Keegan 00 Soft Case by John Misak Page B

wiseass.
    “Did he seem different?”
    “He’d been different for weeks. Always bitching about one thing or another, if you want to know the truth. I think the stress was finally getting to him. He seemed like he was cracking. I’ve seen guys in positions like his do that all the time. It’s a shame to see it, too.”
    “I’m sure it is,” Rick said.
    “He had a lot of pressure on him. He was getting out of the only business he knew, that was weighing heavily on his mind. He told me about it a few times, when I drove him places. On top of that, he had the Senate thing. He wanted to do that, but was unsure of his chances. I thought he would have been great at it. Not that I know much about politics. Hell, I don’t even vote.”
    Man, this guy got chatty fast. Very chatty. Was there something going on here. Should I have been worried? I kept thinking about it. I kept paying attention to everything he said. I watched every facial expression he made. Just in case. I preferred to watch Roseanna, or Sondra, but hey, not all of my job was glamorous.
    “Okay. So he spoke to you often.”
    “Not often. But he did speak to me.”
    “And you think he was suicidal. You think it was possible.”
    He thought about that. “Possible. I’m not sure about it, but definitely possible. Unbelievable.”
    “What?”
    “That a man who had all he did would kill himself. It really doesn’t make sense, when you think about it.”
    “Money isn’t everything,” I said.
    “Obviously not.”
    “Thank you for the help,” Rick said. “We’ll see you soon.” Nice one, Rick. Let him think about that one for a while. Actually, I didn’t know what to think of Steve. He might have been alright. Then again, he might not have been. Too soon to tell. I decided to go with my initial impression, one which I made of just about everyone I met. I didn’t like him.
    “Nice going,” Rick said, getting back into the car.
    “Relax. We’ll get the tape.” I hoped we would, because if we didn’t, I knew for damn sure that my pal Rick would throw me right under the bus, and tell Geiger it was my fault. No question about that. It felt nice to be able to trust a partner so superficially. Real nice.
    “You gave the whole thing away. If we do get a hold of the tape which I don’t think we will, they’ll have done something to it.”
    “You really need to work on your Conspiracy Theory problems. First off, we’re still working on a suicide case, if you look at the evidence. We have two people who were close to the victim who say he was capable of suicide. I just think I ruffled that guy’s feathers a little bit. And you should be happy I did, because if I didn’t, we might not have gotten anything that made us suspicious of him. I helped him point his own finger at himself. At least it gives us something to work on.”
    “Okay, you’re right. But you could have been a little slicker when it came to the tape. All I have heard is how good you are when it comes to questioning, and so far I have seen nothing.” “Maybe you just aren’t looking in the right places.”
    “I’d have to be looking at a woman’s tits or ass to see what you are seeing.”
    “Again with that. Maybe you should get a good look at an ass or two. Might make you feel like a man again.”
    Rick’s face turned red. Target hit.
    He opened the passenger door, and sat in the seat. Unusual tactic, to not respond at all. Maybe I destroyed the target. I never could tell. I got into the car myself, started the engine, and looked at Rick, who seemed to be seething.
    “You really have a one track mind.”
    “No, my mind has several tracks. They all do lead to the same destination, however.”
    This produced a chuckle.
    “Piece of work, you are.”
    “So I have been told.”
    “How many of your partners have you sent to the department psychiatrist?”
    “You partnered with me a few times. Haven’t seen you in his office.”
    “Doesn’t mean I didn’t go.”
    We had