Finders Keepers (DCI Cooper Book 6) by B Baskerville

Author:B Baskerville [Baskerville, B]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hyem Books
Published: 2022-12-24T16:00:00+00:00

- Chapter 35 -

Cooper pressed the phone against her ear and turned the volume up with her thumb. The caller whispered as if he were wary of being overheard. He was a prisoner; his caution was understandable.

“I saw your name in the paper,” he said. “You’re the one investigating the missing cyclists. The kids from down south.”

“That’s right. Do you have information?”

She heard his breath quiver while people walked by. He swallowed, then said, “They’re dead. Underwood killed ’em.”

“How do you know?” she asked.

Another pause. “‘Cause the fucker told me, that’s how.”

Though it was what she feared, Cooper didn’t want to believe him. For one, she wasn’t in the habit of automatically believing criminals. She was conflicted. She felt a pang of sadness because she didn’t want it to be true. She knew their chances were slim, but a small idealistic part of her hoped there’d be a happy ending for Rhett and Laurel. But there was also hope. Another witness meant a better chance of nailing Underwood, securing a life sentence and ensuring a dangerous man never walked free.

“You’re calling from Durham?” she asked.

“Aye. I’m in the same wing as him.”

“What’s your name?”

Cooper heard his fingers tapping against the phone while he thought. “Call me Larry.”

Obviously not his real name. The name of a childhood friend, his father perhaps.

“Okay, Larry. But if we’re going to move forward, I’ll need your real name eventually.”

“He’s a bad man,” he said, his voice trembling. “He ain’t normal. Someone ratted on him for taking two puddings at dinner. He didn’t just give him a clip; he beat the shit out of him – put him in the hospital. Took three guards to pull him off. I can tell you what he told me, but that’s it. I can’t go on the stand. I can’t go public.”

“Try to relax, Larry. You’ve done the right thing.” Cooper needed him to trust her if she was going to get as much information as she could out of him. “I want to come and see you. Today.”

“Oh. I divint knaa if that’s a good idea.”

“There’s a McDonald’s on the way. What do you want? Big Mac? Fries?”

Cooper counted down from ten in her head. She knew he’d cave before she got to one.

Five, four, three...

“A Big Mac, large fries and a chocolate milkshake.”

“Okay—“

“And a chicken nugget Happy Meal.”

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