Let the Guilty Pay by Rick Treon

Author:Rick Treon [Treon, Rick]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781945419577
Publisher: FawkesPress

Veronica slammed the truck door. “Fuck you two assholes. I walked around on my sore feet for twenty goddamn minutes before someone finally told me.”

Jorge and I could barely hear her over our laughter.

“Hey, looking for a sky hook is a rite of passage,” Jorge said. “Beck did it last week. It means you’re one of us now.”

“But I’m not one of you. I don’t want to be.”

I took a deep breath to stop laughing. “We’re sorry. We won’t do it again.”

“Good. Now, back to business. You two have some work to do tomorrow.”

“Right,” I said. “What all do you need to know?”

“Oh, you know, who was this Sylvia Davenport woman? Who killed her? Small stuff like that.”

I let out an overdramatic sigh. “You know we’re never going to get that out of two Texas Rangers. How about something small and specific, something we can realistically find out that will help you.”

Veronica thought for a few moments. “If you two can tell me the last place Sylvia Davenport worked, or maybe her age, that would help a lot.”

I should’ve known both of those things, but I’d done a terrible job trying to get to know Sylvia. Sure, I’d gotten superficial answers—favorite color, music and movie preferences, eating habits—but I hadn’t asked anything substantive. That was probably by design on her part. But it was also my fault. I had told myself I was trying to learn about someone I could potentially care about. But I was discovering that, though not consciously or with malice, I had only been trying to get into her pants.

“Okay,” I said. “We can work with that.”

“Good. If I don’t have something for my bosses to run in a few days, something that’s a legitimate scoop, they’ll tell me to go home. Hell, since I’ve been basically MIA for a week, they might fire me.”

“So?” Jorge said. “You’ve got a job. One that pays better, too.”

“What did we just talk about?”

Jorge laughed. “Wait till you get your first paycheck on Friday. Then let’s talk again.”

Veronica was about to respond when someone knocked on my window. I turned my head and saw Zak, who motioned for me to roll down my window.

“Go home with ten. And remember, Jorge and Beck are going to Site One to talk to the police tomorrow.” Zak looked at Veronica. “Do you have a way to get out here without these two?”

“Yep. Paul’s going to be nice and pick me up at my hotel.”

Zak nodded and began walking toward the next truck. After we pulled out of our spot, a line formed behind us. Jorge was flooded with calls asking where the welders should spend their free time and money that evening. They settled on Bennigan’s in Borger.

Jorge looked back at Veronica. “I know Beck’s not in, but how about you, Ronnie?”

“Sure. Why aren’t you coming, Big Nasty,” she said, putting an obnoxious emphasis on my nickname.

“Big Nasty doesn’t ever go out and drink with us,” Jorge said.

Veronica poked her head into the front half of the cabin.

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