Page 59 - Labelle Gramercy, On the Case

Thrown for a Loss

knew her. Sometimes I can’t recognize my own face in the mirror
after my father slaps me around a bit.”
“Have you been here before when the escalator buzzer went off?”
“Yeah, I think so. Yeah. It must have been a few weeks ago.
That’s how I knew what it was. So I got away from it as fast as I
could. Didn’t want anybody to think I had anything to do with it.
Went over there by the clothing store.” He pointed at Safari to Go
right past my face. If he were my boy I’d have him wash his hands at
least once a day, anyway. “Don’t think anyone was on it, can’t
remember any para—paramedicals like this time. It was late in the
day, not like now.”
Now that was interesting. Maybe she did have a reason to question
these kids so closely. Just keep picking away and sooner or later the
truth comes out, right?
“Were any of your friends, the ones sitting at that table, with you
on that occasion?”
Oops! Luke suddenly decided he was being led in a dangerous
direction. He stiffened. Instinct told me that he would not stand up
before he attacked. And he was the type to have a weapon in those
baggy trousers.
“Hey! Are you accusing me of pushing that button? I don’t need
no alibi!” He pushed his hands into his pockets and hunched
forward. I shifted my weight, ready for what might be in either hand
when they came out.
“Don’t you, Luke? If those are really your friends, they should be
able to tell us where you were at 4:07 p.m. today. Can they?”
So this was her tactic. Get him to talk about the others by
questioning their loyalty. Not a trick that would fool anyone with an
ounce of sense, but that wouldn’t be Luke O’Dermal. His hands were
moving around in his pockets. What would come out first: words or
a knife?
Suddenly he sat up straight again. “Okay,” he said. “They can tell
you. Curt was with me when we got over there, so was Cal after the
alarm started.”
“And the other one?”
“Newt,” I supplied.
“Newt. Oh, yeah, I think he was in the bathroom, ‘cause he was
asking what happened. Seemed like a stupid thing to ask.”

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