Mr Swirlee (Devlin Haskell 2) by Faricy Mike

Author:Faricy, Mike [Faricy, Mike]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781493607440
Google: hmHingEACAAJ
Amazon: 1493607448
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 2013-11-18T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirty-Seven

I’d first met Tony Colli in the army, though I didn’t know it at the time. Actually, it was during our final days, when we were mustering out. We’d been in Iraq at the same time, almost the same place, but only learned that in a later conversation. It was one of the little things that bound us, sort of.

The army, plus the fact he had been arrested, charged with murder, and was looking at a life sentence. I’d found the two women he had paid to be with the night he was supposed to have strangled a bank manager over in Wayzata. It didn’t clear him absolutely, but was enough to raise doubt with a jury which eventually wouldn’t convict him.

He went by the nickname Dog. He was the type of person you wouldn’t call except as an absolute last resort. Not really the type of guy you wanted to see on a regular or even an irregular basis. He was Anthony to his mother and Dog to everyone else who knew him. Trouble seemed to follow Dog.

I didn’t know exactly how to get in touch with him, but I knew who would. She wore her hair in a flaming red, tight perm. She was kind, gentle, wore too much lipstick, awful perfume, smoked nonstop, weighed about three hundred pounds, and baked wonderful pies. Della Colli, Dog’s mother.

“Hello, Mrs. Colli, this is Devlin Haskell.”

“Who?”

“Devlin Haskell.”

I’d taken the bus out to Como Park and was sitting on an out-of-the-way wooden bench, talking to Dog’s mom on my cell phone. I was constantly looking around to make sure no one was paying attention to me.

“Oh, yes, Devlin. Why it’s been so long. How are you?”

“Oh, just fine, thanks. How are you, Mrs. Colli?”

“Oh you know,” a slight pause while she took a drag and then exhaled. “A few aches and pains, but at my age, the alternative is worse.”

“Oh, Mrs. Colli, you’ll outlive us all.”

“Not if you behave,” she said, I guess offering advice.

“Say, I’ve got some extra baseball tickets. I was thinking of Anthony, wondering if you had his number so I could give them to him.”

“Oh, aren’t you sweet. Why don’t you give me your number and I’ll have Anthony call you. He’s so hard to get hold of nowadays.”

No surprise. Dog was into something, again, and she was covering for him, again.

“Okay, you have a pen and paper?” I asked.

“Yes, go ahead, dear. I’m ready.”

I gave her my phone number, we chatted for a minute or two longer, then she’d suddenly had enough of me.

“Well, thank you. Anthony loves his baseball, so I’m sure he’ll get back to you. I’ve got to run, good-bye, bye-bye,” she said, hanging up, still talking as she did so.

There was only so much to do in a park with a small zoo while you’re waiting for a phone call and trying to blend into the crowd. I looked at the tigers, fed the seals, stared at a number of young mommies. I thanked my lucky stars I didn’t have to deal with screaming kids.

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