The Good Die Twice

CHAPTER 25

CHAPTER 25

Early Tuesday morning, Sara pulled up in front of Skizzy's Pawn Shop just as the truck engine coughed and died. "Darn." She struggled to place the gear in neutral, but to be on the safe side, also put on the parking brake.

"Are you alone?" Skizzy poked his head around Sara and checked both sides of the sidewalk and across the street. "Hurry, hurry." He closed the door behind her and refastened all the locks and chains.

Sara set a cooler on the counter and a bag saying, "I brought you some home-grown vegetables I froze and some pickles and stewed tomatoes I canned. You should get the vegetables into the freezer right away."

Skizzy peeked inside the bag. "This what I think it is?" He smiled, his face forming cherub cheeks, as if he hid ping pong balls in his mouth. "Warm fry bread and fresh coffee."

"I made the fry bread this morning." Sara followed him down the staircase to his workroom. Skizzy was wearing the same camouflage pants and stained tee shirt he had worn during her previous visit. She wondered why he would wear military clothing if he was so suspicious of anything to do with the government, including the military.

"I've already swept the building for listening devices. Big Brother didn't sneak in here during the night." Skizzy wasn't smiling.

"Do you do that every morning?"

"Yep, every morning. And if I go out for any reason, I do it again when I return. Can't trust them. They are clever, yes sir." He thumbed through pages of computer printouts from the telephone numbers Dagger had given him. "Where is Dagger this morning?"

"He spent the night with a sick friend in the hospital."

"Well, tell Dagger I highlighted all the repeat calls and who they were to. Do you have something to put this in? They have telescopic equipment that can read from miles away."

Sara blinked and stammered, "No. Do you have an envelope?"

"Sure, sure." He opened a large brown envelope and blew into it, tipped it upside down. "Can't even trust bugs. Did you see that episode of X-Files where the government has outfitted bugs with audio and visual equipment for spying?"

Sara smiled. "No, I must have missed that episode." She felt sorry for him. To be that neurotic had to take its toll. And she wondered if Skizzy trusted anyone besides Dagger.

"Well, I'm sure you heard about those longhorn beetles that have been infesting some trees in Chicago." He leaned closer, his voice conspiratorial. "Chinese espionage." He nodded, agreeing with himself.

"I hope you don't mind meeting me here." Eric Tyler nodded to the waitress that he wanted a refill on his coffee. He and Dagger were seated in the restaurant at the plush Cedar Point Yacht Club.

Dagger could see fishing boats headed out toward the breakwall. Kids were already casing out their lounge chairs at the pool.

"Actually, Eric, I think you will prefer that we meet here rather than at your office."

Eric looked puzzled. They ordered breakfast, and once the waitress left, Eric said, "You were saying?"

"This is about Rachel Tyler."

Eric smiled but his eyes were cold steel. His hair looked as plastic as a Ken doll's, and his reaction seemed pre-packaged. Absorb Question A and sift through files for appropriate reaction.

"My father has been despondent ever since you dropped your little bombshell. He has told me he refuses to go to the police, doesn't want the publicity." Eric stirred his coffee slowly. After several moments of contemplation, he said, "You know this all sounds ludicrous."