enough to avoid acknowledging their insincerity.
Stocker shuffled away and Breen stomped up to Macklin. All the Nikons in the area were trained on him.
"You should be proud of your father, Mr. Macklin. He was a credit to the badge." Breen wrapped his paw around Macklin's hand. "If I can be of any help, just let me know."
He clapped Macklin on the shoulder and made a beeline for the press.
Macklin watched him, saw Breen feign avoidance, and then plunge right in.
Brooke stepped up behind Macklin and slid her arm around his waist. It felt warm. "Are you coming home with us?"
Macklin spotted Shaw and Sunshine striding towards their Bug. "No, I don't think so. I've had enough of this for one day."
"Will we see you tonight, Dad?" Corinne asked, bravely fighting back the tears she'd felt all afternoon.
"Sure." He bent down and kissed the top of Corinne's head. Brooke looked at him, and meeting her gaze, he kissed her cheek. "I'll see you later, about eight."
Macklin lingered for a moment, smiled, and then headed toward the orange Bug.
Guess was running excitedly around the car, his big tongue lolling out as he bounded. For the first time all day, Sunshine didn't look fatally anemic.
"Ronny, could I talk to you a sec?" Macklin asked.
Sunshine came over to Macklin and touched his arm tenderly. "How are you feeling, Mac?"
Guess leaped up on Macklin, puffing and drooling all over his suit. "I'm doing fine, thanks." Macklin tried to push Guess away, looking to Shaw for help.
"C'mere, Guess, give Mac a break." Shaw pulled Guess away and followed Macklin down the access road away from everyone.
"Okay, Ronny, just how close are you to nailing the bastards who killed Dad?"
"We've got some leads and I'veâ"
"Oh, stop giving me this shit, Ronny. Just who the hell do you think you're talking to? C'mon, spare me the bullshit and give me the bottom line."
Shaw stopped and faced Macklin. "It's probably the Bounty Hunters. They were in the area that night and JD had some run-ins with them before."
"So what's stopping you? Why aren't these guys in cages?"
"No one will talk, Mac."
"Run that by me again."
Shaw signed. "No one will talk. Everyone on the street has suddenly developed laryngitis."
Macklin stared past Shaw to row after row of tombstones. "Well, Ronny, you'd better make them talk."
Shaw didn't like the sound of Macklin's voice. It was cold and distant, not the Brett Macklin he had grown up with.
"We're doing our best. "
"Just make them talk," barked Macklin, turning and walking away.
"Tell me, Mac, should I use a rubber hose or shove bamboo shoots under their fingernails?" Shaw yelled. Macklin kept walking. Guess bounded toward him but was stopped cold by Macklin's face, a gaze that even Guess knew meant "get near me and I'll rip your tongue out and strangle you with it."
Jacob Zimmer of the Herald Examiner wasn't as smart as Guess. A self-proclaimed asshole's asshole, he prided himself on his ability to out-son-of-a-bitch anybody with a press pass and a reporter's notebook. He wore his customary blue corduroy ensemble, his dirty canvas tennis shoes, and his have-I-got-a-Chevy-for-you smile.
Zimmer grabbed Macklin's forearm. "Can I have a word with you, Mr. Macklin?"
Macklin yanked his arm away without breaking his stride. "No."
"How do you feel about your father's death?" Zimmer chewed on his Wrigley's spearmint. He bought the stuff by the case.
Macklin turned. "Disappear, buddy. " He walked toward his black '59 Caddy.
"Has this shaken your faith in the law? In society? In your fellow man?"
Zimmer skirted around and headed off Macklin. "How is your daughter dealing with the killing?"
Macklin grabbed Zimmer by the neck and slammed him against the Caddy's dorsal fin.
"If you don't shut up and get out of my way, you're going to get an exclusive interview with my father." Zimmer gurgled on his gum wad. "End quote, got it?"
He pushed Zimmer away and left him gagging on the sidewalk. Macklin walked around
Stocker shuffled away and Breen stomped up to Macklin. All the Nikons in the area were trained on him.
"You should be proud of your father, Mr. Macklin. He was a credit to the badge." Breen wrapped his paw around Macklin's hand. "If I can be of any help, just let me know."
