The Sticking Place by T. B. Smith

Author:T. B. Smith
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: L&R Publishing

22

A MAN POUNDED AT THE APARTMENT’S DOOR for more than a minute. “Criminy,” Lt. Berend said. “This Durango kid has to be at work in about an hour. Where else could he be?”

Luke set his dog-eared copy of Nietzsche’s Human, All Too Human on top of his bedroom copy of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, slipped out of bed and pulled a pair of gym shorts over his BVD’s. He started rehearsing his response, assuming the insistent knocking was coming from one of Denny’s persistent women who showed up at all times of the day or night.

Denny already had a woman in his bed on the opposite side of the living room. Luke intended to lie about his roomie’s whereabouts and to politely, but firmly, refuse to let the knocking woman inside the apartment.

Luke walked to the refrigerator before heading for the door to buy some time to decide on what he’d come to call his prevarication du jour about Denny’s sexual activities. His naked feet crunched the sunflower seeds dropped by the cockatoo Denny kept in a cage where the living room’s shag carpet merged with the canary-colored linoleum.

Luke grabbed the orange juice from the top shelf and padded toward the door, deciding on the easiest lie possible. He’d say Denny had left for work a little early.

Luke shook the orange juice as he peeked through the security hole. There was no woman standing outside the door this time, just two men wearing the white shirts and ties that made them look like Mormon missionaries intent on saving somebody’s soul. The man in front straightened his tie.

Luke opened the door.

“Are you Denny Durango?”

“No,” Luke said. “He’s in bed.”

“Who are you?” the man in front asked.

“What do you mean, who am I? Who are you?”

“I’m Lt. Jim Berend with SDPD Homicide and this is Sgt. Bob Farren. We’re here to see Denny Durango.”

“What does Homicide want with Denny?”

“I think we should save that information for Officer Durango, don’t you?” Berend put one foot inside the apartment as he said it.

“Sure thing,” Luke said. “Come on in and I’ll get him up. He needs to get ready for work anyhow.”

Berend glanced at his watch. Luke could tell his thoughts by his perturbed expression. Damn straight Denny needed to get ready for work. The rookie should already be at the station looking up crime trends on his beat and preparing a patrol strategy for his upcoming shift.

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.