Free Dangerous Mercy: A Novel by Kathy Herman Page B

Murray mentioned something that happened the other night. He said that Flynn smarted off to him, and right afterwards he overheard you tell Flynn to watch his back—that he couldn’t keep ticking people off and expect them to roll over. Is that true?”
    Noah wiped the sweat off his forehead. “Yes, but I was just mad that Flynn was hasslin’ Murray, that’s all.”
    “I see. Do you remember Flynn telling you to get your ‘stinking hands’ off him?”
    “Somethin’ like that,” Noah said. “I didn’t hurt him. I was up in his face, makin’ my point.”
    “And when Flynn told you he was here to stay and that you’d better get used to it, did you say, ‘We’ll see about that’?”
    “Yes, but I didn’t plan to do anything ’bout it myself. I figured Father Vince’d get sick of his game playin’ and throw him out.”
    Jude pursed his lips and linked his fingers together. “Murray also mentioned that the two of you talked about Flynn at breakfast this morning.”
    Noah nodded. “He stayed out all night with Father Vince’s car. I figured it was just one more way he was thumbin’ his nose at authority.”
    “Did you tell Murray that maybe y’all would get lucky and Flynn wouldn’t come back?”
    “Yes, sir. I meant it too. There’s not a guy at Haven House who didn’t feel the same way.”
    “But Flynn was found out here—where you work. Where you have easy access.”
    “With all due respect, Sheriff, it’s easy to get in and out o’ here. It’s a bed-and-breakfast. People come and go all the time.”
    Jude stopped rocking and leaned forward, his hands clasped between his knees. “From what I understand, Flynn Gillis was about as obnoxious as they get. It’s easy to see how this could happen.”
    “I didn’t kill him.”
    “When’s the last time you saw him?”
    “Last night. I was in the lounge watchin’ the ten o’clock news. He borrowed Father Vince’s car to go to the convenience store. I went to bed when the news was over. That’s it. Never saw him again.”
    “Anybody see you go to bed?”
    “I doubt it. Murray was already asleep.”
    “You’re sure about that?”
    Noah nodded. “I saw him in his bunk.”
    “Well, the thing is, he didn’t see you in yours. And neither did the other guys.”
    Noah turned, a row of lines on his forehead. “I was there, Sheriff. What do you want me to say? I only have two roommates. One was asleep, and the other was at the convenience store.”
    “Why didn’t any of the other guys see you go to bed?”
    “They’re in different dorm rooms. Why would they notice when I went to bed?”
    “You’d think with thirteen other residents and a priest, someone would’ve seen you go to bed—or to the bathroom. They didn’t.”
    Noah closed his eyes and slowly shook his head, his lips curled with disgust. “And, o’ course, why suspect any of them when you can go after the black man?”
    “We’re talking to each one of them at length. But Flynn’s body was found out here—and right after you made that crack about him not coming back.”
    “I didn’t do this.”
    “Noah, for what it’s worth, I don’t want you to be guilty. But you had a recent altercation with Flynn. I can’t just ignore that. Or that fact that he was found dead out here, where you know the lay of the land.”
    Noah raked his hands through his hair. “Just curious, Sheriff: How do you think I lured him out here in the middle o’ the night?”
    “The coroner thinks he may have been killed elsewhere and his body dumped in the bayou. He showed signs of having died at least an hour before he was put in the water.”
    “So you think I strangled him somewhere else and dumped him out here—where you would be sure to discover his body and blame it on me?” Noah tapped his fingers on his knees. “You really think I’m that stupid, Sheriff?”
    “I don’t think it’s stupid. Whoever left the body out here expected a gator to get him before anyone ever saw