived—and began to watch him work.

Ridder spoke, his voice calmer. “Mr. Pendergast, may I invite you to my office, where you’ll find it much more comfortable?”

“I have a few questions for Mr. Breen here.”

“I’ll send Jimmy right over. Bart will show you the way.”

“There is no need to interrupt his work.”

“It’ll be much quieter in the office—”

But Pendergast was already talking to Jimmy. The man continued to work, sticking a nozzle into a turkey and sucking out the guts with a greatschloock! while he talked. He glanced at Ridder and then at Pendergast.

“Mr. Breen, I understand you were the last one to see Willie Stott alive.”

“I was, I was,” Jimmy began. “The poor guy. It was that car of his. I hate to say this, but the money he should’ve spent getting that crap-mobile fixed up he spent down at Swede’s instead. That hunk of junk was always breaking down—”

Corrie glanced at Art Ridder, who was standing behind Jimmy now, the ghastly smile once again fixed on his face.

“Jimmy,” Ridder interrupted, “the nozzle goesall the way up, not like that. Excuse me, Mr. Pendergast, but it’s his first day on this job.”

“Yes, Mr. Ridder,” said Jimmy.

“Up,like that. Up and in, as deep as it’ll go.” He shoved the hose in and out of the carcass a few times to demonstrate, then handed it back to Jimmy. “You following me?” Then he turned to Pendergast with a smile. “I started right here, Mr. Pendergast, in the Evisceration Area. Worked my way to the top. I like to see things done right.” There was a note of pride in his voice that Corrie found creepy.

“Sure thing, Mr. Ridder,” Jimmy said.

“As you were saying?” Pendergast kept his eyes on Breen.

“Right. Only last month Willie’s car broke down and I had to drive him to and from work. I’ll bet it broke down again and he tried to hoof it to Swede’s. And got nailed. Jesus. I requested a transfer the very morning he was found, didn’t I, Mr. Ridder?”

“You did.”

“I’d rather be sucking gibs out of a turkey than ending up gibs in a field myself.” Jimmy’s lips spread in a wet grin.

“No doubt,” said Pendergast. “Tell me about your previous job.”

“I was the night watchman. I was in the plant from midnight to sevenA .M., when the pre-shift arrives.”

“What does the pre-shift do?”

“Makes sure all the equipment is working so’s when the first truck arrives the birds can be processed right away. Can’t leave birds in a hot truck that ain’t moving while you fix something, otherwise you got a fine old truckload of dead turkeys.”

“Does that happen very often?”

Corrie noticed Jimmy Breen shoot a nervous glance at Ridder.

“Almost never,” said Ridder quickly.

“When you were driving to the plant that night,” Pendergast asked, “did you see anything or anyone on the road?”

“Why d’you think I asked for the day shift? At the time, I thought it was a cow loose in the corn. Something big and bent over—”

“Where exactly was this?”

“Midway. About two miles from the plant, two miles from town. On the left-hand side of the road. Waiting, like. It seemed to dart into the corn as my headlights came around the bend. Almost scuttling, like on all fours. I wasn’t sure, really. It might’ve been a shadow. But if so, it was abig shadow.”

Pendergast nodded. He turned to Corrie. “Do you have any questions?”

Corrie was seized with panic. Questions? She found Ridder looking at her, his eyes red and narrow.

“Sure. Yeah. I do.”

There was a pause.

“If that was the killer, what was he doing, waiting there? I mean, he couldn’t haveexpected Stott’s car to break down, could he? Might he have been interested in the plant, perhaps?”