Avalanche A Sheriff Bo Tully Mystery by Patrick F. McManus

Author:Patrick F. McManus
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

25

TULLY FOUND JANICE IN THE dining area sipping a cup of hot chocolate piled high with whipped cream. He pulled up a chair across from her. “So this is what champion lady dog-team drivers drink to keep in shape.”

“They need to have some fun. Where have you been hiding, Bo?”

“Out trying to solve murders and stuff like that. And I need another favor.”

“How did I ever guess.”

“Look, I’m sorry I have to bother you, but dogs and a sled are about the only transportation I have available to me for this little mission.”

Janice gave him an appraising look. “What’s in it for me?”

Tully thought for a moment. “All the hot chocolate you can drink?”

“You know something, Bo, I should have married you when I had the chance.”

“I asked you to, if you’ll recall. But you had your heart set on being rich. Tom’s dad was a rich banker and I was going to be a poor struggling artist. Tom is a rich banker himself now and I’m still a poor struggling artist. You made a good choice.”

“Yeah,” she said, smiling. “I like rich. Okay, I’ll give you another ride, for old times’ sake. We’d better hurry, though. It will be dark in an hour.”

“The darker the better,” Tully said. “Finish your hot chocolate. I want to talk to Pap and Dave before I head out again. I’ll meet you up at the dog pens in an hour.”

He found them in Pap’s room, sitting in easy chairs, their feet propped on the coffee table. They were smoking cigars, probably Cubans. He said, “Glad to see the two of you hard at work.”

“It’s tough,” Dave said. “Pap and I been in that hot tub so much we’re turning into prunes. About time you showed up.”

He told them about his visit with Ben Hoot. Pap said, “I’ve heard about Hoot for years. Every time somebody goes missing up on the West Branch, Hoot gets the blame.”

“You think he deserves it?” Tully asked.

“No evidence ever turned up.”

“I suspect not. Anyway, he gave me a lead that I’m going to follow up on. I have to tell you, this case gets weirder all the time. I talked to Lurch on the phone. He said Susan pinned Horace Baker’s time of death between eleven and midnight Monday. Herb found out that both Horace and Mike had key-man insurance for two million each.”

“Key-man insurance?” Pap said. “What’s that?”

Tully told him. “Apparently, the way this works out is that Blanche Wilson would end up with four million dollars.”

“That’s a pretty fair motive,” Dave said. “You don’t think she killed them, do you?”

“Not personally.”

“A hired killer?” Pap said. “That’s always a chancy business for murder. Hit men are generally stupid. They get busted for a different murder and right away they give you up, so they can get a more lenient sentence.”

Dave said, “Sounds as if you’ve had some experience with hit men, Pap.”

“Nope. I always figured you want somebody dead you best to do it yourself.”

“If you’re done plotting murder,” Tully said, “I’ll fill you in on Mike Wilson.

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