The Third Victim Part 48

"And she's real sweet, if you know what I mean."

"Why were you hanging out at the elementary school? Are high school kids too tough for you? Bigger, stronger, might actually put up a fight?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I just got a thing for jungle gyms."

"I'm getting angry, Charlie. I'm not getting a lot of sleep these days, and the mayor told me this morning to do whatever's necessary to solve this case, so I wouldn't make me angry right now."

"I got a federal witness," Charlie said promptly. Quincy looked at the sky.

"Where?"

"s.h.i.t, I thought you guys had standards." Quincy eyed Rainie balefully.

"I guess that explains Waco."

Charlie flinched.

"This just burns me, man,"

"My heart's breaking," Rainie a.s.sured him.

"Why were you at the elementary school, Charlie?"

"Cause I get bored, okay?

"Cause there's nothing to do in b.i.t.c.hville, U.S.A." and sometimes I need a little distraction."

"Is that what Danny O'grady was to you? Distraction?"

Charlie shrugged.

"Danny was interesting. Real potential, if you know what I mean."

"No, I don't. He was a good student, smart, stayed out of trouble. The only potential I saw in him was to get a lot further in life than you ever will."

Charlie turned away from her. He looked at Quincy slyly.

"You know what I mean, don't you, fed? I've heard about you. You're some big-shot profiler. Best there ever was, put away the infamous Jim Beckett. Dazzle me, fed. It's d.a.m.n slow around here. I need someone to say something interesting just so I can stay awake."

"I think you should keep doing the talking," Quincy said evenly.

"Us law-enforcement types have a hang-up about hearing things in your own words. Besides, I'm sure you love to listen to yourself speak."

"You're no fun."

"It's a job requirement."

"Charlie, what were you doing with Danny?"

"Nothing, okay? Exercising our First Amendment rights.

You come down on me for that and I'll sic the ACLU all over your small-town a.s.s."

Rainie turned to Quincy.

"This isn't working for me."

"He seems very belligerent," Quincy agreed.

"I think we're going to have to do something about that."

"Harm a single dead-skin cell on my head and my father will sue you back to the Stone Age."

"At this point, your father would have to get in line." Rainie turned back to Quincy. She said thoughtfully, "I'm thinking hair or jacket."

Quincy carefully scrutinized Charlie's black biker jacket and meticulously styled hair.

"Jacket," he said.

"Okay." Rainie stepped forward. Charlie saw her coming and tried to duck right. She countered, found a sleeve, and neatly spun Charlie around. A second later she held the black leather jacket and Charlie stood stunned.

Rainie smiled at him. She was in such a dark mood these days. She didn't want to deal with punks. She was sick of kids who wielded guns and switchblades with no real concept of death.

"We're going to play a game, Charlie. I'm going to ask questions.

You're going to answer. Quincy, the expert, is going to evaluate your answers for truthfulness. If he doesn't like what you say or you make me angry again -I'm going to start slicing up your coat. You give me lip, your jacket loses a sleeve. Got it?"

"It's just a dumb jacket. I can buy a new one."

"Okay." Rainie opened his switchblade and found the collar.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!" Charlie was panting. His gaze was locked down on the collar, and perspiration beaded his upper lip. The jacket was old and sported a biker gang's symbol on the back. The kid could deny it all he wanted, but Quincy and Rainie had him pegged. The jacket was part of Charlie Kenyon's costume, and he felt overexposed without it. They might as well have s.n.a.t.c.hed Superman's cape. "First question, Charlie. Why were you hanging out with Danny O'grady?"

"Because he was cool, all right?"

"Danny is a computer geek. How is that cool?"

"No, no, no." Charlie was shaking his head.

"You don't get it. You had to look in his eyes. He was old, man. And .. . and .. . angry. At his father. I know these things."

"Danny's a kindred spirit?" Rainie asked dryly.

"Something like that."

"What about Melissa Avalon?" Quincy interjected.

"What was she?"