AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I shouldn’t do this.”
“Do what?”
“Help you drag somebody else’s problem into our workload.” She dropped the newspaper on my desk pad.
I picked up the paper and read the story. It was four paragraphs in length. It was the kind of news story that any journalist or educated cop instantly recognizes as one that replicated a press handout or a statement made by a public information officer rather than an account based on an eyewitness interview. It was written in the passive voice and avoided specifics other than the fact that Elmore Latiolais, a man with a long criminal history, had been shot to death when he stole a pistol from a prison vehicle and threatened to kill a prison guard.
“Latiolais was a check writer and a bigamist and a thief. I don’t see this guy threatening prison personnel with a stolen firearm.”
“Pops, let the state of Mississippi deal with it.”
“So why bring me the news story?”
“Because you have a right to see it. That doesn’t mean you have a right to act on it.”
“You brought it to me because you know this story sucks.”
“Oh, boy.”
“Listen, Helen—”
She walked out the door, shaking her head, probably more at herself than at me.
I called Jimmy Darl Thigpin on his cell phone, expecting my call to go immediately to voice mail. But it didn’t.
“Thigpin,” a voice said.
“It’s Dave Robicheaux.”
“I figured.”
“I just read the story on Latiolais’s death. What happened?”
“I killed him. Somebody should have done it to that sonofabitch a long time ago.”
“He had a gun?”
“That’s right. He was getting it out of my cab.”
The image his words conjured up didn’t fit. “But he didn’t actually have the gun in hand?”
“What did the newspaper say?”
“It stated he threatened you.”
“’Cause that’s what he did.”
“How did Latiolais get access to the cab of your truck? What was an unsecured weapon doing in it?”
“A new man screwed up.”
“Tell me straight-out, Cap, this man verbally threatened you while holding a loaded weapon in his hand. That’s what happened? You were at mortal risk?”
“You’re over the line, Mr. Robicheaux.”
“The question stands. Will you answer it?”
“It what ?”
