A Vineyard Killing Read Online Free PDF Page B

don’t count as witnesses.”
    He drank more of his coffee. “You mentioned more knives out in the shed.”
    We went out to the shed behind the house and I showed him our several very sharp fish knives. Then we went back inside the house.
    â€œWhat was Kirkland doing behind the Fireside?” I asked. “Besides getting himself killed, that is.”
    â€œWell you might ask. We’re nosing around right now trying to find out if anybody saw him or the killer. It’s a public place and the lot has pretty good light.”
    â€œBut it was cold and there aren’t too many people wandering the streets at night this time of year.”
    He nodded. “Yeah. People are inside, where it’s warm. Whoever it is who’s taking whacks at Fox’s people has been lucky twice now. First up in Vineyard Haven and now in OB. Both times he did his work right in plain sight but nobody saw him. Kirkland was sitting in the driver’s seat of his own Saber-fox Range Rover when he bought it. He managed to get his door open and fall out onto the tarmac to die. Almost like he didn’t want to get too much blood on the company car.”
    â€œThoughtful of him. Robbery, maybe? One of our local druggies might have needed money, and a guy driving a Range Rover would be a good target.”
    â€œHis wallet was in his pocket, but we’re nosing around the streets in case anybody knows something. So far they don’t seem to.”
    â€œYou talk like it might be the same guy who did Paul Fox.”
    â€œWho knows? However many people were involved, it would be quite a coincidence to have two unrelated killers out there whacking at Fox and his people.”
    â€œSo because I’m mad at Fox for threatening to take my land I figured out a way to shoot Paul while I was having lunch and to stab Kirkland while I was home with Zee. Right?”
    â€œSomething like that. Don’t get snippy. You know the routine. We’re talking to a lot of people.”
    I did know the routine. When a crime is solved it’s not done by a genius sitting in his house getting his clues from the newspapers and naming the villain by being smarter than the bumbling police; it’s solved by hard work and, often, good luck. The cops start asking questions and keep at it and somewhere along the line learn something that takes them to the next thing until they finally think they have enough evidence to charge somebody.
    â€œIf I was going to the Fireside,” I said, “it would be because I was thirsty or because I was meeting somebody.”
    â€œIt’s your kind of place, all right, but the Fireside isn’t the sort of joint I’d expect one of Fox’s people to habituate. I’d have thought they’d go to a classier watering hole. Kirkland was wearing a suit and tie when he bought it.”
    â€œHabituate,” I said admiringly. “That’s a word I never once heard used by my colleagues when I was a cop.”
    Agganis sighed. “I’m one of those new-breed policemen you may have heard about. The ones who can read and everything.”
    â€œYeah. Well, I guess I wouldn’t have thought that Kirkland was the Fireside type either. When he came to our place he was wearing a jacket and tie, too, and seemed like a bit of a prig. The only other people I’ve ever seen wearing ties around this island are lawyers. Maybe he was there to meet somebody more my type.”
    â€œCould be. We’ve talked with the bartender, but he didn’t have much to contribute. He did say that he hadn’t seen you for a while, so we know you weren’t waiting for Kirkland inside.”
    â€œI’m a married man. I don’t hang around bars as much as I used to do. You talk with Bonzo?”
    â€œBonzo was off duty last night. Home with his mother. You have any ideas about this that might help?”
    â€œYou check out Kirkland’s quarters yet? Maybe