She fidgeted in her seat. She clasped her hands together in her lap and looked away from him, then, almost defiantly, brought her gaze back to his and held it. She was scared half to death but trying not to show it. The lady had backbone, which was okay by him. He would much rather deal with a little moxie than bawling and begging.
When his call was answered by an automated voice mail recording, he swore beneath his breath, then waited for the ding and said, “You know who this is. All hell’s broke loose.”
As soon as he clicked off, she said, “You have an accomplice?”
“You could say.”
“Was he there during the… the shooting?”
He merely looked at her.
She wet her lips, pulled the lower one between her teeth. “They said on the news that seven people were killed.”
“That’s how many I counted.”
She crossed her arms over her middle and hugged her elbows. “Why did you kill them?”
“What are they saying on TV?”
“That you were a disgruntled employee.”
He shrugged. “You could call me disgruntled.”
“You didn’t like the trucking company?”
“No. Especially the boss.”
“Sam Marset. But the others were just shift workers, like you. Was it necessary to shoot them, too?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“They were witnesses.”
His candor seemed to astonish and repel her. He watched a shudder
pass through her. For a time, she remained quiet, simply staring at the tabletop.
Then slowly she raised her head and looked up at him. “How did you know my husband?”
“Actually I never had the pleasure. But I’ve heard about him.”
“From whom?”
“Around Royale Trucking, his name pops up a lot.”
“He was born and raised in Tambour. Everybody knew Eddie and loved him.”
“You sure about that?”
Taken aback, she said, “Yes, I’m sure.”
“Among other things, he was a cop, right?”
“What do you mean by ‘among other things’?”
“Your husband, the late, great Eddie the cop, was in possession of something extremely valuable. I came here to get it.”