The Throwbacks Read Online Free PDF Page B

and this is your town. And I would guess since you’re in politics, you have your own share of anti-fans,” David said.
    “I don’t think of him as my twin anymore. We’ve gone in extreme different directions—we’ve been different since we drew our first breath. Anyone who knows us would never confuse us.”
    “Interesting. So, if it’s not a random attack, either someone chased Nick up here to murder him—someone who knows him and is particularly inept. Or someone who doesn’t know you very well thought they were killing you,” David observed.
    “Well, I’m glad we’re dealing with an inept would-be murderer,” Rick said.
    “Hmmm,” Dan said.
    “You stole my line,” David said under his breath so only his friend could hear.
    The chief smirked. “Probably taken by surprise rather than inept.”
    “We’ll know soon enough, when we can question Nick about what happened,” David agreed. Rick continued to try and revive his brother, shaking the man’s shoulder and patting his face.
    “If it was a murder attempt, I wonder what the murderer will do when they find out they haven’t murdered anyone at all,” the mayor mused.
    Everyone looked at him. David could hear a disconnected drain spout dripping onto the cement somewhere in the alley. His mind went back to a case he had twenty years ago. It was the case that got him his first promotion up the ranks at Scotland Yard.
    “Nothing,” he said. They all turned in unison to face him.
    “I wonder what the murderer would do if they knew they’d killed the wrong person?” David said to Rick and the mayor, and it had the desired effect of scaring them into silence.
    “If need be, I have a plan. It’s based on an old case of mine. We keep the fact that Nick was not murdered a secret among us.” David didn’t quite know why he felt so strongly about this. His famous instinct was at work. It had been so long, he wasn’t sure how doable this would be, but it was time to think it through.
    “Interesting approach. But why?” the mayor asked.
    “It will help keep Nick from being hunted down again,” Rick said.
    “But how does that help us trap the would-be killer?” The mayor seemed to be enjoying himself. Dan looked at David. That was the question he needed a minute to answer.
    Nick stirred and moved. Rick pulled his brother up by the lapels to help him sit.
    “I can’t believe you’re standing here discussing my demise while you left me lying in this skuzzy alley,” Nick said.
    There was a hubbub while they helped him off the ground and into the kitchen and got him a chair. Other than a banged-up skull and a hoarse voice, he appeared no worse for the wear, David thought. The man rubbed his chest at the point of the bullet’s impact.
    “Make sure no one comes in here and sees him alive and well. The fewer people who know there hasn’t been a murder the better,” David told Dan.
    “I’ll take care of that. So far no one knows there’s been a murder—real or not—outside this party. The police were never called officially,” the Mayor said.
    “What about an ambulance?” Rick asked, still hovering over his brother.
    Nick shook his head. “No one is after me. I didn’t see who shot me, but I saw and heard enough to know it wasn’t a professional job. If it was anything I was working on it would have been planned and executed better.”
    “In other words, if someone were going to murder you, they would have had a better plan?” Rick asked.
    “Exactly.”
    “So they’re after me?” Rick squeaked out.
    “What exactly happened?” the chief asked Nick.
    “I got up to go to the john and I heard a noise like someone was trying to get in the back door. So I went out there to investigate and slipped out the back. I couldn’t see anyone. But”—he paused and glanced at his brother—“I could swear on our mother’s grave I heard a man’s voice say ‘Racer? Rick Racer?’ like he was confirming my ID. I went for my gun at that