Absolute Zero by Chuck Logan

Author:Chuck Logan
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Phil (Fictitious character), Mystery & Detective, Ex-police officers, Minnesota, Fiction, Triangles (Interpersonal relations), Suspense, Thrillers, Mystery fiction, General, Broker
ISBN: 9780061031564
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2003-02-13T07:16:48.715218+00:00

Chapter Twenty-seven

Most of the wood was split and stacked when Earl stepped onto the deck outside Hank’s room and waved at Jolene.

“He smells like a Porta Potty at the state fair. I’ll feed him and wipe his nose but I’m not changing diapers, uh-uh,” Earl said.

Jolene removed her gloves. “I’ll be back in a minute.” Broker nodded and resumed work. She followed Earl inside and the first thing she reacted to was the blaring volume on the television. Immediately she searched for the remote. “Very funny,” she said when she found it where Earl had comically inserted it in Hank’s limp hand. She picked it up, clicked off the set, and said, “You know how much he hates the Fox News Channel.” She eyeballed Earl to see which face she was dealing with.

“C’mon, he isn’t there. Allen says if you keep up that kind of talk you’re going to have a problem with acceptance,” Earl said.

Okay. It was his mean face. “I already have a problem with you,” Jolene said flatly.

Earl moved on an oblique angle to her defiance and threw a menacing arm in the cat’s direction. “You should do something about that goddamn cat.” Ambush was now up, back arched at Earl’s loud voice. “If it was up to me, I’d nail that damn cat to a tree.”

* * *

The idea of Earl harming Ambush filled Hank with a normal anxiety that he found comforting compared to the bizarre terror he inhabited. Run, kitty, he thought. Get away from him.

Which Ambush did. She jumped lightly to the floor and sped from the room.

“I’d watch running my mouth about nailing things to trees,” Jolene said under her breath.

“You know what they say?” Earl grinned. “To a man with a hammer everything looks like a nail.”

“I’d watch my mouth if I were you,” Jolene repeated, louder.

“Or what?”

“You said you were going to talk to Stovall,” Jolene strained the words through set teeth.

“I did talk to him. He wouldn’t talk back.”

“So you got mad.”

“Jolene, whatever I did I did for you. We’re in it together. You told me all about his cutting hangups because he talked about them in AA. How the cops had to come unnail him from the bathroom door in the basement. Same wrist. I used the scar for a guide.”

“You didn’t have to waste the guy, goddammit.”

“Me? He fucking froze to death. It wasn’t suppose to get that cold.”

“It was dumb and wrong and unnecessary,” Jolene said. “Milt will be into the trust in a month . . .”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Earl countered. “Hank’s got an ex-wife in Michigan and one in St. Paul. They could tie it up.”

“We’re just lucky no cops have been going around interviewing all Stovall’s clients,” Jolene said.

“Hey”—Earl stabbed with his finger— “if I ever have to do any explaining, I’ll explain the part about you feeding me his cutting habits first. Maybe we don’t make it anymore, honey, but we’re still linked at the hips—just like NoDak.”

North Dakota. As always, Jolene

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