A thin smile slithered across her lips. “He killed somebody? I figured he would someday.”
“We just want to talk to him,” Frank said. He pocketed his badge. “Now where is he?”
“The park.”
“Grant Park?”
“Yeah,” the woman said. “But you don’t tell him I told you so, you hear?”
“Where in the park?” Caleb asked.
“Said he was going to the zoo. Said he was meeting somebody over there. He’s a liar, though. He could be anywhere. Sometimes he don’t come home. He just leaves me with the kids, and he just goes wherever he wants to.” She stepped back from the door. “
It was only a short drive to the park, and Caleb and Frank rode silently together until they reached the entrance.
Frank took out the mug shot which had been attached to the report. “Want to look at this again?”
Caleb shook his head. “Nah. Once I see a face, I got it forever.”
Frank looked at the picture for a moment, then returned it to his pocket.
They spotted him almost at once, a tall black man in a pair of bright yellow pants and a short-sleeve flamingo shirt.
Caleb chuckled to himself. “With a record like his, you’d think he’d try to look a little less conspicuous.”
Frank nodded.
“You know, when it comes to guys like Little, we got one advantage, Frank: they’re even stupider than we are.”
In the distance, Frank could see Davon Little as he slumped against the short storm fence. Beyond the fence there was a moat, and beyond that a small concrete island where two enormous polar bears yawned in the heat.
Little stared off toward a clump of trees in the distance, then straightened himself and moved on down along the storm fence, pausing for a moment at the grizzly bears.
“Swear to God, Frank,” Caleb said, “he looks like he’s here for the pleasure of it.”
A short distance away, Frank could see another man lingering by the fence. He wore purple corduroy pants and an open-collared shirt of bright yellow. He had a hot dog in one hand, and a can of soda in the other.
“I think we may have stumbled on to a drug deal, Caleb,” he said.
Caleb peered at the man in the yellow shirt. “That’s Jimmy Swift,” he said. He smiled. “I bet you a big steak dinner that he’s going to mosey over to Davon, chat with him real casual for a moment, and then offer him a sip of that soda. It’ll all look just fine, except poor Jimmy won’t get that soda back.”
“And inside the can …” Frank said.
“… little bag of cocaine wrapped up real tight.”
“How does he get the payment to Swift?”
“Probably already dropped it off somewhere,” Caleb said. He smiled. “Just watch your line of fire if things get hot. We don’t want to waste a polar bear.”
Together they moved forward slowly. Almost at the same time, Swift and Little came together at the edge of the bear cages, talked for a moment, then, just as Caleb had predicted, Swift gave Little his can of soda. Little took a swig, smiled, nodded, but did not give the can back to his friend.
“See there,” Caleb said quickly. “Little must be losing his grip to use such an old trick.”
Swift walked away, leaving Little once again leaning against the fence. He watched the bears for a moment, took another sip from the can, then moved on, sauntering casually along the winding path that led to the reptile house.
“We’ll get as close as we can without getting burned,” Caleb said.
For the next few minutes they kept pace with Little. Caleb circled to the left, Frank to the right, widening the space between them.
The crowds which were gathered around the bear cages had thinned along the uphill walk to the reptile house, and Frank and Caleb waited for the moment when Little would be most in the clear.
It occurred only a few yards from the entrance to the reptile house, and Frank and Caleb seized the opportunity immediately, rushing quickly up to him, one on his left side, the other on his right.
“Morning, Davon,” Caleb said. He dug his fingers into Little’s upper arm. “Show Mr. Little your badge, Frank.”
Little looked glumly at Frank’s badge. “What’s this all about, man?”
Caleb smiled. “God, it’s hot in the zoo today,” he said. “Hey, Davon, how about you give me a taste of that R.C?”
Little’s face stiffened. “It’s all drunk up.”
“Really?” Caleb asked. “Maybe just the last few drops then?” He snatched the can from Little’s fingers. “Feels like there’s some left.”
Little’s eyes darted from Frank to Caleb, then back to Caleb. “Small-time, man. I ain’t a big horse.”
Caleb shrugged. “We don’t mind a pony, do we, Frank?”
Frank shook his head. “How long have you been living in this area, Mr. Little?”
“Few years, why?”
Frank pulled out a picture of Angelica. “You ever seen this girl?”
Little glared at the picture. “I don’t hunker down with no white pussy.” He cocked his head proudly. “Plenty of dark meat without it”
“Like that woman you’re living with?” Caleb asked.
Little said nothing.
“Or is she your cousin?”
“She nothing to me, man,” Little said. “A friend of mine dropped her off on me. Left her and them screaming kids.” He shook his head. “I ain’t got the heart to kick them out, that’s all.”
Frank jerked the picture up toward Little’s face. “Have you ever seen this girl?” he asked sternly.
“No, I ain’t never seen her.”
“What about a red BMW?” Caleb said. “Ever seen one of them?”
Little let out a long, slow breath. “Shit.”
“Where’d you get that car, Davon?”
“I found it.”
“It’s not exactly the same thing as a penny lying in the gutter,” Frank told him.
“Well, that’s the way it is, though,” Little said. “I didn’t break into it or nothing.” He looked desperately at Caleb. “You can tell I didn’t. They ain’t a mark on that car.” He laughed. “I mean it was just
“Where was it?” Frank asked.
“Not far from here.”
Frank took out his notebook. “Where, exactly?”
“At the edge of the park,” Little said. “It was just sitting there one morning.”
“Which edge of the park?”
“Sydney Street,” Little said. “Right where it meets Boulevard. Right on that corner.”
Frank wrote it down. “When was this?”
“Three days ago.”
“In the morning, you said?”
“I was out walking,” Little added. He looked at Caleb. “That’s the truth. I wasn’t looking for nothing. It was just there.”
“What time in the morning?” Frank asked.
“Must have been about four.”
“Was it still dark?”
“Just turning light.”
“Odd time for a stroll, Davon,” Caleb said.
Davon glared at him. “Ain’t no law against it.”
