Free Chat by Archer Mayor

. . Sometimes.”
    “What about Leo’s car?”
    McNeil scrunched up his face in confusion. “Jesus, Rob. That’s what I just asked.”
    “And what did you come up with, Barrie? Could the nut have come loose in Leo’s car?”
    McNeil snatched his baseball cap off and passed his palm across the top of his head several times. “No . . . I mean, it could have, but I don’t see why. This is all fucked up, Rob. What do you want ?”
    Rob leaned forward at the waist for emphasis. “I want to know about Leo’s tie rod, Barrie. Talk to me.”
    Barrie slapped his hat back on and extended his arms out to both sides, saying loudly, “I don’t know about his fucking tie rod, Rob. I never touched it.”
    Barrows let a slow count of five tick by before he stepped back and said pleasantly, “Geez. You seem awfully worked up about something you never touched.”
    Barrie didn’t answer, but he’d gone paler in the process.
    “Okay. Cool,” Rob resumed. “Let me take a look at Leo’s service records on that car. Maybe we can clear this whole thing up here and now.”
    But it didn’t work. Barrie’s face shut down. “No can do. Not without a court order. Boss’s orders. That computer is, like, sacred.”
    “Griffis?” Joe asked, unable to stop himself.
    McNeil looked at him as if he’d just stepped into the room. “Yeah. I let you do that, I’m outta here. Like that.” He snapped his fingers. “That’s, like, his biggest rule.”
    Rob looked vaguely offended. “You’re shitting me. Why would the old man get all cranked up about a bunch of car repair records?”
    But now it was Barrie’s turn to turn the tables. “I’m not talkin’ about E. T.,” he said. “Dan’s the boss.”
    Once more, Joe couldn’t stop himself. “ Dan owns the garage?”
    “Yeah, for a coupla years. Old E. T. gave him a bunch of stuff. Passing the light.”
    “Torch,” Rob said sourly.
    Barrie stared at him, back on firmer ground. “Whatever.”
    Joe asked, “Why did Dan slam the door on the records? You guys get sued or something?”
    Barrie shook his head. “Nope. He just came in after he made boss, and said there was gonna be some tightening up around here, and that’s when he gave the order.”
    “What else did he change?” Rob asked, looking around at the decor to see if he’d missed some subtle improvement.
    “That was it.”
    Rob glanced at Joe, received a barely perceptible shrug, and told Barrie, “Okay. No problem going the legal route. In fact, even better. Keeps things clean. We’ll get a warrant.”
    “Does Dan use the computer much?” Joe asked.
    “All the time.”
    Rob moved toward the door to leave, but Joe paused to add a final recommendation: “You probably heard on TV how once data’s entered into a computer, it never really disappears, right?”
    Barrie clearly had no idea what he was talking about. “Yeah,” he said without conviction.
    “You want to think about that. Something happens to this one, we’ll come looking for you to find out why, regardless of who monkeys with it.”
    The two cops left the building and walked back to Rob’s cruiser.
    “Nice, with the computer,” Rob said as they settled inside. “Maybe he won’t squeal to his boss.”
    Joe grunted. “Could be. If I were him, I’d solve the problem by throwing the damn thing into the river. Not that it matters. We’ll never find a judge to allow us into it, anyhow.”
    Rob nodded without comment.
    “Too bad we can’t find that nut,” Joe mused.
    His companion glanced at him inquiringly.
    Joe explained further, “It might have tool marks on it—something we could match to a wrench or something in there.” He pointed his chin toward the garage. “Enough PC for a search warrant, given that Barrie said he never touched the nut.”
    Rob’s expression began to lighten. “But that’s possible. I mean, it’s a reach. But it is possible.”
    “What? Find the nut?” Joe was incredulous. “There’s two feet of snow out