Murder on the Yellow Brick Road Read Online Free PDF

building up for a charge.
    Seidman pulled out a notebook. I nodded to him and to Rashkow, who was afraid to smile.
    â€œToby,” Phil began plunging his hands into his pants pockets to keep them calm, “I’m going to ask you questions, and you are going to answer without jokes. Then you are going to get your ass out of here. You understand?”
    I understood and said so. I was determined to keep from irritating him.
    â€œWho found the body?”
    â€œI did,” I said. Hoff twitched next to me.
    â€œWho’s he?” Phil asked nodding at Hoff, “and what’s up his ass?”
    â€œHis name is Hoff,” I said. “He’s an assistant vice president for publicity. I was supposed to meet him here about working as a bodyguard for a premiere when I stumbled on the body.”
    â€œI see,” said Phil starting to walk in a small circle on the yellow brick road. “You were meeting on this set instead of in his office because it’s more comfortable and convenient here.”
    â€œHe wanted to keep our meeting secret,” I said slowly, “because the star I was assigned to doesn’t like protection.”
    â€œThat right Hoff?” Phil said moving no more than two inches from Hoff. Sweat popped out of Hoff’s pores.
    â€œThat’s right,” said Hoff softly
    â€œIt’s bullshit,” Phil shouted in Hoff’s face. The shout had enough impact to send Hoff staggering back a few feet with numbed ear drums. “What’s going on here? Who killed the little turd?”
    â€œPhil, we don’t know,” I said with my hands coming open and palms up. “I just stumbled on the body.”
    â€œWho is he, the dead midget?”
    â€œThey like to be called little people,” I corrected.
    â€œHe doesn’t give a shit what we call him,” Phil shouted. “Who is he?”
    Everyone looked at Hoff.
    â€œI don’t know,” he said. “There were a few hundred little people on the picture. He might not even be one of them.”
    â€œWell,” sighed Phil putting his hand on Hoff’s shoulder, “do you think you could get someone in here to identify him? And then can you round up anyone who has been in this building in the last twenty four hours and will admit it?”
    Hoff said he could, and Phil told Rashkow to call for someone from the Coroner’s office. I thought of the Coroner from Munchkin City who had certified the death of the first wicked witch. He had stood right about where Phil was standing.
    â€œWhat was the dead midget doing in here?” Phil asked Hoff. “And why is he wearing that costume?”
    â€œWe don’t know what he was doing in here and why he was wearing his costume,” answered Hoff. Phil looked at Hoff as if he were useless, and Hoff reached for a Spud. Seidman got Hoff’s office number and sent him on his way to get possible witnesses. Seidman and Rashkow began to look around the set and Phil turned his back on me and walked over to the waterless Munchkin City fountain where he sat looking dyspeptically at the corpse and the set. He took a white tablet out of his pocket and popped it into his mouth. He chewed it furiously. Little pieces of it spat out when I approached him and sat down.
    â€œYou’re a goddamn liar,” he said chewing away.
    I shrugged.
    â€œPhil, can you think about keeping this quiet for a while?”
    He stopped chewing and looked at me blankly. I waited for the blank look to turn to rage and expected his thick hand to catch me before I could move away, but the look turned to a smile and then a laugh. Both Seidman and Rashkow stopped to see what had happened. Phil almost choked with maniacal laughter. In the midst of his laughter, he grabbed my collar and stood up. Our noses were almost touching when he spoke.
    â€œToby, I’ve messed you before and I’ll do it again. You’re covering and you’re trying to