Careful What You Wish For Page #4

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- You're like a minor celebrity.

- How'm I in the middle of anything?

Uhh... let's see, you're the next door neighbor.

You got a lap dance from the bereaved.

And you fixed the boat that blew up.

Remind me not to ever have you fix my boat.

Now, there's all this money flyin' around.

Money?

Hey, Gus. We oughta update Doug

on his upcoming media tour.

Can you tell him about the insurance policy?

- Five million bucks.

- Mm-hm. And it gets better...

How's this?

After three years of marriage,

doubles, 10 million dollars.

Math being Lem's strong suit.

- Watch yourself.

- I'll tell you one thing.

- They hate payin' out them big claims.

- Can't blame 'em for that.

Lem and I were on with that insurance gal, this

mornin', and I shoulda kept my damn trap shut.

Because as soon as I said I suspected the

widow, she was in a car, headed our way.

Thinks she's big time, because she's

a certified law enforcement agent.

So, of course, she says, "I

will draw my own conclusions."

You bet your butt she's gonna

come stompin' around tomorrow,

knockin' over rocks and disturbin' the peace.

Our peace.

- Angela Alvarez, we... spoke on the phone.

- Mm-hm.

So, as you can imagine, Allied Trust

is taking this case very seriously.

I know, grocer knows, the dog

walker knows. Heck, yeah.

Ever since I took over, as Sheriff of Lake

Lure, we have never had a major incident.

Until now.

Lemme tell you somethin'. I know how

to get to the bottom of things in

this town, a whole lot quicker than some

rookie insurance agent sniffin' around.

- I-I'm not a rookie.

- Yeah, you're a rookie.

This is your first big case.

How did you know that?

Well, for one thing, you're sweatin'.

You filed the injunction in the wrong jurisdiction.

And, you just told me.

Or, you used to work the East Precinct and...

you made a phone call.

Alright, let's get this damn thing over with, then.

I'd prefer to use your office

for the initial interviews.

Sense of authority. A, neutral ground and all that.

Why don't we put her in a

shorter chair, a little sleep

deprivation, rubber hose? That'll

break her down right away.

I'm the only thing standing between

that woman and 10 million dollars.

So...

you may not have to take your job

seriously, Sheriff... so I will.

Was this something new, for him,

taking the boat out alone, at night?

Mm-hm.

We had a fight.

Umm...

You know, we've had our issues, off

and on, that's not exactly a secret.

- And this time?

- I think we covered this.

Yes, I'd like to hear it again.

I had a drink with my neighbors.

- I came home.

- OK.

He was drunk.

Things escalated. He said he was just

going out for a drive, and then, um...

And then you showed up, in the morning.

Were either of you having relations...

with other people?

No. I mean, issues... yes, but, um...

nothing like that.

At least, I certainly wasn't.

Um, can we maybe take a break?

Yeah, OK, I think my client

has been through enough.

No dalliances, no flirtations?

I mean, you've been married, what, three years?

You don't have to answer this.

I mean, I came out here thinking you could

help me figure out what happened that night.

And instead, I've had to endure 2 hours of pointed

suspicion and a complete lack of compassion.

Sorry, I can't do this. Can we go now?

Big Jack.

Lemuel, talk to me.

Tox boys confirmed he was good and drunk.

Matched, uh... tissues pulled

from the bone to his DNA.

He died of cranial hemorrhagin' before

the cigarette and gasoline did the rest.

Not a pretty way to go, I'm afraid.

But it seems fairly straightforward.

- Can I help you?

- Umm...

I may have had a suspect sighting, that night.

- Want anything, Dougie? No?

- No, I'm good. Thanks.

- Jack! What's the latest?

- Hi.

Well, I'll tell you, that insurance lady

is certainly a pain in the kiester.

Mm-hm.

She turn up anything?

Well, so far, all we have is that...

what that security guard saw, now

he claims somebody else was

in the boat that night.

So I'm takin' him down to get a sketch

made and see what we get from that.

'Course, for all I know, he's just stringin' us

along so he gets to ride in a big ole police car.

- Hey, man? Keepin' the peace?

- Doin' my best.

Well, better those guys keep such good records now,

with all that stuff goin' on at the boatyard, huh?

Well, that's what I'm there for.

- Any leads, or...?

- Yeah.

I saw Elliot Harper take out the boat that night.

But then I realized, later...

I think it was someone else.

Were you plannin' on tellin'

me you were comin' here?

- After you.

- Thank you.

Rich people.

Sheriff!

Found something!

So... I think that I screwed

up, so don't get mad, OK?

- OK.

- OK.

That insurance chick? Came

with the-the messy hot one?

Yeah.

Well, her and Big Jack were hitting me

with a bunch of questions, last night.

And I, uh...

I may have said somethin'

before I could really think.

Questions about what?

About you... and how you been

acting all Summer, s-stuff like that.

Yeah, so?

And, um...

I may have said that there's a mysterious woman?

That's your own fantasy, Carson.

I told you, there's no...

There's no woman, there's nothing.

Thanks for believin' me. You're...

you're a real friend.

I told you not to get mad.

- Can I come in?

- Sure.

Yes, please.

Well, I have just a couple questions.

OK.

So, Mrs. Harper left around the same time

that your son went upstairs, that night?

Ten thirty-ish?

- You're sure about that time, right?

- Yes, I'm absolutely sure.

What is she doing? Now that the

house is sealed, where is she?

Pines Motel. I'm afraid that...

not a whole lot of other options.

Well, at any rate, I-I'd like Doug to come down

to the station and give an initial statement.

- Thanks, Em. Thanks, Brian.

- See your later.

Yep.

That's the last one. Check it out.

Don't worry, Dougie... it's just a formality.

Yeah.

Hey, I'm Elliot. Dougie, is it?

Your parents? What?

Anything worth doing's worth doing all the way.

I w-I worked on the boat.

- Uh, Mr. Harper...

- Mm-hm.

Um... a pretty intense guy.

Uh, drank... a bit, you know, and, um...

- he was... fairly nice to me, and...

- So,

that's how Mr. Harper struck you, uh...

as a drinker?

Uh, it's not like we really hung out that much.

I mean, he must have made some

sort of impression on you.

Yeah, I mean, he-he drank some,

when we took the boat out.

So, he-he drank some or he drank a lot?

- A... decent amount. Um...

- Uh-huh.

He liked, uh... bourbon, mostly, and...

seemed to smoked too much, too.

So, how would you characterize Mr.

Harper's relationship with his wife?

I... I barely really met her. You know,

she-she came on the boat with us

once and to the bar with him, uh...

y'know, but I only ever really met her-met

her, uh... one night, at her house.

- I said, what... t-two words to her?

- Mm-hm.

Doug...

just so we're straight here...

it's my job to find out exactly

what happened, so everyone

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