Dead Red Cadillac, A Read Online Free PDF

bacon and eggs, than interviewing murder suspects. Me too.
    Introductions over, I was warned not to touch anything as we did a slow shuffle around the car. I bit at my trembling lip and commented on the insult of damage. It wasn't a pretty sight, but then, I imagine, neither was Patience. The fender was crunched up almost to the engine block. The impact to its steel frame alone would have been enough to kill any driver, especially without the requisite shoulder strap seat belt, much less an airbag.
    "Well, it didn't look anything like this yesterday, that's for sure." I pointed to the obvious. "The right front headlight is busted, and, of course, the front right fender is dented, uh, badly." I gulped and looked across the car at Caleb, who still wouldn't look me in the eye. I gave up and went back to surveying the damage to my once-beautiful car.
    "When can I get her to a garage, Detective?" I asked, watching weeds drip water off the wheel wells.
    "Well," drawled the tooth picker, "we need to let her dry out. I don't hold out much hope for prints, not when she's been in all that wet silt. When she dries out some, we'll vacuum her, see if we can pick up anything." He shrugged. "They don't make 'em like this anymore, but with the water, sludge and mud, she sure took a hit."
    I winced. "What about Mrs. McBride? I'd say she didn't take the ride so well, either." My mouth felt like cotton, and the headache was crawling up the back of my scalp. Soon it would cover my left temple and carve out a shallow tunnel for my vision.
    He moved the toothpick to the other side of his mouth and gave Caleb a look over my head that said he'd had enough. "I could let you have it tomorrow, maybe next day." He handed me a card and, turning it over, wrote down a number. "You call this guy and he'll let you know if we're done with it. See she gets over to my office in half an hour, Sheriff."
    Caleb gave the detective a little nod, squeezed my elbow, and pulled me away. "You okay? You look like you're going to faint or something."
    "I'll be all right. I just wish I could have picked a better time to quit smoking." I still thought smoking bit off the start of a migraine, though the doctors didn't agree. "I've got my pills in my purse if I could get some water."
    "Come on, I'll walk you over to the police station. They've got a cooler by the exit. Oh, I almost forgot. You remember Patience saying anything about a nephew?"
    "Yeah," I said, listlessly watching the sun crawl across the Caddy's hood, leaving behind gray-green spots of dried algae on an otherwise dull red exterior. "Lives in Oklahoma."
    "Well, I got a message he's trying to reach you."
    "Okay, I'll call him when I get home," I said, miserably turning away.
    Steering me by the elbow out of the police impound lot, Caleb said softly, "He's in the county jail, and he's asking for you."
    "Who?" I asked, holding onto my aching head.
    "Patience's nephew. After you complete your interview with Detective Rodney, of course."
    I blanched, cold again in the summer heat. "Are you joking? Her nephew's in jail? What for?" Then I remembered the detective and asked, "Did he kill his aunt?"
    "That hasn't been determined. Police found him asleep in his RV outside her home. You can ask the detective why he's now behind bars. Come on, we'll get you some water for your headache medicine." His voice was as noncommittal as any deadeye dick's. It was beginning to worry me.
    "Tell me you don't think I had any part of this. Come on, Caleb, I wasn't that jealous of her winning the damn blue ribbon. Besides, it was really bad jam, just ask my dad."
    "Lalla, I know you didn't," he said, still dragging me along by the elbow. "Now stop fussing. Just answer the detective's questions, then stop by the jail and see Patience's nephew."
    We arrived at the police station, Caleb holding me up by the arm and me holding a soggy paper cup of water. "When you're ready, go straight back to the elevators, second floor, third door to the