Show Me (Thomas Prescott 4), Nick Pirog [classic children's novels .TXT] 📗

you thought about having Will Dennel killed, but all that would do is erase your eighty-thousand-dollar debt. If you get rid of Victoria Page, then you can access her account and her millions. You’ll be able to gamble to your dick’s content. But then you think, why not both?”

I watched him closely, then said, “I don’t care if you jump, but don’t do it until I’m finished.”

I waited for him to acknowledge me or jump.

He did neither.

“You offered Lowry Barnes half a million dollars to kill Victoria Page. Half up front, half on completion. Lowry Barnes was a desperate man and half a million dollars is life-changing money. So you stake out Victoria Page, see when she’s going to go to the Save-More. Maybe when she’s en route, you call Will Dennel and ask him to meet you there. Maybe you tell him you have some money for him.”

I debated telling him why Victoria was going to the Save-More. Telling him about the meeting. The one that Neil Felding had called. But it didn’t matter. It had nothing to do with why Victoria was targeted.

“When Will and Victoria are both inside the Save-More, that’s when you give Lowry the go-ahead. He goes in, makes it look like he’s there to settle the score with Odell, then rounds up everyone and shoots them.”

I took a breath, then said, “Lowry Barnes used to cut Victoria Page’s lawn when he was a kid.”

At this, Jerry turned around.

He didn’t know.

I said, “She was one of the only people who was ever nice to him. Fed him when he came over to cut her grass, even let him stay the night a few times when his old man was in a bad way. That’s why he couldn’t go through with it. That’s why he only shot her in the hip and the shoulder.”

Jerry snorted.

I didn’t blame him.

If Lowry Barnes had killed Victoria Page then Jerry would have been in the clear. He would have her money, and I wouldn’t be here now.

But he didn’t get her money.

And I was here.

I said, “I don’t know exactly where you got the two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. I’m guessing you took it from Victoria’s account late that afternoon. By the time she noticed it missing, she would be dead.”

Jerry looked as though he was about to speak, then decided against it. Maybe he was thinking about the big picture. About lawyers, and due process, what could be proved and what couldn’t, not to mention his chances of making it out of this with a wife and without being raped by a cellmate.

“Lowry is supposed to meet you somewhere on the outskirts of town where you were going to give him the second half of his money. But you never had any intention of paying him the second half. You get in the car with him, wrestle his gun away, and shoot him in the temple. He will already have gunshot residue on his fingers from his killing spree, and it will be deemed a suicide.”

I let out a long breath, then said, “Damn that felt good.”

I glanced at Wheeler.

Twice already, she’d believed she was in the presence of the person who had paid Lowry Barnes to kill her father. First with David Ramsey, then with Victoria Page.

“Say you did it!” she screamed at Jerry. “Say that you paid Lowry to do it!”

He didn’t say anything.

I took two steps forward and grabbed him. I yanked him toward the burner then raised his left arm.

It took him a moment to realize my intentions.

I pulled his arm straight and inched it near the flames.

“You heard the lady,” I said.

He whipped his head from side to side.

With my opposite hand I pushed down on the burner’s throttle. The small flame doubled. I moved his arm toward the flame.

“I did it!” he screamed. “I paid Lowry Barnes to kill Victoria!”

I wrenched his arm from above the burner and pushed him away. He sank to his butt against the basket wall, rubbing his arm with his hand.

Wheeler took two steps across the basket and kicked him. Once, twice, three times, until he was curled in the fetal position moaning.

I pulled her away, the tears running down her cheeks. “You motherfucker!” she screamed.

I held her for a long minute until her breathing calmed. Finally, I stepped back over to where Jerry cowered.

I said, “And you had him kill Will Dennel and everyone else there.”

He shook his head. His eyes were moist. “I told him he had to kill everyone in the store. That it had to look like a massacre. But I didn’t know Will was there.”

“Bullshit.”

“Will and I were friends. Hell, other than my wife, I probably talked with him more than anybody. And I had no reason to kill him. With Victoria gone, I would have had millions.”

Jerry’s face was pained and it wasn’t from Wheeler’s kicks.

Maybe Will being there had just been a crazy coincidence?

I asked, “Will didn’t threaten to tell Joan about your gambling if you didn’t pay?”

“No, Will was easy. He told me to pay what I could. But he said I couldn’t bet with him anymore.”

I said, “So let me guess, you started betting elsewhere. With other bookies. With that Graham guy?”

“Yeah, and Graham, he isn’t so easygoing. I got into him for about forty large. He told me I had till the end of the month, then he was gonna rough me up.”

Wasn’t easy going was an understatement.

He was terrifying.

I mentally kicked myself for missing such an obvious piece of the puzzle.

I said, “And if you came home roughed up, your wife would know right off that you were gambling again.”

He nodded.

After a couple seconds, I said, “Tell me about Mike Zernan.”

He didn’t answer and I kicked him in the ribs.

“Tell.”

Kick.

“Me.”

Kick.

“About.”

Kick.

“Mike Zernan.”

He held his ribs. Wheezed. Finally, he said, “I’d known Mike since we were kids. He was a couple years ahead of me, but he used to buy me and my buddies beer once in a