Murder Deja Vu

I’ll go home and get some rest. Cancel all my appointments, will you?”
    “I hope Mr. Wright didn’t upset you. You seemed perfectly fine this morning.”
    “Wright? Oh, no. He was pumping me for information to see what we had on Reece Daughtry. He knew he was chasing a lost cause defending that murderer. When the police catch him, it’ll be all over.”
    “I hope it’ll be soon. Do you think Mrs. Minette is all right? You don’t think Daughtry will harm her, do you?”
    “I hope not.” He sighed. “I’m worried sick about her. Mrs. Minette is a sucker for a sad story, and I’m sure Daughtry made it sound good. Fifteen years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. What a crock of—um, what a bunch of baloney. But knowing my wife, she probably fell for it like a ton of those stones he uses to make those god-awful fireplaces.”
    “I thought you wanted him to build one for you. Didn’t I hear you say that, Mr. Minette?”
    Robert couldn’t stand anyone calling him out, especially a low-level secretary. She wasn’t even a legal secretary. “I thought I did, until I saw one in person. Shoddy workmanship. I wouldn’t have one of those monstrosities in my house. If Mrs. Minette wanted one, well, shows you what kind of taste she has. Same as she has in men.”
    He turned around and left his office. Outside, he realized what he’d said. Oh, well. Doris knew what he meant. He drove his Escalade to a small shopping center and found a phone to call Klugh’s cell.
    “I’m on a surveillance job, Robert. What do you want?”
    “The PI that works for Daughtry’s lawyer showed up today. He knew you were here the other morning. Then he dropped the bomb that he was going to prove you killed Lurena Howe.”
    Klugh didn’t hesitate. “And you said what?”
    “I said of course you were here. Didn’t make sense to say you weren’t. He obviously knew otherwise. I said you were doing a job for me.”
    “Well, you’d better fill me in on what job I was supposed to be doing, in case it comes up. I like covering my ass, especially when someone’s accusing me of murder.”
    “I wish I could say I had you covering Daughtry, and that you saw him pick up Lurena Howe, but that’s too after the fact. Should’ve thought of it sooner.”
    “Make it something personal. Otherwise you would’ve used the county’s investigator. Maybe I was following your wife.”
    “Ex-wife. But why? Everyone in town knows the whore is sleeping with Daughtry. Why would I have you follow her?”
    “I don’t know, Robert. You’re the brains. I’m just the muscle. I follow orders. You know, like killing Lurena Howe.”
    “I never ordered that.”
    “You think if this has legs, a jury will think it was all my idea? Get real. I’m a hire. So be careful if you think you can pin this on me. I’ll go down, but you’ll go with me. Remember that.” The line went dead.
    Robert stepped away from the phone. His stomach did a weird summersault, and now he really didn’t feel well. If he was perspiring before, after talking with Klugh he was about to dissolve into a freaking puddle. Wright was right. Klugh would fold on him sure as he was standing in a goddamn strip mall with a phone in his hand. He needed a drink. Some place nice and quiet. He could go home, but he didn’t want to be alone. Not that he wanted to chat; he needed people around him. He wouldn’t put it past Klugh to drive to Regal Falls and make sure Robert understood the facts according to Harry Klugh. He drove to Pine House.

Chapter Thirty
Russian Roulette

    W here’s the goddamn bartender? Robert was about ready to get behind the bar and pour himself a drink.
    “The usual, Mr. Minette?”
    “Chaz. Good. I didn’t think anyone was here.”
    “I went in back for a minute. I didn’t hear you come in.”
    “Yeah, the usual, and make it a double. Bring it over to that table, please, would you?”
    “Sure thing.”
    Robert nodded to one man he knew, but he didn’t feel like making small talk. He never did, unless he gained something from it. Tonight, the idea of going home to an empty house appealed to him even less. The boys were away at school; Dana was long gone too. Not that he missed her. He snickered. Who was he kidding? He missed Dana, but he was too angry to admit it to anyone other than himself. She’d walked out with nothing he could take away. Didn’t even ask for alimony. What kind of woman did that? He would have fought her anyway. He had