He clapped Macklin on the shoulder and made a beeline for the press.
Macklin watched him, saw Breen feign avoidance, and then plunge right in.
Brooke stepped up behind Macklin and slid her arm around his waist. It felt warm. "Are you coming home with us?"
Macklin spotted Shaw and Sunshine striding towards their Bug. "No, I don't think so. I've had enough of this for one day."
"Will we see you tonight, Dad?" Corinne asked, bravely fighting back the tears she'd felt all afternoon.
"Sure." He bent down and kissed the top of Corinne's head. Brooke looked at him, and meeting her gaze, he kissed her cheek. "I'll see you later, about eight."
Macklin lingered for a moment, smiled, and then headed toward the orange Bug.
Guess was running excitedly around the car, his big tongue lolling out as he bounded. For the first time all day, Sunshine didn't look fatally anemic.
"Ronny, could I talk to you a sec?" Macklin asked.
Sunshine came over to Macklin and touched his arm tenderly. "How are you feeling, Mac?"
Guess leaped up on Macklin, puffing and drooling all over his suit. "I'm doing fine, thanks." Macklin tried to push Guess away, looking to Shaw for help.
"C'mere, Guess, give Mac a break." Shaw pulled Guess away and followed Macklin down the access road away from everyone.
"Okay, Ronny, just how close are you to nailing the bastards who killed Dad?"
"We've got some leads and I'veâ"
"Oh, stop giving me this shit, Ronny. Just who the hell do you think you're talking to? C'mon, spare me the bullshit and give me the bottom line."
Shaw stopped and faced Macklin. "It's probably the Bounty Hunters. They were in the area that night and JD had some run-ins with them before."
"So what's stopping you? Why aren't these guys in cages?"
"No one will talk, Mac."
"Run that by me again."
Shaw signed. "No one will talk. Everyone on the street has suddenly developed laryngitis."
Macklin stared past Shaw to row after row of tombstones. "Well, Ronny, you'd better make them talk."
Shaw didn't like the sound of Macklin's voice. It was cold and distant, not the Brett Macklin he had grown up with.
"We're doing our best. "
"Just make them talk," barked Macklin, turning and walking away.
"Tell me, Mac, should I use a rubber hose or shove bamboo shoots under their fingernails?" Shaw yelled. Macklin kept walking. Guess bounded toward him but was stopped cold by Macklin's face, a gaze that even Guess knew meant "get near me and I'll rip your tongue out and strangle you with it."
Jacob Zimmer of the Herald Examiner wasn't as smart as Guess. A self-proclaimed asshole's asshole, he prided himself on his ability to out-son-of-a-bitch anybody with a press pass and a reporter's notebook. He wore his customary blue corduroy ensemble, his dirty canvas tennis shoes, and his have-I-got-a-Chevy-for-you smile.
Zimmer grabbed Macklin's forearm. "Can I have a word with you, Mr. Macklin?"
Macklin yanked his arm away without breaking his stride. "No."
"How do you feel about your father's death?" Zimmer chewed on his Wrigley's spearmint. He bought the stuff by the case.
Macklin turned. "Disappear, buddy. " He walked toward his black '59 Caddy.
"Has this shaken your faith in the law? In society? In your fellow man?"
Zimmer skirted around and headed off Macklin. "How is your daughter dealing with the killing?"
Macklin grabbed Zimmer by the neck and slammed him against the Caddy's dorsal fin.
"If you don't shut up and get out of my way, you're going to get an exclusive interview with my father." Zimmer gurgled on his gum wad. "End quote, got it?"
He pushed Zimmer away and left him gagging on the sidewalk. Macklin walked around
Similar Books
Irish Moon
Amber Scott
Never to Keep (Accepting Fate #1)
Aimie Grey
Wulfyddia (The Tattersall Trilogy Book 1)
Steele Alexandra
Cancelled by Murder
Jean Flowers
A Train in Winter
Caroline Moorehead
Wild Mustang Man
Carol Grace
The Kindness of Women
J. G. Ballard
Dark Knight of the Skye
Robin Renee Ray
Forever Mine
Elizabeth Reyes