Behold the Child by Harry Shannon

Author:Harry Shannon [Harry Shannon]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Amazon: B003U4W7YU
Published: 2010-06-26T14:00:00+00:00

12.

"Sam?"

Kenzie, startled, banged his head on the upper drawer of the filing cabinet. His vision darkened and then filled with bright dots. He dropped the rag and cleaner and rubbed his skull.

"Jesus," he said.

The overweight man in the doorway nodded. He spat tobacco juice out into the street. "Sorry to have bothered you, Mr. Christ. I was just looking to meet the new lawman."

Kenzie looked, shook his head. "Doc Preston? Is that you?"

"Last time I looked, it was."

Kenzie forgot his pain and laughed heartily. "It's good to see you again. Come on in and have a cup of coffee." He got to his feet, eyeballed the visitor. Doc was now past seventy years old, with silver hair and a huge paunch that sagged out over the belt of his jeans, but his eyes were as merry as ever. He wore a blue work shirt with a cowboy tie and brown, scuffed boots with two-inch heels.

"Townsfolk will be stopping by," he said, extending his hand. "I'm the first."

"Good to see you again, Doc."

"I'm surprised you remember me, kid. What's it been, thirty-odd years?"

Kenzie laughed. "At least, Doc. I'd imagine things have changed around here."

"Lot of folks died off," Doc said, sadly. "You likely won't remember anyone but me at this point."

"What about the grocer, old Calhoun?"

"Heart attack back in '94."

Kenzie sighed. "I'm sorry to hear that. He was always good to me when I was a kid. But you stuck it out, and you're still the local medico?"

"I'm still the guy you come and see for small stitches, aspirin or a broke bone. Anything more serious and we ship your ass down to Elko."

"I'll take that under advisement."

Doc leaned against the wall. "I take it you already went over things with Jack Harris?"

Kenzie sat down at his new, and still unfamiliar desk. "Sure did."

"He's gone then?"

Kenzie nodded. "He seemed in a big hurry to go fishing."

Doc chuckled. "That sumbitch probably had a couple of poles in the squad car first time he gave you the keys."

Kenzie smiled back. "Actually, you're right. He did."

"Well that's bound to be the best thing about living around here again, Kenzie. Nothing much ever happens."

"That," Kenzie replied, "sounds just fine to me."

A knock. Doc stepped further to the side. Another man, much taller, entered the office. He was graying, yet muscular; slender and bony in a way that reminded Kenzie of a praying mantis. He spoke with a very faint trace of a German accent.

"I am Klaus Wachner, Sheriff Kenzie. I have read so much about you in newspapers. It is very good to make your acquaintance."

"Mr. Wachner," Kenzie nodded. "I think you're the man who first wrote to offer me the job, correct?"

"Yes," Wachner replied. The "s" was only a bit too sibilant. "Your resume was most impressive, and when I saw you are from our little town, I could not help but favor your candidacy."

"Thank you."

"Bitte. I researched your work on the last case most carefully. You might say I became a fan of yours.

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