Death at King Arthur's Court Read Online Free PDF Page A

deliberately creating a circus here, Herbert? What sort of stupid games are you people playing?’
    â€˜I’m making it my collar, Norbie,’ Rocco answered. ‘Wentworth is my prisoner.’
    â€˜Come with me, Chief,’ Norbert said as he gestured Rocco back into the kitchen. As soon as they were alone, the state police captain exploded in a paroxysm of whispered rage. ‘What are you doing? Are you trying to taint all our actions out here today? This is unprofessional behavior of the worst magnitude and the state’s attorney will be so informed.’
    â€˜You wear blinkers, Norbie,’ Rocco responded. ‘And you always have. Once you zero in on a suspect, you move the rocks of hell to gather more evidence for your conviction, but never look around the corner for another suspect. Your blinkers don’t allow you to see beyond the one you’ve decided on, Captain. You’ve always been that way and so are a lot of other cops.’
    â€˜Your fear of conflict of interest seems to have flown with the rest of your senses.’
    â€˜My best friend is going to twist in the wind if I don’t help him. I know in the depths of my being that he is innocent.’
    â€˜Innocent! I’ve got everything except a confession or eyewitness. And tell me what in hell the senator is pulling?’
    â€˜Pulling?’
    â€˜She’s evidently playing games, unless …’He stopped in mid-sentence, to continue in a conspiratorial tone. ‘Unless they are both in it together. The family Wentworth knocked Morgan off and will now cover for each other. I’ve ridden that merry-go-round before.’
    â€˜I’m buying Lyon some time, Norbie. Now go along with me on this and don’t hound the state’s attorney for your warrant.’
    â€˜I’ll be in his office a half hour after I leave here. If you don’t have that man arraigned no later than tomorrow, you are in deep shit, Herbert.’
    Rocco turned without a word and returned to the living room. Norbert followed, but his voice dropped two unctuous registers as he approached Bea. ‘There are circumstances here, Senator, that—’
    â€˜I demand to be remanded into custody,’ Bea said. ‘I insist on being fingerprinted and shoved in a lineup.’
    â€˜We don’t have lineups in Murphysville,’ Rocco said tiredly. ‘Everyone knows everyone else.’
    â€˜Isn’t anyone interested in my confession?’ Bea asked. ‘Take those cuffs off Lyon and slap them on me.’
    â€˜Oh, Christ, the media is going to crucify all of us,’ Norbert mumbled.
    â€˜You haven’t had any firearms training, Bea,’ Rocco said. ‘Only a trained marksman could have pulled off the shot that killed Morgan.’
    â€˜Nice try, Rocco,’ she replied. ‘Except that I know he was killed with a sword. It so happens that I was on the fencing team in college. You can verify that from my yearbook.’
    â€˜Morgan’s fatal wounds were hardly the result of fancy épée thrusts.’
    â€˜The saber was always my weapon of choice,’ Bea responded.
    Norbert was fascinated by this pert, feisty woman who stood defiantly before them. Bea Wentworth was slightly under medium height, with a figure that might be described as petite except for the fullness of her breasts and hips. Her short hair was worn in a fashion that bracketed her face and gave her a gamin-like appearance. This innocent quality was usually belied by the darting intelligence and intensity of her eyes. Norbert had known her casually for years, and had followed her political career from state representative to secretary of the state and then state senator. He had also watched several television interviews when she was spokesperson for a cause or sponsor of specific legislation.
    Patrolman Jamie Martin of the Murphysville police force stuck his head through the French doors. ‘Call for