The Burning Man (11 page)

"Do you know Gary?" Arnie asked.

Downes nodded.

"Then, you know he's a little slow, and he'd had one too many. He tried to hit on this girl. She shot him down and he didn't take it too well. He grabbed her by her tee shirt and yelled in her face."

Arnie shook his head.

"What kind of tee shirt?" Downes asked, remembering the way Whiley was dressed.

"Uh, a Whitaker State one. The one with the rearing horse on it."

"Was she wearing jeans?"

"I think so."

"And you thought Gary might have killed this girl?"

Downes asked. ' "Not really," Block said with a laugh to show how ridiculous the whole thing was. "Gary just gets excited sometimes and acts like a kid. I mean, he did threaten to kill her, but no one took him seriously."

Chapter NINE.

Dennis Downes was normally an easygoing guy, but the possibility of busting the only serial killer in the history of Whitaker County had him on edge. Seated next to Downes in the passenger seat of their patrol car was Bob Patrick, whom everyone called Pat. Pat was tall and thin with wiry muscles. His face was narrow and pock marked and his eyes were close-set, making him look scary and mean. Pat wore his hair long and greasy in an Elvis Presley, fifties' duck's-ass style that was a little intimidating because it was so weird. Everything about him screamed "tough cop," which was why Downes brought him along. Pat was as psyched up as his partner.

"Jesus, Dennis, I think you're definitely on to something here," he said, as Downes drove toward Gary Harmon's house. Following them was another patrol car with two more officers.

"It's got to be him," Downes responded confidently.

"I talked to Karen Nix at her dorm around six. She and Whiley aren't twins, but they're the same type. Blond, long hair, slender. And they were both wearing jeans and that Whitaker tee shirt with the horse.

, "The way I see it, Harmon has this fight with Nix. He stays mad like a little kid would and broods about the put-down. Then, he gets a weapon and waits outside the Stallion for her. The door opens, out walks a blonde.

Only it's the wrong one. He follows her, waits for his chance ..

"And kills her, just like he threatened."

"There's something else. A few weeks ago, Harmon was arrested for peeping a coed's room at the dorm."

"Hot damn."

They turned the corner and Gary's house came into view.

"We've got to be careful with this," Downes cautioned. "Everything by the book. Lots of "Please' and "Thank you." The bathroom, if he's got to pee. Coke, if he's thirsty."

"Gotcha," Patrick agreed with a knowing smile.

"With one exception."

"And that is?"

"The kid's gonna trust me," Downes said as he parked the car. "I got him out of that peeping scrape and treated him right. We can play on that, but I might need some help. That's why I brought along the meanest prick on the force."

Patrick's smile widened. He knew exactly what Downes wanted. They had played this game before.

It was seven-thirty and the living room lights were on in Gary's house. Downes could hear the mindless chatter of the TV set when he rang the bell.

A moment later, Gary opened the door. He was barefoot and wearing jeans and a Whitaker football team tee shirt. The presence of four policemen on his doorstep confused and frightened him.

"Hi, Gary, remember me?" Downes asked with a cheerful smile.

Gary's brow furrowed. Then, he remembered Sergeant Downes. He was the nice policeman who helped him the night he ... Gary's initial relief was replaced by anxiety as he recalled the humiliating circumstances of his arrest for peeping. Had the girl he spied on pressed charges? Were these men here to arrest him?

"What do -you want?" Gary asked warily.

"Hey, Gary, there's nothing to worry about. I'm here because I need your help. Can I come in?"

Gary hesitated for a moment, but he remembered the good manners Mom had taught him and stepped aside.

Downes led the other policemen inside.

"Nice place you got here," Downes commented.

"Thank you. Do you want to sit down?" he asked, acting just the way his mom told him he should act when company called.

"Sure," Downes said, lowering himself onto the sofa.

"Say, Gary, could we turn the TV off? It's a little loud."

Gary turned off the set and sat opposite the burly police officer. Gary noticed that none of theother policemen sat down. One stayed by the front door, one stood near the entrance to the hall and the officer with the greasy hair made Gary uncomfortable by moving out of Gary's line of vision and standing behind his armchair.

