Sweep Lotus by Mark Zuehlke

Author:Mark Zuehlke
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FIC022000
Publisher: Dundurn Press Limited
Published: 2004-09-01T00:00:00+00:00

Kamloops. That ring a bell? Should, as you pulled three months for that one. Until then you had been a good boy for almost three years. No assaults after Saskatoon. Remember that one?”

Lysander nodded, but said nothing.

“A doozy. Kicked the snot out of a twenty-year-old Indian kid. Pulled a year for that one, but out in six months. Parole boards never learn. Those kids think of you as some kind of father figure. They know about these, Lysander? Or about the others? The thirteen where you were tried and convicted.” More papers were shuffled to the top of Danchuk’s pile. “Hell, let’s look at the others from the first one. Suspended sentence in 1980, two months in 1982, a year in 1984, another year in 1987, and on it goes. Even drew federal time in 1992. Real peach that time, weren’t you. Kicked a guy witless on a corner of Yonge Street in Toronto. Three years, but paroled from Kingston Pen after only half time served.”

“He was selling heroin to a twelve-year-old boy,” Lysander said wearily. “I warned him not to. And the one in Saskatoon was a pimp trying to recruit some of the younger girls and boys.”

“That how it was with all the others? You just defended other people? Standing up for those who can’t defend themselves? Being a guardian of the street? A regular Lone Ranger? Is that it?” Lysander shrugged and didn’t reply. “That how it was with Sparrow? You kill her to protect her?” Danchuk’s face was flushed, his eyes hard chips of blue as he scowled my way, warning me to keep my mouth shut.

“I never killed Sparrow, Sergeant. I would never have done that. Never.”

Danchuk’s shoulders noticeably relaxed, his voice turned suddenly solicitous. “You like a coffee, Mr. Lysander? Would you like a break? Need to go to the bathroom or anything?”

Lysander’s puzzlement was clear. “No, I’m fine. Thank you, anyway.”

“Constable,” Danchuk said to Tom, “get Mr. Lysander a coffee. I think he needs it. You take cream? Sugar?”

“Just black.”

“Good. Bring him a coffee. Black.”

Tom went out of the room and returned a moment later with a steaming Styrofoam cup. Lysander took a tentative sip and then a deeper one.

“Nicki makes the coffee pretty strong, Mr. Lysander. Too bitter for me. And then it sits there getting stronger with each passing hour.”

“It’s fine.”

“Good. Should we continue?” When Lysander nodded agreement Danchuk leaned forward with elbows resting on the table, as if to better catch the man’s every word. “Tell me why it wasn’t possible for you to kill Sparrow, Mr. Lysander.”

Lysander looked at the coffee in his hand and then the tabletop, but that surface was too far off, so he bent over and carefully rested the cup on the floor beside the chair. The man’s fingers trembled slightly as he crossed his arms over his chest as if to ward off a cold draft. “To kill someone, Sergeant, you have to believe you are entitled to be more powerful than they are. I don’t believe anyone should believe themselves superior to anybody else.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.