Chasing Ghosts Read Online Free PDF Page A

Padre could smell a lie like bottle flies
could smell rotting flesh. He also believed in keeping his friends
close and his enemies closer which is why Dagger felt Padre asked
for his assistance in certain cases. Dagger not only looked
dangerous but he also looked like someone who operated just below
the radar. Padre had zeroed in on him not long after Dagger arrived
in town.
    Padre shoved a piece of gum in his mouth and
started chomping and mashing it to death.
    “ Quit smoking again?” Dagger always
knew when Padre was trying to cut down. His gum wrappers increased.
He pulled a mug from the cabinet and poured himself a cup of
coffee.
    Sara busied herself emptying the dishwasher.
“I’ll be out of your hair as soon as I finish.”
    “ Don’t leave on my account, Sara.
Matter of fact, you might be able to clear up a few
things.”
    “ So this is an official visit.” Dagger
smiled at the detective. “And here I thought you missed us.” He
raked his collar-length hair back into a ponytail and wrapped a
band around it.
    “ Sara I definitely miss. But
you?”
    “ I’m deeply hurt.” Dagger actually had
a fondness for the cop. They had been in a number of scrapes
together and Padre was always watching his back. But he didn’t
doubt for a minute that Padre would toss the book at him if he
thought he were guilty of something. Padre was a by-the-book cop.
Strange friend for a guy who had tossed out the book years
ago.
    “ Do you know a guy by the name of Lee
Connors?”
    “ Should I?”
    “ He gave our department a call a couple
days ago asking if we could recommend a private detective. I gave
him your name. Course, I respect your privacy and didn’t give him
your address. When I asked him for his number so you could call
him, he hung up.”
    Dagger took a sip of coffee then grabbed the
carafe and refilled their cups. “Guess I should thank you. Did he
give any hint what he wanted?” He gave himself a mental pat on the
back for ripping out the phone book page with his name scribbled on
it in Connors’ hotel room.
    “ I was hoping you could tell me.” Padre
gave that steely eyed glare Dagger had seen so many
times.
    Dagger shrugged. “Never saw him.”
    Sara pulled knives from the washer and dried
them with a towel before placing them in the knife holder. Her gaze
drifted from Dagger to Padre then back to Dagger.
    “ Hmmmm.” Padre snapped the gum like a
truck stop waitress. “What if I told you the cab company has a
record of dropping off Mister Connors on your doorstep?”
    Shit.
    “ Oh,” Sara said and smiled shyly. “Was
that him?” She dried her hands on the towel and said, “I told him
Dagger wouldn’t be home for a couple hours. He never said who he
was, didn’t want to wait, and then he left.”
    “ He walked back to town?”
    “ I offered to call a cab but he had his
phone on him and said he would call. He never got inside the gate.
Being here all alone I didn’t want to let him in.”
    “ No, no. Of course not. Unfortunately,
the cab company doesn’t have a record of picking him back
up.”
    “ Maybe he hitched a ride,” Dagger
offered.
    “ Hmmmm.” Padre wadded the used gum in
an empty wrapper and pulled out a fresh stick. “And this was
yesterday?”
    “ In the morning.” Sara went back to
emptying the dishwasher.
    “ Well then.” Padre thanked them for the
coffee and cake and stood. He started for the door then stopped,
one finger raised. “There’s just one problem with that
story.”
    “ What’s that?” Dagger noticed the sound
of plates hitting the counter had ceased. He stood to walk Padre
out, to keep the cop from zeroing in on Sara.
    “ Some airport workers found Connors’
body stuffed in the trunk of his rental car.”
    Sara and Dagger both stared at Padre, waiting
for the proverbial other shoe to drop.
    “ He had been dead for two days.” Padre
chewed, looked from Dagger to Sara and smiled. “Did he look dead to
you?”
    “ Do you have his picture?” Sara