Small Steps (Holes 2)
Page 74
She showed X-Ray a photo of Moses. “Is this Armpit?”
X-Ray took his time studying the photo. “No, Armpit’s got dark skin. And he didn’t wear a cowboy hat. He wore one of those things, what are they called, a turban? I think he might be part Iranian.”
“Did he have a mustache?”
X-Ray thought a moment.
Armpit couldn’t remember if he told X-Ray he’d said Habib had a mustac
he.
“He might have. The guy was so hairy it was kind of hard to tell. He’s the kind of guy who has to shave three times a day, if you know what I mean.”
“How old was he?”
“Maybe twenty-five. Hard to say because of the turban.”
Detective Newberg sighed. “Thank you for your cooperation,” she said. She handed him her card and told him if he ever heard from Armpit again to call her.
“I can go?”
She nodded.
A uniformed officer came in and escorted X-Ray out of the room.
Armpit watched Detective Newberg place the photographs back in her briefcase. She shook her head, then walked out of the room.
A moment later the door to his room opened.
“So what does my expert criminal psychologist think?” She smiled, and her cheeks turned pink.
“I think he told the truth.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“I mean, not at first, but then you scared him and I think he told you the truth after that.”
Detective Newberg shook her head. “Now I understand how Armpit managed to sell you those phony tickets. You are way too gullible.”
Armpit shrugged.
She smiled. “It’s because you’re honest. Oh, you didn’t eat your pizza.”
He’d lost his appetite.
“Well, even if X-Ray won’t tell us how to find Habib, it shouldn’t be all that hard to find someone whose name is Armpit. We could probably smell him a mile away.”
She laughed at her own joke.
“He didn’t smell bad to me,” Armpit said. “I mean, that might have nothing to do with his name. Maybe a wasp stung him on the armpit or something like that.”
He just had to get that in.
24
It had never felt so good to be digging and sweating in the hot sun. He didn’t have to think about anything except dirt and shrubs.
Detective Newberg ended up driving him to work, which was just as well since she drove a normal car and he didn’t have to explain about showing up in a black-and-white. He did his best to back up what X-Ray had said. He confirmed that Habib wore a turban.