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Chapter 13
FILES. AND MOREfiles.
Paper bones with very little meat.
Decker dropped the last of them on a pile in the middle of the desk, sat back, and breathed in the stale air that seemed to permeate Baronville’s police headquarters on Baron Boulevard. Right next door was Baronville City Hall.
Jamison sat acrossfrom him taking notes. Decker, with his perfect memory, never needed to do that. He idly watched her pen gliding over the paper. The door opened a moment later and Detective Green came in.
“Any luck?” he asked as he popped a stick of gum into his mouth.
Jamison finished the sentence she was writing and looked up.
Decker closed his eyes. “Joyce Tanner and Toby Babbotwere unemployed. Michael Swanson was a drug dealer. Bradley Costa was an SVP at a bank. And they all lived alone. No family. Tanner had been married but subsequently got divorced.”
Green closed the door behind him. “Yeah, well, that we already knew.”
Decker opened his eyes. “What was Babbot’s disability?” He glanced at Green, who was taking a seat across from him.
“The file just said he was disabled,” pointed out Jamison. “It didn’t say how or why.”
“Is that relevant?” asked Green.
“Everything is relevant until you can show it’s not,” said Decker.
“I’ll check.” Green leaned back in his chair. “So, nothing really jumped out at you?” he asked.
Before either Decker or Jamison could answer, the door opened again and Lassitercame in. She was dressed in a beige jacket and knee-length skirt with chunky heels. Her hair was loose around her shoulders.
“So, have I missed anything at the powwow?” she asked, taking a seat next to Green.
“Not much,” said her partner. “Just a follow-up question that may or may not be ‘relevant.’”
Decker stared at the opposite wall. “I met John Baron last night.”
Jamison looked surprised by this but kept silent.
Decker continued, “Some young punks were roughing him up. I intervened. But he declined to press charges. Any idea why?”
“Guilt, maybe,” replied Green.
“About what?” asked Jamison.
“It’s complicated,” said Lassiter.
“I’ve got lots of time,” replied Decker. “I’m technically on vacation.”He clasped his hands in front of him and studied her with an expectant expression.
Lassiter looked uncomfortably at Green and said, “Okay, the Baron family basically exploited this place and then sold out to companies that eventually shuttered everything. They lived in great luxury high up on the hill, while the rest of the town suffered and slowly died. And we’re still dying.”
“Did the present John Baron have anything to do with that?” asked Decker.
Lassiter shook her head. “No. He was in college when his parents died. But he’s lived up there ever since.”
“So why blame him?” asked Jamison.
“He’s aBaron,” interjected Green.
“So guilt by association?” said Jamison.
