The Shiver in Her Eyes by Brian Anderson

Author:Brian Anderson [Anderson, Brian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Private Investigator; Murder; Mystery; Mystery/Suspense; Minneapolis; Quirky
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Published: 2022-04-22T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

The Milkman told me that he had a commitment early the next morning but would be free by midday to help me with the investigation. I assured him that I could hardly wait. We left the big man at the bus stop and returned to the Bijou, Edgerton heading off to bed, while I sat up in my room waiting for dawn to streak the sky.

I dozed briefly but woke early to a bitterly cold, gray morning. I was tired; so tired that as I walked to my office I wondered if, as I’d napped, someone had stolen in and replaced my leg muscles with something gooey.

The cops that Augie had assigned to watch me had reappeared. They weren’t real hard to spot. As I made my way to my office, the unmarked car tailed along about a half a block behind me, blocking traffic as it inched down the street like a snail on tranquilizers.

When I opened the office door, the first thing I saw was the blinking light of my answering machine. I stared at it a moment, competing torrents of relief and anxiety coursing through me. I approached it slowly, as a starving man would the jaws of a bear trap baited with a rump roast. When Farnum’s voice echoed in the room instead of Carmen’s, the relief drained away, leaving only a spiraling whirlpool of anxiety.

Farnum was hardly my first priority that morning, but from his tone it was pretty clear that he wasn’t particularly pleased with me. In suggesting that I call him at my earliest convenience, he managed to use the f-word as every part of speech. A bit samey, but he got his message across. I was going to have to deal with him.

I set up the coffee maker and sat down behind my desk to watch the glass carafe fill up. Then I got out his card and made the call. Listening to the ring, I wondered if Farnum would fire me right away or if he would threaten me first.

“That you Dahms?” Farnum asked, a quaver of barely checked anger edging his voice.

“No, Al,” I replied. “It’s your podiatrist. Just calling to remind you that it’s time to have your feet scraped.”

“Dahms!” he exclaimed angrily, but then stopped himself, taking a moment to regain his composure. “Perhaps,” he continued in a considerably more dulcet manner, “you could tell me if your investigation is bearing any fruit?”

“Hot damn, Al. Things have been going great. Let’s see, where do I start? One of your boys tried to kill me, I spent a night in jail, the cops are following me, and…Oh, did you know that your girlfriend is missing? I don’t suppose she let you know where she headed, did she?”

“No,” he replied. “I haven’t heard from Carmen.”

“Don’t that bother you some?”

Farnum sighed. “Unfortunately, I have been rather preoccupied with other matters. I had hoped that she was under your protection.”

“Nope, but while we’re at it, just what are these other matters you’re preoccupied with?”

“I’m wondering if it is in my best interest to tell.

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