"Have you heard about the girl who was murdered in Wishing Well Park?" Downes asked.

Gary nodded. Downes took a snapshot of Sandra Whiley out of his breast pocket and handed it to Gary.

Whiley was standing on a lawn in front of the business school dressed in shorts and a tank top, acting silly. She was leaning slightly forward because the camera had caught her while she was laughing.

"She sure was pretty, don't you think?" Downes asked.

Gary nodded noncommittally, even though he did think the girl was pretty. After his problem at the Stallion and his arrest at the dorm, Gary was afraid of expressing too much interest in girls.

"We're talking to anyone who might have seen this woman last night. Did you see her?"

"I don't think so."

"Take another look. You were at the Stallion yesterday evening, weren't you?"

Gary's heart rate increased. They were here about that girl. The one he yelled at.

"Hey, Gary, relax. You look uptight," Downes said.

"No I ain't," Gary answered defensively.

"Well, that's good, then, because there's no reason for you to be worried. This is just a routine inquiry. Now, you were at the Stallion last night, weren't you?"

"Yeah.

"Why don't you tell me what you did there."

Gary felt sick. He did not know what to say. Downes waited patiently.

"I don't remember too much what happened. I was drinking a lot."

"Did you try to pick up a girl at the bar?" Downes prodded.

"I ... I might have."

Downes lifted his head a fraction of an inch and made eye contact with Bob Patrick.

"Look, Harmon," Patrick barked, "we know you attacked a girl at the bar, so can the shit."

Gary's head swiveled around. Patrick loomed over him. He looked as if he might hit Gary.

"Calm down, Officer Patrick," Downes said firmly.

"Mr. Harmon invited us into his home. He's not a suspect and that remark was uncalled for." Patrick stared hard at Gary, but said nothing more.

"Sorry about that, Gary, but we did talk to the bartender and some other witnesses and they told us about the argument you had with a girl. Were they telling the truth?"

Gary hung his head. He wished Steve or Donna were there to protect him, but they were on their honeymoon.

"Well, Gary?"

"I got a little mad. I shouldn't of."

"What made you mad?"

"I don't know," Gary mumbled.

"You wouldn't be rude to a young lady without a reason. Am I right?"

Gary looked down at the floor. He didn't know what to say. Downes let him sit like that for a while, then he said, "I have a suggestion to make. Why don't we continue our conversation at the station. Is that all right with you?"

Gary's head snapped up. He looked panicky.

"You ain't gonna arrest me?"

Downes laughed a deep, friendly laugh.

"Arrest you? What gave you that idea? I want your help, that's all. We'll drive you home as soon as we're through. You do want to help me, don't you, Gary?"

Gary hunched forward a little and wrung his hands in his lap. He didn't like the police station. He was scared to go there.

Downes leaned close to Gary. "Remember how I helped you out? Remember how I fixed everything for you?"

Gary nodded.

"Do you trust me, Gary? Do you think I'm your friend?"

Gary hesitated.

"I didn't tell your mom about what happened at the college with that girl, did IF' "No," Gary answered grudgingly.

"Then, will you be my friend and help me solve this terrible case?"

Gary squirmed in his chair. Then, reluctantly, he nodded his head.

"Terrific! Why don't you get dressed and we can go."

Gary went to his bedroom and Downes and the mean policeman followed him. Patrick stood by the door, but Downes went inside the room. The first things he saw were the Stallion football posters and memorabilia.

"You really are a Stallion fan," Downes said while Gary put on his sneakers.

"Yeah," Gary said, brightening. "We're going all the way."

"I sure hope so. I never miss a game."

"Steve bought me season tickets."

"He's a nice guy. Even when he defends his clients in court, he treats us cops with respect. He's a good citizen, just like you."

Gary felt proud that Sergeant Downes thought he was like Steve. He didn't feel so scared now that he understood that he was just being a good citizen and helping the police solve a murder.

"Say, there's one more thing," Downes said as soon as Gary stood up to go. "Would you mind letting these fellas take a look around your place? I'd appreciate that."

"Look around?"

"Yeah. As part of the official investigation. That wouldn't be a problem for you, would it? They'd do it While we were downtown and put everything back real neat."

