Claws For Concern

“No.” He looked away as if embarrassed. “Too drunk. I don’t remember leaving the apartment.” He frowned as he turned his head to face me again. “Don’t know how I got downtown. I was so lit I don’t see how I made it down the stairs without killing myself.”

I had wondered about that myself. His apartment was several miles from the town square. How had he managed to walk that far in his condition? Probably took the bus, I thought. He couldn’t have walked that distance.

“You must have got on the bus somewhere near your apartment,” I said.

“Maybe,” Delaney replied. “Got a bus pass.”

“The police will find out,” I said. “I’m sure the driver would remember.”

“Probably so.”

“My daughter and son-in-law happened to be there when it happened,” I said. “They saw the whole thing.”

Delaney frowned. “I don’t remember anything. Can you tell me what they saw?”

“Sure.” I related the story to him. “Now, my daughter is sure that driver deliberately hit you. Do you know anyone who would have a reason to do that?”

Delaney looked startled, and for a moment he also looked afraid. Then his expression turned bland. “No.”

He was lying. I knew by his reaction he had an idea who had run him down. Why wouldn’t he give me a name? Who was he protecting?

TWENTY

“Are you sure about that?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Delaney replied. “I appreciate you coming to the hospital, but I really got no claim on you. You’ve been kind, but I can’t impose on you anymore.”

He wanted to get rid of me, and that convinced me he was lying about the hit-and-run driver. I didn’t think now was the time to press him on the subject, however. He looked beaten down and vulnerable due to his condition, and I couldn’t force myself to play a bad-cop routine when he was like this. I would give him a day or two to think about it, because he had obviously had no idea someone tried to kill him until I told him. After he thought about that nasty fact he might change his mind about talking to me.

I rose. “I’ve been glad to help, although I really haven’t done much. Is there anything you need?”

He shook his head, then winced. “No, thanks. Like I said, you’ve done more than enough. Right now I just need to rest.”

“All right,” I said. “But if you change your mind, I’m only a phone call away.”

He nodded, then closed his eyes. I stood there a moment longer, but he didn’t move or open his eyes. I turned and left the room, pulling the door halfway closed as it had been when I arrived.

As I approached my car in the parking lot a few minutes later, I remembered I needed to call Jack Pemberton and fill him in on today’s events. I didn’t like talking on the phone while I was driving, even though I now had a car—purchased last month—that allowed me to sync my cell phone to its audio system and talk hands-free. I had used the feature only twice, but, while it was convenient, I was still concerned that I might get distracted. Even though I had conversations when there were people in the car with me and managed not to have accidents, a phone conversation didn’t feel the same.

When I arrived home, Helen Louise and Diesel greeted me at the back door. I kissed Helen Louise before I gave Diesel a scratch on the head, and he didn’t seem to mind.

“You’re back sooner than I expected,” Helen Louise said.

“Sooner than I expected also,” I replied. “He says he doesn’t really remember anything, other than that he thinks he took the bus to get downtown from his apartment. After that he’s pretty blank.”

“Did you tell him what Laura saw?”

I nodded. “Right after that he suddenly didn’t want to impose on me anymore. Thanked me for my help but pretty much told me to buzz off. Not rudely, though.”

“Maybe he didn’t believe you about the deliberate hit,” Helen Louise said.

“I’m pretty sure he did, although he denied knowledge of anyone who would want to injure or kill him. I decided there was no point in arguing with him today. He looks pretty pitiful.” I described his appearance to Helen Louise.

She grimaced. “Poor man, I hope he’s going to be able to recover from this.”

“He’ll get excellent care at the hospital,” I said, “but I have no idea how long they’ll keep him there. When I go back to see him in a day or two, he might know more about what the plan is for his rehab.”

“I hope he’s sensible and confides in you, or at least in the police,” Helen Louise said.

“We’ll see,” I replied. “What are your plans for the rest of the afternoon and this evening?”

“Depends on what you have in mind,” Helen Louise said.

“I need to call Jack Pemberton and bring him up-to-date on the latest events,” I said. “Plus arrange to get together to plan our investigation. That shouldn’t take more than an hour. I’d say we might go out for dinner, but Diesel would have to be on his own. Unless Stewart and Haskell are going to be here.”