Corpus de Crossword by Nero Blanc Page B

Hoffmeyer?”
    â€œI am.”
    â€œI assume the police are already on the case.”
    A pause. “They are, yes. In a way.”
    Rosco sat straighter; a brief frown crossed his face. “Taneysville is part of Newcastle County, if I’m not mistaken; and Newcastle has a homicide detective. An excellent one.”
    Another pause, though briefer this time. “I realize that Al Lever was your partner when you were with the NPD.”
    â€œYou’ve done some homework.”
    â€œI believe in dotting the i’s and crossing all the t’s, Mr. Polycrates. It’s what’s gotten me where I am. I don’t like conflicts of interest, and I don’t like secrets … You were NPD, considered a good cop, maybe too good a cop, because you inspired a certain level of mistrust—I’ll call it envy—with one or two of your fellow officers … You’re of Greek descent; your father was a commercial fisherman, now deceased. You’ve got a mother, two sisters, and a brother living in the Newcastle environs. You’ve been a PI for eight years; you’re thirty-eight years old, married to Annabella Graham, who’s employed by one of Newcastle’s newspapers—the Evening Crier to be exact. Together you’ve cracked a number of local crimes, which has gained you both some national notoriety. Lieutenant Lever served as your best man at your wedding—”
    â€œThat’s more than homework. That’s a thesis. Maybe you should have my job.”
    â€œAs I said, Mr. Polycrates, I like everything open and aboveboard.”
    â€œThen it’s no secret what I think—that I know Al’s a good cop, Mr. Hoffmeyer. One of the best there is.”
    â€œI’m not suggesting otherwise.”
    â€œThen what do you need me for?”
    â€œLieutenant Lever has classified this as a ‘cold case.’”
    â€œI hadn’t heard that.”
    Milt III paused again. “I’m sure you’re aware that I’m facing a tough fight against the incumbent, Mr. Spader … Even with the campaign coming down to the wire, Spader’s still got a significant war chest; I’ll be lucky if I can throw a beer and pizza party if I win. And that, in itself, is a big if —”
    â€œYou’ve got youth on your side,” Rosco threw in. “You’re up in the polls.”
    â€œWhich doesn’t go a long way against a well-oiled political machine.”
    â€œI’m trying to read between the lines here, Mr. Hoffmeyer … I hope you’re not inferring that the police are part of that machine.”
    â€œNo, I’m not. Definitely not. At this point, I think Lever has no choice but to label this situation a cold case. No one knows where this body came from … There isn’t even a remote lead as to the victim or perpetrator’s identity … But we all know that Taneysville’s a small place—an insignificant place except to those who live in it … And that’s why I’d like to have you working on this. I want to see attention paid to the little people. That’s what my campaign’s been about.”
    Rosco ran a hand through his dark hair. It was a reflexive gesture, and probably added to his slightly rumpled appearance. That and his choice of attire: scuffed boating shoes worn without socks, chinos that had been pulled directly from the dryer, a gray canvas work shirt that had never known an iron. “Going undercover” for Rosco was a stretch only when it required a suit and tie. “I appreciate your thinking of me, Mr. Hoffmeyer. But I’ve got to be honest: barging in on Al’s turf is the last thing I want to do.”
    â€œI’m not asking you to ‘barge in.’ I’m just asking for an additional point of view … You’re being honest with me; I’ll share something else with you. My guess is that my opponent will attempt to use this