Fool's Flight (Digger) Read Online Free PDF

Ages’?"
    "Maybe your husband wanted him to carry on his work?"
    "What work? He’s an auctioneer in a robe. I’ll fight it in court. I wasn’t married all these years so Wardell gets rich when Steve dies. The court’ll understand things like that. I’m his wife. Those two are his kids. We deserve that money."
    "Of course you do." Digger realized that Trini Donnelly was on the edge of being very drunk.
    "When we got married, I never thought it was going to end up like this. I could have married a lot of people. He was a senior captain. What have I got, I got shit."
    "Well, anything that I can do…"
    "What can you do?"
    "Nothing, I guess. But you seem to think that Wardell might have done something underhanded to get your husband to sign insurance to him. Maybe that’ll check out. If it does, well, we’ll see. Maybe something could work out."
    "I’m going to sue."
    "Just wait a little bit until you see how everything turns out."
    "Maybe you’re right. Fresh drink?"
    "No thanks," Digger said. "I’ve got a long day’s work."
    "Would you like to stay for lunch?"
    "I don’t think your sons would approve."
    "Who cares? I can send them over to a neighbor’s. Get them lost for a couple of hours. She’s got two morons that I watch too."
    Digger stood up and held Mrs. Donnelly’s hands in his. "If I didn’t have work to do, I’d take you up on that offer in a flash."
    He squeezed her hands hard. She looked into his eyes trying to make hers limpid. They were a little bloodshot.
    "Well, I owe you one. The door is always open," she said.
    "I’ll be around town a few days. Maybe later, Trini."
    "I hope so."
    "I can let myself out."
    "Okay. If you see my boys, tell them to stay near the house. Unless somebody offers them a chance to run away and join the circus. Tell them to take it."
    The two boys were on the curb in front, near Digger’s rented car. As he stepped out of the house, he reached behind him and pressed a button turning off the tape recorder that had been running through-out the conversation with Trini Donnelly.
    The older boy said to Digger, "Did you fuck?"
    "You’re a disgusting little creep."
    "I’m gonna tell my mama."
    "She doesn’t want you in that house. She said go play in the street. In the middle. If you ever give me any snot again, I’m going to remove your scrotum. Both of you. Now get the hell out of here."
    The two boys ran away and Digger got into his car and drove off, thinking the Donnelly family wasn’t exactly the Waltons.

Chapter Six

    Digger entered police headquarters and went directly to the basement because detective bureaus were always in the basement.
    A policeman in plainclothes sat at a desk inside the door. Digger knew he was a policeman because he was trying to type with two fingers, neither of which seemed to be able to select one key over another. He was swearing a lot under his breath.
    He looked up, saw Digger and said, "Be with you in a minute." He hunched forward over the typewriter and raised his right index finger high into the air. His eyes scanned the keyboard. He seemed to find what he was looking for. The index finger crashed down. The policeman shook his head and sighed. "Yes, sir, what can I do for you?"
    "My name’s Burroughs. I wanted to see the detective commander."
    "That would be Lieutenant Mannion."
    "What’d you say your name was?"
    "Burroughs." Digger handed him a business card.
    "What is it about, Mr. Burroughs?"
    "That plane crash two weeks ago. I’m with the insurance company."
    The plainclothesman nodded and dialed two digits on his phone.
    "An insurance guy named Burroughs is here about that plane crash." He nodded and put his hand over the mouthpiece. "He says what about that plane crash," he told Digger.
    Digger shrugged. "I’m looking into it. This is kind of a courtesy call."
    "It’s kind of a courtesy call, Lieutenant," the officer reported dutifully. He listened some more, then hung up. "He said he’s too busy right now to be