Mean Streak
“Rent’s paid by a lawyer in Seattle.”
“Seattle?”
“On behalf of an LLC, and the general partner of the LLC is a corporation. We’re trying to cut through all the red tape necessary to get to a human being behind the corporation, but in the meantime, our suspect is getting away.”
Grange joined in. “The Floyd brothers claimed not to remember what he looks like. Their mother, too. The description Lisa gave the deputy could’ve been of me or Beyoncé. We find it real hard to believe that their powers of recall are that imprecise. And we think you remember him in a lot more detail than you gave us.”
Knight said, “That could be construed as obstruction of justice.”
“How could you prove what I do and do not remember about him?” she challenged. “I had a concussion and a CT scan that shows it.”
In frustration, Knight switched tactics. Sighing as though in resignation, he said, “We’re getting nowhere fast. I can hear your husband arguing with the deputies outside, and I sympathize with his impatience. He’s had it up to here with us.
“And, pardon me for saying so, Emory, but you’re looking peaked. Maybe you shouldn’t have checked out of the hospital so soon. We should’ve thought twice before hauling you up here.
“But since we made the trip, tell us one thing. Just one thing that’ll help us. Then we’ll go back to Drakeland, see that you’re put up someplace nice and made comfortable so you can rest.”
She waited out the inanities, then said, “Please stop talking to me as though I’m an imbecile.”
“Last thing I think is that you’re an imbecile.”
“I’m not infirm either. I am, however, tired of your hounding me to give you information that I don’t have.”
“I think you do.”
“Then you think wrong.”
Grange said, “We could charge you with aiding and abetting a criminal.”
“You don’t know that he’s a criminal.”
“We’ve got video of him committing a burglary.”
“No you don’t. You’ve got video of me.”
“Did he threaten you and the Floyds not to reveal his identity?”
“I don’t know his identity.”
“Every minute you sit here and refuse to cooperate—”
“I’m not refusing.”
“—he’s getting farther away.”
“Tell us his name.”
“I don’t know it.”
“Emory—”
“I don’t know his name!”
* * *
“Hayes Bannock.”
“What about him?” Jack asked.