Trick Turn by Tom Barber

Author:Tom Barber [Barber, Tom]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-07-30T04:00:00+00:00

‘Gerry McGuinness?’ Jax Ruffalo asked five minutes later, inside the control room for the new ride. They were between breaks, people already filing in for the next one. The booth was undergoing some kind of repair, several strips of wood stacked in the corner, but Ruffalo was the only person in there when the two cops walked in. ‘Ruff’ as the manager had called him, was freckled with red hair and pale skin. He appeared older than Archer had expected, in his forties, and looked shifty, his eyes not holding his or Bellefonte’s gaze. Dusty had warned him the night before that carnies never lost their wariness around law enforcement, and in addition, Archer knew this guy had a history of taking amphetamines, which probably didn’t help. ‘Where’d you say I worked with this guy?’

‘For the Bilodeau Family touring show,’ Archer said. ‘Guy I spoke to said you and this man McGuinness did a lot of the gruntwork when you were both adolescents. Spent a few years doing it together, apparently.’

‘I never worked with no guy called Gerry. Who told you this?’

‘Chap called Dusty who’s still employed there.’ Archer made sure he made eye contact with the man. ‘He seemed pretty sure.’

‘Yeah, I remember Dusty. When he wasn’t paying for hookers, he used to spend his time chasing beer with cigarettes and the cigarettes with moonshine. Surprised he’s still alive.’

‘So you did work with him?’ Bellefonte said.

‘Sure. But I don’t remember no Gerry.’

‘You mean you don’t remember Gerry,’ Archer said, not liking the man and wanting to provoke him slightly. Get him to slip up.

‘That’s what I just said.’

‘Sort of.’

An awkward silence followed. ‘I got a job to do here,’ Ruffalo said abruptly. ‘Ain’t got time for dumbass word games.’

‘Last thing’ Archer said. ‘We heard there was an accident at the Bilodeau Show, outside Shreveport, all the way back in ‘96. A coaster was missing some pins. Bunch of people died. You remember that?’

The man didn’t reply and just looked away. Archer and Bellefonte both understood he was done talking. They turned and left.

‘He’s not gonna open up without persuasion,’ Bellefonte said, walking away from the booth for the coaster, out of earshot from Ruffalo. ‘Or without a lawyer present. Your carny said Ruff worked with your suspect when he was a kid. Ruffalo says he don’t remember him. Stalemate.’

Archer nodded, looking back at the ride as the manager approached once again; he hadn’t gone far. ‘Get what you need?’ the man asked.

‘Can we take a look at his employee file?’ Archer asked, not answering the question.

‘To what end?’

‘Can we just see it?’

The manager hesitated, then nodded. ‘Come with me.’

‘I’ll stay out here,’ Bellefonte said. ‘Might go have another word with our boy.’

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