Yesterday's News

connected.”
    “You’re the detective, pal.”
    “So you still buy your boss’s view of somebody acing Coyne as an informant?”
    “I can see it.”
    “If it was your brother Coyne had dropped?” Teevens got exasperated. “Look, Cuddy, you watch much TV when you were a kid?”
    “Some.”
    “You shoulda paid more attention. That kinda thing happens all the time. Sometimes, a guy turns another guy for money, the first guy don’t get to count the money, let alone spend any of it.”
    “And somebody who killed Coyne that way gets Rust to take mashed-up sleeping pills and then tries to spread me over that barrier back there? It doesn’t make sense.”
    “Like I said, you’re the detective.” He glanced down at my leg. “Looks pretty bad there. You want a doctor?”
    “No, thanks. Drugstore’ll do it.”
    Duckie stopped outside a CVS. I went in and bought some antiseptic, bandages, and adhesive tape. Back in the Camaro, there was no talking until we pulled into the motel parking lot.
    As I was getting out of the car, he twisted his torso to face me. “Cuddy?”
    “Yeah?”
    “Something like this happens again, don’t bet the mortgage on me being around, okay?”
    I looked at him. He said, “I tell the boss about this here, and he’s probably gonna tell me to give up tailing you.”
    I hopped on my right foot and swung the bad leg out of the car. Closing the door, I said, “Thanks for everything so far.”
    Teevens said, “I mean it,” and drove away.

    “Christ on a crutch, what happened to you?” Jones hung back in the doorway to my unit, as I washed away the blood in the tub and swabbed antiseptic on the abraded skin. “Seems jogging’s a contact sport down here, Emil.”
    “Get you anything?”
    I motioned toward the items on top of the toilet tank. “I’ll be fine with the gauze and all.”
    “Lemme bring you some breakfast, anyway. Muffins and eggs okay?”
    “Great. Thanks.”
    “Be a few minutes. After all this, gotta check on something first.”
    “What do you have to check on?”
    “Whether you’re paid up in advance or not.” He turned to go. “Finally found the goddam receipt book.”

I finished licking my wounds and ate the breakfast Jones brought me. Getting into a pair of slacks and a sports shirt, I walked stiffly to the car. By setting the seat back farther than usual, I could work the clutch while still being able to control the gas and brake with my right foot.
    On the way into town, I stopped and again dialed the office of Richard Dykestra. The receptionist again told me the developer was unavailable. I thanked her and hung up.
    Back in the car, I drove until I saw a stationery store on Main Street . I bought a small book mailer and a fancy label. On the label, I wrote Dykestra’s name and address. In the upper left comer of the mailer, I printed the name and address of the fictitious Boston law firm of Dewey, Cheatham & Howe.
    Then I parked at a meter near the police building. Approaching the front doors, I saw Captain Hogueira in a large, black Oldsmobile, Manos at the wheel. I limped over.
    “Mr. Cuddy, you are hurt? We are just returning, but perhaps we could provide you with a ride. This car is one of the few privileges of my rank.”
    “I’ll be alright, thank you. I would like to talk though. Before I see your esteemed colleague Captain Hagan.”
    In his office, Hogueira said, “How may I be of service?”
    “Fair to say the uniformed branch here investigates traffic incidents?”
    “With diligence.”
    “Somebody almost ran me down this morning.”
    “When?”
    “About six-thirty.”
    “Where?”
    “The car followed me from the motel west along Crestview, then tried to resurface the river bridge with me.
    “Most unfortunate. Witnesses?”
    “One.”
    Hogueira regarded me for a moment. “Before I inquire of the name of the witness, may I ask why you waited these several hours to report the accident?”
    “No accident. The driver was trying to kill me.”
    “You saw the driver?”
    “No. And I didn’t get a plate number, either.” Hogueira shrugged. “Of little importance. Almost certainly stolen.” His eyes refocused on me. “Again, however, why did you wait so long to contact us?”
    “I thought I should bandage myself up first.”
    “You are injured badly?”
    “More in pride than body. I should have seen it coming.”
    “You should have realized someone would try to kill you with a car?”
    “I should have realized that