"Why would they have to look around?"

"We always look around when we're investigating a case, Gary. Good citizens never object. You don't have anything to hide, do you?"

Gary's thoughts turned immediately to the magazines with the pictures of the naked women, but they were hidden so well he was certain no one could find them.

"Well, Gary?"

"I guess it's okay."

"That's great," Downes told him, beaming with good fellowship as he fished a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it and a pen to Gary.

"Why don't you read this and put your John Hancock at the bottom where I've put the X?"What is it?"

"A consent to search form. It's just routine."

Gary looked at the form. He could read, but it took a lot of effort and this paper had a lot of hard words on it. After a minute of struggling, he got tired and signed.

Behind Gary, Bob Patrick smiled. Downes saw him, but kept his composure. Everything was going according to plan.

Gary recognized the room right away. It was the same windowless interrogation room where he was questioned the night he was arrested for peeping.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Sergeant Downes asked as soon as Gary was seated. Gary was thirsty, but he shook his head. He did not want to be left alone with the mean policeman, who was lounging in a chair by the door, staring at him.

"Okay, then," Downes said, taking a seat across from Gary. "I don't want to keep you long, so why don't we get down to it. What happened between you and that girl at the Stallion?"

Gary shrugged his shoulders and stared at the tabletop.

"I guess I got mad."

"That's no big thing. If I didn't get mad at you for what you did at the dorm, do you think I'm gonna get bent out of shape because you got mad at some irl? She probably didn't treat you right is what I'm guessing."

"I was trying to get a date with that girl and she said no. That's why I was mad."

Downes shook his head in disbelief and chuckled.

"Is that all? Hell, the way you've been acting, I thought you had some deep, dark secret. So, what happened?"

"Chris said she wanted to go out with me."

"Chris?"

"He's a friend of Kevin Booth. Kevin and Chris was sitting with me."

"So this Chris said this girl was giving you the eye?"

Gary nodded. "Only I don't think she really was. I think Chris was playing a joke on me."

"Why's that?"

"She really didn't seem to like me."

"What made you think she didn't like you?"

"She wouldn't let me buy her a drink and she told me to go away. Then, she ... she .. ."

Go on."

"She said I was stupid," Gary blurted out. His cheeks turned scarlet.

"Well, shit, Gary, that girl had no cause to do that, did she, Pat?"

Gary looked at the other policeman to catch his response, but there was none. Bob Patrick continued to stare with his hard, cold eyes.

Downes leaned across the table. "Gary," he asked in a low, sympathetic tone, "what did you do when you got mad at Karen Nix?"

"I ... I guess I grabbed her."

"What's all this 'guess' shit?" Patrick snapped angrily. "Either you did or you didn't."

Patrick's loud voice startled Gary and he looked to Downes for help.

"Relax, Pat," Downes said.

"I'm getting sick and tired of this little prick, Dennis.

He's jerking us around."

"Officer Patrick, my title is Sergeant, and I'm conducting this interview."

Downes stared hard at Patrick. Patrick tried to meet his stare, then backed down. Gary was elated. Downes turned back to Gary.

"I know this is hard for you, but we need your help to catch the killer. So, tell me what you said to Karen Nix when you grabbed her."

Gary hung his head. He felt nauseous.

"I ... I guess I said something like I would kill her."

"Then, Arnie Block came over, didn't he?" Downes asked.

Gary nodded. Downes looked relaxed, but he wasn't, because they were about to get down to the real nittygritty.

"What did you do after you left the bar?" he asked in a casua I tone.

"I don't remember so good. I think I just walked around."

"Did you go any special place?"

"I went to see Steve."

"Steve Mancini?"

Gary nodded.

"Did you see him?"

"No. I went by his house, but he wasn't there."

Downes leaned forward expectantly. "What did you do then?"

"I went to the Ponderosa."

Downes's pulse rate jumped. The Ponderosa was a workingman's bar near the Riverview Motel. It was a few blocks from where they were sitting. So was Sandra Whiley's boardinghouse. If Whiley was walking back to her place along High Street and Gary was walking toward the Ponderosa from Steve Mancini's house, they could have met.