Page 26 of Body Count

Whatever he’d been expecting, that wasn’t it.He sat up a little straighter, and then the amusement sharpened in his face.“That’s right.You’re a queer too.”

“Does Tip have friends in Kansas City he might be staying with?”

“What’s that like?Little town like this, it can’t be easy.”

“It was harder in Springfield.What about family?A relative, someone he’s close to?”

“Is that why you’ve got such a hard-on for Tip?You want to fuck him or something?”

“What about friends in the area?Besides Jordan and Rory?”

He leaned back.His hand made a loose circle around the neck of the bottle, sliding up and down.Maybe it was subconscious, I thought.Maybe I should point it out.He said, “How do you pack faggots in a bar?”

“Has Tip been in any kind of trouble lately?”

“Turn the stools upside down.”

“Did Tip say anything recently that might suggest he was thinking about hurting himself?”

Eddie Wheeler’s smile was slow and hard.“Does your captain know you’re fucking around like this?Maybe I should call him.”

“Where’s Mrs.Wheeler?I’d like to ask her a few questions.”

“Mrs.Wheeler.That’s a good one.You should call her that.”

“Is she home?”

“No,” he said.“She’s not home.Do you know why she’s not home?Because she’s a fucking whore.Like her son.”

“I’d like to talk to her.Is there a way I can get in touch with her?”

He looked like he didn’t want to answer, but he must have known how this worked—if I wanted to find her, I’d find her.He shifted in his seat, the color in his face deepening, and finally said, “Sure.You can drive out to the Beaver Trap and have a nice chat while she’s shaking her titties.”

In the front yard, a sparrow fluttered down from one of the big trees to peck at the ground.

Eddie Wheeler’s face was red again, and he spoke into the silence.“Hell, maybe you’ll find Tip there.That boy would love to shake his ass on a stage while a bunch of old fucks jerked off to him.”

“Do you think Tip is at the Beaver Trap?”

“How fucking stupid are you?They wouldn’t put a guy up there.Not to mention the last time, they beat the shit out of him.I told him that’s what he got for—”

He stopped so suddenly I could hear the click in his throat.

“For what?”

“Get the fuck out of here.”

“What happened the last time Tip went out to the Beaver Trap?”

“Did you hear me?I said get the fuck out!”

I studied him.He was flushed, and he wouldn’t meet my eyes.

“Get out of my house!You’d better believe I’m calling your fucking captain after this shit.Get the fuck out!”

“If you hear from Tip,” I said, “or you think of anything else, give me a call.”

As I made my way to the door, he shouted after me, “I’ll call your captain, that’s who I’m going to call.I’ll call the detectives in charge of this fucking case.”

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